The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-01-30

ignorant of the high part her agony to pay in
the UPWARD struggle of Europe Marie Antoinette
did not Gle in vain. What the French revolution
began the world war has finished
There is corridor In Versailles nt which the
Hun ENJOYS look with bitterness only
Il corridor and gorgeous chamber. The chamber
IS that In which bismarck explained to the French
p-nipotentnriest Jules Fnyre and Louis Thiers.
the crushing and humatng terms imposed by
Germany after the defeat OF France Al years ago.
Roles are somewhat reversed in this of grace
1919, Near the chamber Is that sumptuous corr
dor known the Hall of Mirrors. where once the
French npnnrchs strolled and chatted with their
courts. 1t is the spot In which William pro
claimed the German empire, and II Is the spot
where the peace treaty that shutters his empire
Will doubtless be signed
Strange. musty memories hannt every corner of
This gorgeous ipalace outside the Paris walls.
thrown open now to the clean. sweet winds OF free
dom. pe Pompadour, Du Barry and the train of
lesser lovely harpies-their intrigues and their
wicked benuty still lend dark CLEAN of romance
to the exquisite tapestries against which in the
Yesterday of history their brocades stood out In
rstening relief Here Is the mirror that reflected
the cynic. appraising smile of Louis Nv. There is
the marble balustrnde so lately touched by the
jeweled fingers of the Duchess dorleans. In that
famed the scarlet robe of the Cardinal de
Rohan.
But becauso of her innocence and her dramatic
fate II Is Marie Antolnete of all whose pres
ence perNAdcs the wide, painted rooms. Over these
CLASSY floors her irresponsible feet DANCED. In the
Petit Tranon across the way she played at milk
maid, And the gardens still hold Il faint sigh of
her laugh, ringing out caretree peasant girls
When tho whole court Joined in blind mans bun.
Such II blind King and court eyes closed against
The dreadful game impending. They were children.
the two sovcreigns-chdren in, years and in out.
look during those first holiday seasons when the
court played and Paris starved and the first re-
mote STRINGS came which led by long and bloody
roads to the Versailles peace conference of the
year 1919.
Marie Antoinette only fourteen years old
when they arranged he aetrothal to the fifteen
year-od dauphin. She married at the age of
sixteen. Az the age OF twenty she queen of
France. Just before her fortieth birthday she was
cuillotincd.
For three years the king and queen had been
virtually prisoners in the Tuilerics palace. whittier
they returned after vnin attempt at
flight. At last the revolutionary fury broke. On
the tenth "f August. In 1892. the steps of the
Tuercs ran crimson with the blood of the faith
full Swiss guard Escaping to the national assem-.
bly,. the king and queen. with their two children.
were lodged in the Temple, prison fortress
Blow after blow fell thereafter on the defense
less heads Of the royal family. The king was
taken away. tried and sent back for an agonizpc
scene OF farewell. Sandin. rigid statue In
her cell, Mnrie Antoinete heard the guns boom
forth the tidings of his execution.
A little later she separated from her chill.
dren, subjected to revolving indgnites during a
farccai trial. and ten months after the execution
OF her husband herself condemned to die. The
fortitutie which Maria Theresa bequeathed to her
daughter had been shining " .th pure and steady
Hight these many months. Murie Antonette heard
her death sentence with smile.
On cold and windy morning in October they
summsne, forth this daughter OF empress on
whom all shame had been heaped. Her brown
hair had turned silver; her body bent; her
voice hn grown low md tremulous. Not for years
h.. any nan heard the gay laugh that chal-
len-,d CONT etiquette at Versailles weary wom-