The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1918-06-19

btlifOuSiys
The king did not approve of birth
day gifts. SO there were no gifts.
None, that is, until the riding hour
came, and Milky, subverter Of all dis
cipline. He had brought a fig lady,
wrapped in paper.
"It's quite fresh" he said, as they
walked together across the place.
"T'll give It TO you when we get to the
riding school. I saw the woman my
self take 1t out of her basket. SO 1t
has no germs on it."
That afternoon, attired in his uni
form of the guards, the crown prince
received the delegation of citizens in
the great audience chamber OF the pal
ace, solitary little figure, standing
on the red carpet before the dais at
A.. the end. The chancellor stood near
the boy, respondent in his dress uni
form, blue ribbon across his shirt
front. over which Mathlde had taken
hours. He was the Mettlich of the
public eye now, hard of features, i'm
passive, inlexible.
He had staged the affair well. The
crown prince, standing alone, so small,
so appealing, against his magnificent
background, was picture to touch the
hardest. Not for nothing had Mettlich
studied the people, read their essential
simplicity, their answer to any appeal
to the heart. These men were men of
family. Surely no father of son
could see that lonely child and not
offer him loyalty.
With the same wisdom, he had given
the boy small instruction, and no
speech of thanks. LET him say what
comes into his head" Mettlich had
reasoned. ut will at least be
spontaneous and boyish."
The first .formalities over, and the
. crown prince having shaken hands
nine times, the spokesman stepped for
ward. He had brought long, written
speech, which had already been given
to the newspapers. But after a mo-
ment's hesitation he folded it up.
"Your royal highness," he said, look
ing down, II have here a long speech,
but all that it contains can say brief
ly. 1t is your birthday, highness. We
come, representing many others, to pre-
sent to you our congratulations, and
the love Of your people. 1t Is our
hope"-he paused. Emotion and ex-
element were getting the better Of
him-"Our hope, highness, that you
will have many happy years. To fur
ther that hope, We are here today to
say that we, representing all classes,
are your most loyal subjects. We have
fought for his majesty the king, and
If necessary we will fight for you"
He glanced beyond the child at the
council, and his tone was strong and
impassioned. But today we are here,
not to speak of war, but to present
to you our congratulations, our de-
vOtion, and our loyalty"
Also a casket. He had forgotten
that. He stepped back, was nudged,
and recollected.
"Also a gift" he said, and ruined
fine speech among smiles. But the
presentation took place in due order,
and Otto cleared his throat.
"Thank you all very much" he said.
at is very beautiful gift. / admire
it very much. ! should like to keep
it on my desk, but l suppose it is too
valuable. Thank you very much"
The spokesman hoped that it might
be arranged that he keep 1t on his
desk, an ever-present reminder of the
love of his city. To this the chancellor
observed that 1t would be arranged,
and the affair was over. To obviate
the difficulty of having the delegation
back down the long room, 1t was the
crown prince who departed first, with
the chancellor.
Late in the afternoon the king sent
for Prince Ferdinand william Otto.
He had not left his bed since the day
he had placed the matter of Hedwig's
marriage before the council, and now
There were times between sleeping
and waking when he fancied he had
gone, and that only his weary
body on the bed remained. At such
times he saw Hubert, only, strangely
enough, not as man grown, but as a
small boy again; and his queen. but
as she had looked many years before,
when he married her, and when at last,
after months of married wOOing, she
had crept willing into his arms.
So, awakening from doze, he saw
the boy there, and called him Hubert.
Prince Ferdinand William Otto, feel
ing rather worried, did the only thing
he could think of. He thrust his warm
hand into his grandfather's cropping
one, and the touch of his soft flesh
the king.
The sister left them together, and
in her small room dropped on her
knees before the holy image.
In the kings bed chamber Prince
Ferdinand William Otto sat on high
chair, and talked, but he viewed his
grandfather with alarm. His aunt had
intimated that his running
away had made the king worse. And