Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-20
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ambassadors again TO say he
accepted the terms.
Now was the Emperor en-
barrassed, since he had not
meant TO offer terms, but so long
as the misunderstanding had
arisen he studied the possibilities
for the greater good Of mankind,
and after deep thought he saw
that to discourage a pagan from
baptism would be a sin or at least
an error, so he told the embassy
he'd send on his daughter, with
the usual dowry, once the Sui
tan was a Christian in good
standing.
So the Sultan went to his con-
version with spirit, but his
mother was depressed, and Con-
stance for a moment or two let
herself go and made a scene,
asserting with tears that she
hadn't been consulted and in the
present condition Of society a
woman was no better than a
piece of furniture or a slave, TO
be moved around for the con-
venience of men, and the EN-
peror, her father, loving but sat
isfied with himself, said she had
described correctly a woman's
lot, and she ought to rejoice at
a chance TO spread the true
faith.
The Sultan's mother shed no
tears but she made plans, and
after what seemed to her son
only a natural hesitation she told
him she might as well be bap-
tized too, and all her personal
retainers, since she had been a
pagan from the day Of her birth,
which perhaps was long enough.
So the Emperor Of Rome,
with a few qualms at the last
minute, sent his daughter
across the seas to be married,
and with her he despatched sew
eral bishops and retired states
men, 20 make the Sultan feel
how lucky he was, and the dowry
was more than had been agreed
on, TO impress the Sultan with
his father-in-law's wealth.
After the ship disappeared to-
ward the East, the Emperor had
prayers said in all the churches
that the happiness of his daugh-
ter Constance might endure.
The Sultan rode to meet her
with half his army and all his
relatives. They were married in
a tent and the wedding feast
would have been perfect II the
Sultan's mother hadn't had the
Christians all killed as they sat
at table, all of them including
her son, and IL Constance was
spared it was only for greater
mischief.
The Sultan's mother put her
in a boat with no rudder and in
vited her to go back where she
came from. There was food in
the boat. and there was the
dowry untouched, since the Sui
tan's mother was honest, and
murdered only to defend her
faith.
So Constance resumed her sea
travel. from one sea TO another
for three years and a half, the
feed holding oat nfiractfousfy,
till the boat ran ashore on the
coast Of Northumberland.
The janitor of a local castle
found Constance. be tifu ]
though thin, on the waterfront,
and there was the dowry.
The gold he put in the strong
room, and Constance he led 10
his wife.
She could give no accurate ac-
count of where she came from
or why, but the janitor's wife
took her into the family, fed her,
grew fond of her. and for her
sake became a Christian. And
as her good looks returned, the
janitor became a Christian, too.
But a young man Of the neigh
borhood admired Constance
without becoming a Christian.
What he said to her in private
talk gave such offense that she
declined to notice him in public.
He then, seeking revenge. en-
tered at night the room where
Constance slept beside the jani-
tors wife, and having slain the
janitor's wife he left the dagger
nearby, so that the blood might
stain Constance and she be &C
cused. Which in due course hap
pened. But Constance said the
dagger wasn't hers and she knew
nothing about it, and the King of
Northumberland said he would
try the case personally.
Indeed, the report of Con-
stance and her beauty had spread
far SO that the King even be-