Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09

his personal needs few; the existence he led in
the gloomy palace was almost aScetic. Old
Ferdinand had taken good care to remove every
bit of valuable furniture and objects of art
from the palace. Boris had to confne his
activities to two rooms and an immense dining
hail. In which there were only two tables and
numerous hard chairs in which he received
occasional guests at dinner. The King and his
sisters had only one car between them The
princesses used to do their personal shopping
on foot and made their own clothes But the
whole family contributed to charities in most
lavish manner and no worthy Bulgarian who
appealed to them for help did SO in vain.
Boris soon discovered that he had become
very popular In Bulgaria. But he learned
something else at the same time. His people
wanted him to give them a queen.
This, however, was easier to wish than to
accomplish. For one thing. Boris did not care
to forego bachelorhood. Also, he is a proud
young man and hated the thought of bringing
any girl to the dismantled house that his father
had despoiled of all its ornaments and fine
furnishings His country place, Euxinograd,
on the shores of the Black Sea, was just as
forlorn looking for the same reason: only its
beautiful gardens served to remind one Of its
previous loneliness. Ferdinand. the FOX Of
the Balkans" had not been able to take their
mai velous roses and flowers away with him,
and Boris could stin wander in the fiower-lined
lanes where his mother had walked. Euxino-
grad had been her favorite residence and she
had planned most of its parterres and herself
planted many of the trees. Boris also loved
the place, which to him repi esented a refuge
from his many cares. Sometimes, even In the
depth of Winter, he used TO run over there in
his motor car, which he drove himself to spend
a restful week end, wander through his estate
bordering on the improvements it stin re-
CURED improvements which his slender means
did not allow him TO carry out.
But Euxinograd, beautiful as It was could
hardly be attractive to any girl especially to
foreign princess, born and bred in luxury.
1t had immense rooms, all of them bare Of
furniture except for those used by the young
King, his brother and their two sisters and
these were most simply equipped.
Boris was painfully aware that King though
he was, he had really nothing worth while to
offer to the girl he would ask to marry him
Bulgaria was stiIl a crude country and it was
not likely any European princess would care
to inhabit 1t and share the poverty of its ruler
He had no vanity and was not given to over
estimating himself. But Bulgaria believed that
its youthful sovereign was really great prize
in the matrimonial market of Europe
1t was at this juncture, a few years ago.
that some one discovered that there existed in
the world one princess who would make an
ideal wife for Boris-neana Of Rumania. She
belonged TO the Greek Orthodox faith which,
OF course, made her the most eligible candidate
in Europe for the Bulgarian crown. She was
pretty. reported to be intelligent and considered
extremely attractive. and, In addition. she would
be very rich, as her father, King Ferdinand OF
Runania. was one Of the wealthiest men in the
world Boris ministers impIored him to go