The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1917-01-12
Margaret
The Story of How a Kings
Son Came to His Own.


There was trouble In the kingdom
OF Tartaria. John, prince Of the
blood, but not heir to the throne. was
attempting to seize It by force. King
Alonzo had not married till late In life
and had no son to inherit the crown
till he was fifty years old. John, who
had King Alonzo died childless. would
have been the sovereign. gathered
about him number of adherents
whom he had seduced by promises of
preferment, with a view to deposins
the king and killing the infant Crown
Prince Theodore, only a few weeks old
Now. 1t happened that the queen was
unable to nurse her offspring, and
wet nurse had been brought In for the
purpose. This woman had son the
same age as Prince Theodore and di-
vided her milk between the two chill.
dren.
John succeeded in his attempt. but
not exactly as he had expected. King
Alonzo was killed by one of Johns
licutenants who were charged to secure
the sovereign's person. John himself,
at the head of an armed force, broke
into a wing Of the palace where the
crown prince was under the care of his
nurse. Prince Theodore and his fos-
ter brother, David. each occupied q
cradle, that of the prince, being of
ivory canopied with fine lace, that OF
David OF wood with no canopy. As
John was about to dispatch the child
In the royal cradle he received news
that the king had been killed. Not
relishing the Staying Of an infant and
realizing that before the prince would
reach an age to be an obstacle In his
way. John gave him to one of his adj
herents with instructions to pay q
peasant to adopt him, at the same time
taking measures to conceal his origin.
When the revolutionists had left the
royal nursery Margaret. the nurse, who
had been concealed behind a curtain
and had heard the instructions given.
stepped from her hiding place and
kneeling. gave thanks that no murder
had been committed. Then, turning
to the wooden cradle. she took the
child from 1t and. watching her oppor.
tunity, finally left the palace with 1t
by rear exit.
John proclaimed himself king, and
though he gave all the offices to his nd.
herents and by his misrule brought
much misery on the people of Tar.
taria, he made them so afraid Of him
that they dared not make any attempt
to throw Off the yoke. -.
When John had reiSned twenty years
he had a daughter who had come to
manageable age. but he had no son.
Not daring to leave the government in
the hands of a woman. fearing that
after his own death the people would
rebel against her, 1t occurred to him
to marry her to the true prince. who
had been brought up as a peasant.
He had always had his eye on the
boy. who had been adopted by an ig
norant countryman, and one day sent
a messenger to bring him to the pal
ace. The young man was so uncouth
that John disliked to give him his
daughter; but, since by doing so he
hoped to render her succession and
reign peaceful. he adhered to-his de-
termination.
Unfortunately for the kings purpose
the young man was between twenty
and twenty-one years of age, too old
to make a refined person Of him. The
prince-peasant showed no evidences OF
having been begotten by king and,
was very stupid. John gave him the
best masters, both in intellectual fields
and in department.: but, despite their
efforts. they could make nothing of
him.
Had the kings daughter, Eleanor.
been q girl of q refined nature John
would have had difficulty in making
match between her and the clod-
hopp.r But she was not. The branch
Of the royal family TO which she be-
longed had been noted for generations
back for profligacy and coarseness. and
Eleanor though still not eighteen,
SnOWtu pldluIN llil luiS lnHeIltduSt
cropped out in her. 1t made little diff
ference to her whom she married.
When the supposed peasant had been
somewhat furnished up he was told
that he was the true heir to the throne
and all he needed to obtain possession
Of 1t was to marry the princess, FOR
John proposed to abdicate in his favor
with view to seeing his daughter q
queen during his lifetime. AS was ex
pected. the prince -clodhopper was
ready to accept the situation, and
nothing remained hut to announce to
the people that the sovereignty was
to be transferred to the son and heir
Of the late King Alonzo. then to make
preparations.
Now. this would have filed the Tar
tarians with delight had NOT the re-
turned prince-peasant rendered him
self unpopular by bis uncouthness and
overbearing ways. Put q beggar on
horseback and he will ride TO the
devil" The man who had been taken
from the plow to consort with kings
daughter had been elevated altogether
too suddenly He showed plainly by