THE PRINCESS OF AN. HOUR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 284, 25 August 1908, Page 3

THE PRINCESS OF AN. HOUR.

At the gates of tho royal castle-of Korii'gsberg a woman appeared,' one day in 1906, and informed 1 "the' 'guardscthnt "she -.was the Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg. The Princess Charlotte Js anntrrof-.J'rince..,Frede-rick. "William,., son of the late Regent .of Brunswick, who was living at the castle. . . At tho sound of her distinguished , name, tho guards saluted. The visitor declared oh'o wished to see hor no'phew.' The sergeant of the day. was ■ called,'and. he immediately stopped'all traffic on the surrounding streets. He regretted to inform tho princess that tho prince was out and, according to tho strict otiquette prescribed for such occasions, sho could not enter until his return. But. she was offered a chair in-front of the 'guard-house,. and in. a moment, bugles and drumsworo summoning the entire garrison to pay tho usual respects'to'a princess of tho imperial family. The soldiers sented arms before tho , visitor,' '■ who ■ sat watching with cold' dignity the honours that were,being accorded her. . Soon such a crowd had gathered that a squad of policemen were summoned to clear tho space in. front of the gates. The officer i in chargo of tho squad chanced to' lot his eyes wandor in the direction of the-honoured visitor. Ho gave a start of amazement. "That the princess!" ho cried to the sergeant of the day. "Why, that's an old woman named Bauer, who lives behind her son's bakeshop. She's been crazy for years." The next moment the woman upon whom imperial honours had been bestowed was unceremoniously. dragged away. But it was little.she cared; it had always been her ambition, to be a princess even for just a fow minutes; and at last sho had achieved it.' Gladly sho :.went back- to lior homo behind the bakeshop to spend tho rest of her days in .going-over and over'thoso moments when the garrison of the castle of Konigsberg had been' summoned to present arms before her.