The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-07-27
A PRINCESS
CHOICE
By RUTH GRAHAM

lanQ SO rlcu duu was oo Po"
that an alliance with his family was
considered desirable by all the other
potentates. The king had one child, a
daughter, who was Of marriageaDle
age, but up to the time she was twen-
ty years Of age she had been kept
away from the outside world, shutAup
in a wing Of the palace. NO one had
even seen her excepting her family
and a limited suit of attendants.
On her twentieth birthday her ia
ther sent a letter to several neighbor-
ing monarchs stating that his daugh-
ter would correspond with any man OF
royal blood suitable to become her hus-
band and that she would marry some
one Of these correspondents. provided
he was willing to marry her. He was
not to see her till after he had been
selected for her consort. and If after
seeing her he was not minded to mar
nv her he would be excused from do
ing so.
A number Of princes entered the lists
and wrote letters to the princess. Most
of them cXpatiated upon her beauty,
which they had never seen, comparing
her to the full moon, to a fountain
flashing IN the Ugh to the fairest
flower that had grown upon the
earth.
There was one correspondent, sign
ing himself Carolus, who did not refer
to any physical beauty that the prin-
cess might possess or to other attri-
butes, such as modesty, good sense or
a kind heart. He wrote Of such
traits as he would value in wife.
"If you possess these" he added, you
are a treasure to any man, but no man
Is worthy Of you"
The princess threw the letters from
those who fiattered without having
seen her into the wastebasket, but she
was touched by the one from this man
who valued mental rather than phys
ical traits. She replied to his epistle
stating that she was most affected by
his placing high value on sympa
thetic heart. She desired husband
who would be sympathetic with her
as she would sympathize with him.
Prince Carolus believed he had
struck the chord that would win him
the princess. So he wrote her second
epistle expatiating upon tenderness
Of heart, eXalting it above ali other
virtues. He was sure that If he mar
ried her he would feel for her In al
her troubles--for even royal persons
have them-and he had no doubt tina,
she would respond in kind.
The princess was about to invite
Prince Carolus to an interview wher
letter came from another royal per
sonage who signed himself Alanthus
Alanthus said that. while he would
gladly become the husband Of a prin
cess who would inherit kingdom, he
must know before he entered the lists
for her hand what drawbacks there
might be concerning her. He suspect
ed from the fact that a suitor would
not be permitted to see her that there
was some physical blemish about her
Should such be the case any man who
should meet her as suitor would be
placed In an embarrassing position
A refusal to marry her after seeing
her would put slight upon her. Alan
thus would not care to be placed In
such position If she would assure
him that there was no physical blight
upon her he would then write her
again. This letter caused the princess
to hesitate
Soon after CarOluS had sent his LET
ter to the princess he received a Dor
trait of young woman, one-half of
whose face was covered with a mark,
ed Disagreement 1t was a red and
purple birthmark. Carolus naturally
inferred that 1t was likeness of the
princess. 1t ended the correspondence
between them. for he never wrote
her again. That sympathy for the un.
fortunate which he had spoken of So
effusively did not stand the test to
which it had been put.
aidHtnuS also received portrait IN
represented a woman neither beautiful
nor homely. though the face was not
devoid of character. He, too. inferred
that he had been sent likeness of the
princess. When he had made up his
mind what to do In the matter he
wrote her letter stating that he had
received portrait which he presumed
to be hers, that he had been favorablv
impressed with 1t and suggested that
they meet and get acquainted.
The princess replied that they would
better correspond for awhile before
meeting In order to learn of each 9th.
er's good. bad or Indifferent qualities,
For several months they wrote eac,,
other, and then the princess sent n
brief note stating that she had learned
but one thing about her suitor He
had shown himself a true man in do.
clining to put himself in a position 10
decline to marry a woman because no.
ture had laid upon her a physica,
blemish. She appointed a time for tho
meeting.
Alanthus went to the palace exnact.
ing to see the woman whose likeness
had been sent him. He met differert
person. When the princess annearod
ne was thrilled. She was radiantlv