Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1916-03-31

+ HcE6 may Dt u -iuUS lt6SLSy w
fore my son shall reach the age ca
maturity. There is another, older
chan himself the son of ny foster
brother-not of royal blood, but the
bastard of serving woman-Freder-
ick, he is called 1t may be within the
purpose of my foster brother that that
boy shall be brought up as the king,
in case |, myself, should fall. He is
not fit to rule. He is not your king
But signed hereunto is the name and
the cal, unmistakable done in my
blood and his, of your king, Michael
the First, and, of your future king,
Michael the Second my son. He is
as yet too young fully to know the
gravity of these pres, nts. But by this
sign you shall know your ruler shall
these presents come to you, well be-
loved
III the name OF God, amen Mi
chael Rex
Below this signature OF Michael
the Good" said the measured voice
of Count Frederick. there is another
signature Michael the Second, Rex
Gentlemen, there are two signatures
to these scripts, and there are two
seals
A sigh Of wonder almost of conster-
nation, came from those assembled
The only protest was from the hud
died object in the farther corner OF
the room, where still remained Mi
chael the drunken.
What then, the 81 ard" he
shrieked. Treason to mealtcr him,
men, This pretender- what is it that
he says? What proof has he?-what
proof
This proof, sir" said Count Fred
erick, coldly, and approached to him
the broad page of the parchment
sheet
! Michael gazed stupidity at what he
saw uncomprehending Others gazed
also, and at first could make nothing
of what was there. Count Frederick
went on
II recall now, as | see this page,
said he, this writing of the king my
father-you hear me, gentlemen my
: father
Il recall that saw him Place be
meath the great seal, that other seal
done III his own blood saw him
draw the blood from his own arm and
put his thumb in it, and place it Eere
thus scaling this document with the
unmistakable seattle one alone
which cannot show a mistaken iden.
tty
And here. gentlemen, beneath that
other line of signature, which you
have heard and seen, there is another
a smaller, a very small seal of SIM
lar sort 1t is the print of human
thumb-the thumb Of boy, Of baby
"a baby then, man now-who re-
calls that scene vaguely. And here
is the proof Gentlemen, recall now
IL do ldlutl TINS MAJ Dul
it was his great hands which took my
little one and dipped my thumb in the 4
blood which he drew from my arm,
and set it here below that name which
he has written, Michael the Second
Gentlemen who then is your
king"
Even yet they could not grasp the
full significance Of what they heard
and again the voice OF Count Freder-
lex resumed.
GO, now, gentlemen, send out your
agents quickly Bring here these men
Of science skilled in the reading Of
such things as these II was Bertillon
who developed that science OF infalli.
Bile identification Ii was he who
showed that each man carries with
him, in his person, froil his cradle to
his grave, that unmistakable seal
which Identifies him infallibly
Now bring here your men OF sci
enCe. Here is my hand as God made
it, and as my father held II in his so
many years ago Small then--larger
and stronger now! God grant it be
strong enough today to do what my
father did, and do it we'll. And may my
mind have justice and liberty before
it always, as those things were before
his.
Gentlemen, you know the history
OF this kingdom as well as |. YoI
know the long regency following the
Gretzhoffen war You know why that
regency was established Rumor was
that King Michael died like a king,
in his own bed, The truth was other.
wise. He was murdered here in the
vault below by the men of his own
foster brother.
III that be true-ani as God Is my
witness, | believe It to be true-then
we we'll may guess which boy was
brought up under the regent TO take
the place of king. That was not my
self-others, relatives of mine, reared
me, as you know, until am what you
hhO"s anu tOhdNi lulS
waster-not even the son of lawful
wedlock, never the son of a queen
that man. he was the one accepted as
your king! Treason, you say-why
there was treason to every human be-
ing who lived on Gretzhoffen soil
when that pretender took the throne,
AS for you, sir" and he stepped
over to lay an iron hand on the Shout
der of the covering man who sank
back upon his seat, your day is done,
do not say you were a party to this
i only say, you must go. For the
rest, the parliament of our realm shall
formally decide"
His steellike grip half lifted Michael
from his place. thrust HIM toward,
through, the door-and instantly the
door closed behind him. Beyond, there
was an outcast king. Within, reforc