The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1917-02-10

in the kinxdoIl Nevertheless King
John adhered to his plan aud bud made
arrangements to sbdicate 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 und from
the church not IL shout Of congratnla
ton was raised except by persoiis VII"
bud been hired for the puris'xe.
The morning after the marriage
King John surrounded by his minis
tiers und the ningnafes Of the Kingdom.
WIS ubout to sign his al'dication when
a man hastily entered and. approach
ing the king, whispered In his ear:
Your majesty. preiender 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."
"On what does he support his pre-
tentions?' asked the king angrily.
He claims TO Ike the true prince. the
son of King Alonzo."
But 1 took the true prince from his
cradle with my own hands, commit
ted him to the care Of one of my ad-
herents and have kept him under my
eye ever since"
"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
sous cradle. He AYERS that the prince.
your son-in-la W. Is the 10 Of the nurse.
while he. the pretende, U.s. the son Of
King AIonzo."
The king paled. In twenty years
that he had been enjoying the SOW
ereignty 1t had never occurred to him
that q mother could bring herself to
sacrifice her son for another. even
though that other were prince.
"Where is this woman?" he faltered.
"She IL dead. your majesty"
Dead! Then who is to prove that
this substitution was nader"
1.-THE pretender claims that she fur
nished him with proofs; that he has
the infant clothes he wore the day of
the revolution. and they are embroider-
ed with the royal arms"
The king cringed. He had not
thought when be took the baby from
his cradle to examine his clothes He
had wrapped him In blanket he had
found on the floor. He did not know
that 1t had covered Margaret's son and
she had dropped 1t In carrying him to
the princes cradle.
"DOes this would be usurper bear the
lineaments Of king7" be asked,
HE Is the image Of the late King
Alonzo''
lis he educated or ignorant7"
Fairly educated. He claims that
his foster mother was enabled to send
him to school, having saved all the
money given her by the king for fur
nIshing his son with sustensnce which
enabled him to live-a sum very large"
At this point commotion was
heard without the palace. The king
rose from the throne in which be sat
and was observed to tremble. Call
Ing the general Of bis armies to him.
| be ordered him to Quell the disturb
ance. The meeting broke up. each
person leaving to prepare for whatever
change might come. for the king was
unpopular even among his adherents.
and II the story of this young claim
ant could be substantiated be was
sure to win.
The drums were beaten In the palace
court. and the kings bodyguard sprang
to arms. But 1t was too late. A large
concourse Of people, armed with all
kinds Of implements. headed by a
young man whom some who had
known the late king a. young man
fancied to be Alonzo returned to life
moved on the palace.
And so 1t was that similar scene to
that practiced by John wien he made
himself king happened again. only 1t
was John himself instead Of King
Alonzo who was attacked. and there
was no legitimate prince to be got rid
Of. Bnt the claimant was very diff
ferent man from the usurper. He had
the people all with him and could at
ford to be Dagnanimous. On taking
possession Of the palace he forbade his
adherents to kill any one. Having pos
sessed himself of the person of King
John and his daughter and his son-in-
law he thus addressed the fallen mon
arch:
iou are NY ihtueT muruerer, ana
by rights I should avenge his death In
yours. But ! prefer that you should
live to repent the deed. therefore
spare your life. As for this changeling
whom you were about to make king In
your stead, he and his wife shall go
Into exile with you. May they console
you In your degradation"
At this those standing about protest
ed against such clemency and demand
cd the heads Of all those who had
usurped the throne, but the conQueror
flushed the tuinult by raising his hands
snd saying:
II do not intend to enter upon my
Aovereignty by bloodshed. as the usurp-
er did. You see the end to which he
Is reduced. prefer to rule over you