Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-04-08
CHAPTER XIX.
Am Presented to the KIno.

Am PrcScnteu 10 INC NIn0s
When the dreaded 7th of December
arrived, halted taxicab and In as
matter-of.fact tone Of voice as could
command, directed the chauffeur to
drive me to Buckingham palace, as
though I was paying my regular MORN
ing call on the king.
My friends version of this incident,
I have since heard, Is that I seated
myself in the taxi and leaning through
the window said: buckingham pal
ace" whereupon the taxi driver got
down, opened the door and exclaimed
threateningly:
IF you don't get out quietly and
chuck your drunken talk, I'll jolly
quick call q bobby, BIZ me, II !
won'tl"
But can only give my word that
nothing of the kind occurred.
When arrived at the palace gate,
the sentry on guard asked me who !
was and then let me pass at once
up to the front entrance Of the palace.
There I was met by an elaborately
uniformed and equally elaborately
decorated parsonage who, judging by
the long row of medals he wore, must
have seen long and distinguished serv-
ice for the king.
was relieved Of my overcoat, hat
and stick and conducted up a long
stairway, where I was turned over to
another functionary, who led me to
the reception room Of Earl Cromer.
the kings secretary.
There I was introduced to another
earl and duke, whose name do not
remember. I was becoming so bewil.
dered, in fact, that 1t Is a wonder that
I remember as much as I do Of this,
eventful day.
had heard many times that before
being presented to the king a man Is
coached carefully as to just how he Is
to act and what he Is to say and do,
and all this time I was wondering
when this drilling would commence.
I certainly had no idea that was to
be ushered into the august presence
of the king without some preliminary
Instruction.
Earl Cromer and the other noblemen
Ike; 10 me fer q while and got me
to relate In brief the story Of my ex-
perience. and they appeared to be
very much Interested. Perhaps they
did 1t only to give me confidence and
as sort of rehearsal for the main
performance. which was scheduled to
take place much sooner than / e1-
pected.
I had barely completed, my story
when the door opened and On attend
ant entered and announced:
"The king will receive Leftenant
O'Brien
IF he had announced that the kaiser
was outside with squad Of German
guards to take me back to Courtrai
my heart could not have sunk deeper.
Earl Cromer beckoned me to follow
him and we went into large room,
where I supposed I was at last to re-
ceive my coaching. but observed the
earl bow to a man standing there and
realized that l was standing In the
presence of the king Of England.
"Your majesty, Leftenant O'Brien !"
the earl announced, and then immedi'
ately backed from the room. ! be-
lieved / would have followed right
behind him. but by that time the
king had me by the hand and was
congratulating me. and he spoke so
very cordially and democratically
that he put me at my ease at once.
He then asked me how felt and
whether l was In q condition to con-
verse, and when l told him / was, he
said he would be very much pleased
10 hear my story In detail.
"Were you treated any worse by the
Germans. leftenant7" he asked. ION
account of being an American? I've
heard that the Germans had threat
ened to shoot Americans serving In
the British army If they captured
them, CHASING them as murderers,
because America was neutral coun-
try and Americans had no right to
mix in the war. Did you find that to
be the case?"
I told him that I had heard similar
reports, but that did not notice any
appreciable difference in my treat
ment from that accorded Britishers.
The king declared that he believed
my escape was due to my pluck and
will power and that 1t was one OF the