The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1917-05-19
Margaret
The Story Of How a Kings
Son Came to His Own.
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D. z. A. MICHEL.

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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
und 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 ndhcrents.
whom he had seduced by promises of
prcferment. with a view to deposing
the king and killing the infant Crown
Prince Theodore, only few weeks old
Now. it happened that the queen was
unable to nurse her offspring, and II
wet nurse had been brought In for the
purpose. This woman had a son the
same age us 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 n wing of the palace where the
crown prince was under the care Of his
nurse. Prince Theodore and his fos-
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 lie 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 ad-
hercnts with instructions to pay
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 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 ad
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 OF the yoke.
When John had reigned twenty years
he had daughter who had come to
manageable age, but he had no son.
Not daring to leave the government In
the hands Of woman, fearing that
rebel against her. it occurred to him
to marry her to the true prince, who
had been brought up MS n peasant.
He had always had his eye on the
boy. who had been adopted by an ig-
nOrant cOuntryman, and one day sent
II messenger to bring him to the pal
ace The young man was SO uncOuth
that John disIiked 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 nuke refined person of him. The
prince-peasant showed no evidences of
having been bcgotten by II 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 a girl of refined nature John
would have had difficulty in making
a match between her and the clod
hopper. But she was not The branch
OF the royal family to which she be-
longed had been noted for generations
back for profiigacy and coarseness. and
Eleanor. though still not eighteen,
showed plainly that this inheritance
cropped out in her. 1t made little diff
ference to her whom she married.
When the supposed peasant had been
S,mewhat furnished up he was told
TINT lie was the true heir to the throne
ana all he needed to obtain possession
of it was to marry the princess. fo1
John proposed to abdicate in his favor
with a view to seeing his daughter
queen during his lifetime. AS was ex'
pected. the prince-clodhopper was
ready to accept the situation, and
nothing remained but 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
tnrians with delight had not the re-
turned prince-peasant rendered him
self unpopular by his uncouthness and
overbearing ways. Put beggar on
horseback and he will ride to the