The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1918-07-12


The Crown Prince Received the Dele
cation Of Citizens.
received the delegation Of citizens II
the great audience chamber of the pal
ace, a solitary little figure, standing
on the red carpet before the dais al
the end. The chancellor stood neal
the boy, respondent in his dress uni
form, a blue ribbon across his shirt
front, over which Mathilde had taken
hours. He was the Mettlich of the
public eye now, hard of features, i'm.
passive, inflexible.
He had staged the affair we'll. The
crown prince, standing alone, so small,
so appealing, against his magnificent
background, was q 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 a SOD
could e 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. 1T 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 q long, written
speech, which had already been given
to the newspapers. But after q mo-
ment's hesitation he folded it up.
Your royal highness," he said, look
ing down, II have here q 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 u 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
Their 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
i~mpassiOned. 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 q
fine speech among smiles. But the
presentation took place in due order.
and Otto cleared his throat.
@Thank you all very much" he said.
TT is a very beautiful gift. I admire
It very much. I should like to keep
It on my desk, but I suppose it is too
valuable. Thank you very much"
The spokesman hoped that it might
be arranged that he keep it ON his
desk, an ever-present reminder of the
owe of his city. To this the chancellor
observed that it would be arranged,
and the affair was v To Obviate
he difficulty Of having the delegation
sack down the long room, it was the
,rown prince who departed first, with
he chancellor.
Late in the afternoon the king sent
lie had not left his bed since the day
le had placed the matter Of Hedwig's
marriage before the council, and now
le knew he would never leave it.
There were times between sleeping
nd waking when he fancied he had
gone, and that only his weary
'ody on the bed remained. At such
ines he saw Hubert, only, strangely
nOugh, not as q man grown, but as q
mall boy again; and his queen, but |
s she had looked many years before,
he married her, and when at last, |
fter months of married wOOing, she
crept willing into his arms.
So, awakening from a doze, he saw
be boy there, and called him Hubert. s
'rince Ferdinand William Otto, feel {
lg rather worried, did the only thing
e could think of. He thrust his warm a
and into his grandfather's cropping !:
ne, and the touch of his soft flesh :.
oused the king. "
The sister left them together, and a
her small o dropped on her O
nees before the holy image. 2
In the kings bed chamber PrinceI
erdinand William Otto sat on a high /
hair. and talked, but he viewed his
with alarm. His aunt had
intimated that his running
way had made the king worse. And q