The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-12-13
The Minstrel
By F. A. Mitchell

There was a kingdom belonging u
the eastern Roman empire the SOW
ereign of which was at certain period
a young girl named Eudoxia- She was
twenty years old and very beautiful
For many generations the royal family
had intermarried among each other
This had resulted In keeping up Ger
tain hereditary diseases among them'
and they had been very much thinned
by death.
When the queen was urged by her
mobiles to marry that there might be
an heir to the throne the heralds were
instructed to hunt up some person OF
royal blood whom she might wed. 1t
was found that there was no man liv-
ing whom her majesty might marry
who was not tainted with some hered-
itary disease. But man, Harmodius,
was discovered. who had descended
from another branch of the royal fami-
ly, who was young and wealthy. 1t
was represented to the queen that II
she did not marry this person she
could not marry at all. Furthermore.
II she did not have an heir Harmodius
would be the only person who would
have any claim whatever to the throne.
Now 1t happened that not long before
this marriage question came up Eu-
doxia had been sitting In the royal
gardens one summer day when from
beyond the wall came sounds Of music.
A man was singing. accompanied by
lutte. The princess listened and when
the song was finished sent an attendant
to command the singer to come to her.
He did so. and his face and figure
proved to be as charming as his voice.
The queen kept him singing for awhile,
then dismissed him with a gift, which
he refused.
Eudoxia resented this refusal, though
In her heart she admired the man the
more for 1t. She had intended to COM
mand him to come again to sing for
her, but since he would not take
pay for doing SO 1t was beneath her
royal dignity to accept the service.
Nevertheless she could not forget ei-
Their him or his music. Finding her.
self pining for him. she tried to drive
him out of her mind. Not succeeding
In doing 80. she resolved to have him
introduced into the palace surrepti
tiously. for should 1t be known that she
was accepting a favor from a subject
1t would create a great scandal.
She sent one Of her attendants whom
she could trust to the musician with
instructions to tell him the circum-
stances which compelled the queen to
send for him privately and admonish
him to keep the secret This allayed
a feeling Of resentment that her males
ty had not before invited him to sing
before her again, and he went to the
palace, where the queen received him
attended by single maid of honor
, who was in the secret.
When 1t was announced to Eudoxia
that there was but one man whom she
could legally marry she had become
madly In love with the musician. She
put her ministers Off as long as DOS
sible In the matter Of marrying Har-
modius, and when she could do so no
longer directed them to bring her his
portrait. This encouraged them. and
they set out to obey the royal instruc.
lions. They returned much discon.
certed. Harmodius declined to fur
nish his portrait.
Eudoxia was not disappointed At
this, for she was every day becoming
more and more infatuated with the
handsome singer who by royal COM
mand came frequently to the palace
In secret to sing for her royal mistress.
However, the cabinet insisted that the
queen should marry. and since Harmo.
dius was the only man she could mar.
ry she must marry Harmodius. She
! resisted their demands until they
threatened that If she did not yield
they would get up a revolution and
put Harmodius on the throne.
One day when the minstrel came tc
sing for the queen she told him that Il
was the last time she could listen t.
him. She confessed her love for him
but added that she was obliged to mar
ry or lose her sovereignty. The min
strel begged that he might sing one
farewell song to her. He was permit
ted to do so and sang, expressing hi.
love so pathetically that the queer
broke down and told him that she
would give up her kingdom for him
He told her that his love for her would
not permit him to accept the sacrifice
and they parted.
The queen now informed her minis
tiers that she would wed Harmodiu;
or any one they chose. Preparation,
were made for the wedding. while thu
queen wept in secret. She was solicit
ed to receive Harmodius before tn,
ceremony, but declined. When tn,
marriage came OF she would not lool
at him After they had been pronounc
ed married couple her husband said
my queen"
Eudoxia started. The voice was thai
Of the minstrel. She looked ND. and
there beside her was the man who hat