Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-10-18

49,. In III. ncrsoruycs and their doings.
IN CRITANIA was not England, or
the quarrel between Duke MI
q " chael and Rudolf Rassendyll
could not have gone on, with the re-
marl;ahlc incidents which marked 1t,
without more public notice being dl-
rected to it. 1t is perhaps as strange
thing as has ever been in the history
Of country that the kings brother
and the kings pcrsonator, in time or
profound peace, near q placid, undis-
turbeG country town, under selnblance
If amity, should wage q desperate war
for the person and life of rhe king
Yet such was the struggle between
Black Michael and Rudolf Eassendyll,
Doth of the royal house OF E!phberG'
out of very differing antecedents. ihe
one was well known to the royal pal
ace at StrcSau; the other was at
home at $50 Park lane, London, west.
The kinship between the two was quite
IN accident. datil.@ from the year 1853.
when dashing ycUn@ prince. later
snown to fame as Rudolf The Third OF
Rll-itania, paid visit to t.onGon.
There he was caurtc0usly entertained
and was great favOrlte with the
ladies', especially Amelia. countess or
BurlsdOn. and Baroness RaSSendyl. In
lhe end the prince left England rather
hastily under cloud, bat not before
he had fought a somewhat sanguinary
iuel with Countess Amelia'S husband.
In the wears since there have appeared
at intervals in the family of the RaS-
sendylis certain sons. who have been
marked by the long, sharp. straight
nose and the dark red hair Of the royal
house of Ruritania.
The years pass. many of them. ana
another Rudolf OF Eiphberg is about
to be crowned king Of Ruritcnia. The
same nose, the same red hair distin-
guish him. The loyal half of the pOpu-
iatinn Of Ruritania could not sleep at
night till the coronation was safely
over. For the late king had left an
marriage, Black Michael. duke of
StrclSau and lord Of Lenda. Though
Michael bore none of the marks Of the
Elphhergs, he had been his fathers
favorite, and he cast Il longing eye on
the throne; all the cut-thrOats and
of Euritania seconded his
wish, for Michael was man after
their own hearts.
Curious that young Rudolf RasSen-
dyll should be moved by an idle Curl
osity to witness the coronation of Ru-
dolf Of Ruritanin: still more curious
that he, too. should bear the familiar
nose. the same red hair. SO thought
Colonel Sapt. aide to the king, and
Fritz Won Tarlenheim, his close friend,
as they came upon the young English
man in the forest Of Zcnda, making
his way afOot to StrelSau. So, too,
thought the king when he appeared n
later. Eut scandals of the
past can no more be concealed in Ruri-
taria than in England. AS young Ras-
Sendyll later told the tale, first the
king crowned. ''then gradually the cor
ners of his mouth began to witch, his
nose came down Gas mine does when |
laugh. his eyes twinklcd, and. behold.
he burst into the merrieSt fit of ire
pfcssible laughter. which rang through
the woods and proclaimed him jovial
soul.
"'Well met, cousin" he cried. step
ping up to me. clapping me on the
back. ana laughing still. You must
forgive me if ! was taken aback. A
man doesn't expect to see double at
this time of day, eli. Fritz
81 must pray pardon. size, for my