Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1922-03-03

to all else
"Sir, art crossed in t III
eyesY" he asked in a low voice,
as he touched Richard s shoulder.
Certainly not" answered the
startled and aStoniShcd Richard,
"Then best look at his Majesty
when he would speak with thee. +"
Confused, and suddenly con-
scious Of his great rudcncss,
Richard blushcd an cnvcloping
red, without waiting to be pre-
scented, he bowed low to the King
and stammered, 81 beg your
lonor's-no, | mean your-yom
lIighness pardon -I-I-iust
couldn't help it," he ended help
lessly.
The King, being man, under
stood, and smiled; the Queen. be-
ing woman, looked pleased and
the Princess Wilhelmina, having
that moment fallen violently and
evcrlastingly in love, looked it,
and did not care if she did, The
King kindly saved the situation
by inviting Richard to sit with
them in the pavilion. The Queen
was most gracious, and the Prin-
cess smiled adorably when be was
presented. Altogether, Richard
was feeling quite at ease with
Royalty, and was scarcely con
scious that a great honor had
been conferred when he was in.
vited to sit with them.
The King was eager to hear
Of the world from whence his
forbears came, and when Rich
ard finally grasped the amazing
fact that until he had reached
the island a few hours earlier no
word from the outside world had
been heard for nearly five humid
red years, he began at once to
tell all he knew. He was rather
staggered when the King qucs-
toned him about the reign of
Henry the Eighth. But though
a bit shaky as to history, he was
strong on Imagination, and when
he was asked if Henry had made
much ado when he found hun
dred of his subjects had slipped
away in the night, he rose nobly
to the occasion-far be it from
him to disappoint his king i'll
little thing like that. Already
he had decided to swear allegi-
ance.
Time and place were forgotten
as Richard told of the changes
in the old world and the discov-
cries in the new world; of the
wonders of electricity, the sub
marine, the airship-everything.
The crowd had disappeared, the
Queen and Princess had retired
to the palace, but still the King
and Richard sat absorbed, until
at last the evening shadows warn
ed them of the time.
Richard was invited to remain
in the palace an honored guest.
Thus did opportunity knock at
the young mans door and the
way was made easy for him, ard
thus were two young hearts made
blissfully happy. The King and
Queen were pleased, and the trite
old adage about true love never
running smoothly was shown to
be absolutely untrue. The people
were wild with joy Except, of
course, those poor disappointed
suitors) when the betrothal cf
their adored Princess and the
wonderful stranger was annomc-
ed. The common people still be-
lieved him to possess more than
human power, and the old wom-
ans prophesy about a princess
the seventh child-who was to
bring prosperity to the kingdom,
was revived, and they looked up
ON Richard as directly sent by
Providence to help bring all these
things to pass.
The wedding was a great event.
Never i'll the history of the IS
land was there anything like it.
The festivities were continued for
a month and even then very re-
luctantly given up.
When quiet and the normal
life had at last settled over the
land, the west woke up one morn
ing and remembered that the seat
of government was still in the
east. And then the battle began
again. Jealousy over the Prin-
cess and her husband made it
fiercer and more determined than
before. The King took council
with his son-in-law and later is.
sued a proclamation that he
would consider compromise. In