Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1922-02-24

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He was tired being King. He
was tired of one part Of his
kingdom wanting him to do one
thing and the other part want
ing just the opposite. He was
sitting in his council chamber
awaiting the time appointed for
a meeting with a delegation from
the west. He knew what they
wanted. The day before he had
met delegation from the east,
which had wanted something eX-
actly different What the King
wanted, figuratively speaking,
was to knock their two heads
soundly together. Being William
the Tactful he knew that was out
Of the question. He supposed he
would have to live up to his name.
Poor William S reign had been
far from easy. AS far back as
his grandfather, William the
Gentle's time, there had develop
ed a spirit Of unrest and discon-
tent. The island had been first
settled in the east, and as the
population increased it had grad
ually spread to the north and
south. A mountain range had
formed natural barrier TO the
west, and while there were occa-
sional explorations across the
Divide, there had been no migra-
tons. Ii was not until the north
and the south as well as the
east were fairly well settled that
the people that began looking
westward. Naturally it was the
younger and more progressive
ones that made the start. Be
fore many years a highway was
made across the mountains and
from then on a steady flow Of
home seekers turned their faces
towards the west. The new set
tiers were enthusiastic and, as is
the way with the west, boosted
and boosted the superior possi-
bilities of their country; and the
east, smiled condescendingly and
perhaps a trifle arrogantly and
let it go at that. But as the
west grew, a spirit of rivalry
sprang up between the two parts
of the kingdom, and before they
knew it, there entered that green
or is it yellow? anyway, ugly
eyed old monster, Jealousy. Ii
they had only at once joined
forces and promptly killed this
horrid old trouble maker, what a
different tale could be told.
William the Gentle listened
and sympathized with both sides
and poured all the oil he could
get hold of on the troubled
waters, but by the time this Low,
able old monarch had been gath
cred to his fathers, the oil was
pretty well used up.
William the Learned came to
the throne with his head in the
clouds and kept it there except
for short intervals during his
entire reign. He was an ardent
astronomer and so absorbed was
he III the heavenly planets that
he almost forgot his own little
part of the planet Oh which he
lived. When his people came to
him with their problems, troubles
or complaints, they soon found
that while present in the body,
his mind was soaring skyWard
lie simply did not hear them. Al
last they stopped coming to him
and began pouring their woes
into the ears of the heir appar
ent. 1t was at this time that
the descriptive name Tactful was
given to him, and certainly NJ
ruler was ever more in need Of
this commodity than was this
William.
At last, after three score years
of misrule, or no rule at all, tho
spirit of William the Learned
went up to stay. Then indeed
did the new King realize how
much his fathers lack of atten
ton to the needs of the kingdom
was 30 handicap his own reign
He granted the long repeated re
quest that the King should spenf
portion of his time on tht
western side, and began at ono,
The building of a beautiful pal
ace. He went on granting every