The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-10-04

| from the plOw 10 cOnSOrL WITH a king
daughter had been elevated altogethe
too suddenly. He showed plainly b.
his arrogance that the more power b.
acquired the greater despot he woul'
be. The consequence was that whel
It was announced that he was to b.
king the people, instead Of being pleas
ed, were shocked.
From the time the announcement
was made until the day Of the wed
ding a feeling Of discomfort was rife
, In the kingdom. Nevertheless King
John adhered to his plan and had made
arrangements to abdicate in favor of
his sOn-in-law the day after the we'd
ding. Such was the young couples dis
favor with the people that when they
rode in the royal coach to and from
the church not shout of cOngratula-
ton was raised except by persons who
had been hired for the purpose
The morning after the marriage
King John. surrounded by his minis
tiers and the magnates of the kingdom,
was about to sign his abdication when
a man hastily entered and, approach
ing the king, whispered in his ear:
Your majesty, pretender to the
throne has appeared. has claimed to be
king, and all the people in the portion
of the city where he lives have risen
to support him."
ION what does he support his pre-
tentionsY asked the king angrily.
HE claims to be the true prince. the
son of King Alonzo."
But | took the true prince from his
cradle with my own hands. commit
ted him to the care of one of my adj
herents and have kept him under my
eye ever since"
1.-THE pretender, your majesty, claims
that before you entered the royal
nursery the nurse placed her son in
the royal cradle and the prince in her
sons cradle. He AYERS that the prince,
your son-in-law, is the son of the nurse,
while he, the pretender. is the son Of
King Alonzo'
The king paled. In twenty years
that he had been enjoying the SOW
ereignty it had never occurred to him
that mother could bring herself to
sacrifice her son for another. even
though that other were prince.
where is this woman?" he faltered
"She ia dead, your majesty"
Dead! Then who is to prove that
this substitution was nader"
'The pretender claims that she fur
nished him with proofs; that he has
The infant clothes he wore the day Of
he revolution, and they are embroider-
I'd with the royal arms"
The king cringed. He had not
thought when he took the baby from
lis cradle to examine his clothes. He
had wrapped him in blanket he had
'ound on the floor. He did not know
hat it had covered Margaret's son and
The had dropped 1t in carrying him to
he princes cradle.
Does this would be usurper bear the
ineaments Of king?" he asked.
HE is the image of the late King
rs he educated or ignorant?"
Fairly educated. He claims that
lis foster mother was enabled to send
him to school, having saved all the
money given her by the king for fur
fishing his son with sustenance which
Enabled him to live-a sum very large"
At this point a commotion was
heard without the palace. The king
'ose from the throne in which he sat
Ind was observed to tremble. Call
ng the general of his armies to him,
lie ordered him to quell the disturb
lnce. The meeting broke up, each
'erson leaving to prepare for whatever
,hange might come, for the king was
Unpopular even among his adherents.
md If the story of this young claim
int could be substantiated he was
'ure to win.
The drums were beaten in the palace |
'ourt. and the kings bodyguard sprang
o arms. But it was too late. A large
Of people, armed with all |
iinds OF implements, headed by a
'oung man whom some who had !
Known the late king as young man
ancied to be Alonzo returned to life. |
moved on the palace.
And so it was that a similar scene TO |
hat practiced by John when he made
himself king happened again, only it
vas John himself instead of King
Alonzo who was attacked. and there I,
Vas no legitimate prince to be got rid |
II. But the claimant was a very diff |
erent man from the usurper. He had |
ne people all with him and could af- /,
ord to be magnanimous. On taking |
possession Of the palace he forbade his |
'dherents to kill any one. Having pos
'essed himself of the person of King
John and his daughter and his son.in-
aw, he thus addressed the fallen mon
lrch:
You are my fathers murderer, and
~ rights l should avenge his death in
yours. But ! prefer that you should
I've to repent the deed. | therefore
spare your life. As for this changeling
Nhom you We're about to make king in
'our stead, he and his wife shall 90 |
INTO exile with you. May they console
you In your degradation"
AT this those standing ahopt ,rotos.