| Show OF MOTOR GRAZE HAS BECOME A SOURCE OF DAIGER ignores the laws of the country when the passion for speed seizes him he has already had a number of minor accidents and several Narrow Escapes from disaster once arrested as a spy copyright 1903 by curtis brown nov 28 there ie one point which for years I 1 have been expecting the italian socialists to pounce upon and which they do not yet seem to have realized namely that the king ot italy persistently puncture those laws of bis own country which regulate the ped of automobile his italian ma enthusiasm for motoring has grown almost to the point of mania and queen elena shares his enthusiasm scarcely a day passes when they cannot be seen tearing along at a gait that has already got them into trouble and is perpetually threatening them with disaster king victor is usually his own chauffeur which leads to dire res as when the queen sprained her fo last july they were in the park at igi their favorite summer residence and goin at a terrific rate to try the velocity of a new machine when something Kom ething went wrong the car became unmanageable and struck a tree the king sprang out and the queen not waiting for his help also jumped turned her ankle and with a groan of pain sank in a heap to the ground her husband was at her aide in a moment found that she was not seriously hurt and shouted for assistance which was not long in coming in speaking of the incident queen elena said that little affair cost roe a month on a dofa and not only that but the exasperation of feeling that I 1 the victim was kept in the house while alii ma jesty the cause was making the most of the beautiful days NARROWLY MISSED HIS MOTHER the king in fact although quite as clever as his chauffeur and as cool ao 10 danger as in ordinary times goes fast enough on many occasional occa siona to rua into cerious danger one day on the road to 0 ti which is long straight and usually deserted he let himself go and for some mile seemed to be fairly flying through the air he wae brought suddenly to the ground in cloud by a cry from a feminine voice which he thought he knew followed by a grat ing souna as though something were being torn apart lie drew up ami as the dust cleared he saw queen guerita his hothir bitting in her motor car with wheel off why victora Vic torl she exclaimed not thinking of the danger che had mar ly escaped 1 I would not believed your motor car could go so fast I 1 think I 1 will not accept the race you proposed as I 1 should certainly be beaten her son could not reply in a like spirit and pale aa death mutely point ej at the broken wheel understanding Ms anxiety hi mother laughed and patting his arm said the tire cabrae to grief ten ago you merely scraped u aa you passed the king broke the speed law no more for that day last winter the american ambassador george meyer took his majesty shooting in his automobile and the pace certainly was not conventional As they started the ambassador glanced at the guard of bi cyclists who accompany the king everywhere and remarked that if they went as fast as his majesty desired it would be the last of the bi cyclists never mind wae the reply 1 I am not dependent upon them they must do as best they can anyway your majesty will not ly undefended said his companion showing a revolver and I 1 know how to use it he added significantly As to that so do I 1 replied the king and what is more I 1 should not hesitate to vio so were I 1 attacked and he alao displayed a pistol the ambassador gave the machine its head and the poor bi cyclists were soon so entirely out that they decided it was a pity to die in a hopeless cause and it easy arrived an hour af ter their roaster HE WAS ARRESTED lately victor Emma neuI receive ing a foreign diplomatist himself an enthusiastic motorist talked almost ex cju of this form of sport declaring that while as A aport it la incomparable it haa a much more cerious side and interest dis majesty said ho was convinced that the automobiles autom obilee usefulness in the army is quite overlooked and hae only to be developed to bo of immense value all through the maneuvers just closed the king had four automobiles in constant use and was consequently in direct communication with all his forces his sudden when he was supposed to be miles away seemed like magic to some of the more ignorant the royal taste for popping up unexpectedly was not altogether popular with the 1 because the king alfaye seemed to turn up just when things were going i is no stimulated i activity and initiative tuch as have been unknown hitherto these came maneuvers were rich in comic incidents which king victor eni joyed as thoroughly a any one he haa a I 1 keen sense of humor which sometimes pets the better of his rather exaggerated dignity as king one night without the least warning he shot into the lines taking no notice of the sentinel in fact not seeing him the soldier thinking some private gentleman or worse some journalist was trying to get illicit information gave the alarm so that the whole regiment was under arms in an instant looking about for the cause of so much commotion the automobile meanwhile had cordei to a standstill and the occupant tranquilly descended being disguised in goggles and a long cloak no one recognized the driver so that an officer took him roughly by the arm and gave him a shake saying how dare you pass the sentinel in that manner what do you want here anyway before the king could reply the officer had signed to two soldiers to advance arrest that man he commanded and turning on ilia heel disappeared into his tent the prisoner offered no re but took off his detrane headgear and allowed his cloak to fall revealing the king in a generals uni term dihe soldier stood petrified pe trifled victor emmanuel smiled said call that officer and dismissed them the inter view which followed is but buet have gone well as both sovereign and officer parted smiling THOUGHT HE SAW THE DEVIL many of the soldiers were in their first year of military service and from isolate farms so that their ignorance and superstition were in many cases colos eat old trooper to play on their spread the rumor that it was abot really the king who went about bul his double and what is more that the automobile waa a phantom also one poor soldier was so convinced of the truth of the talc that he decided to brave his terrors for the sake of seeing a real ghost for several days the king did not come but at last thi patient watcher saw a cloud of dust along the road and began to turn cold he shut his eyes for terror but opened them suddenly when he heard himself addressed it was the kings chauffeur who asked the way to a nearby town the with eye only whispered there arc then two evil spirits 11 mm ahls my good man said the king himself do you not understand your own language where is X t get out you are the devil 1 shouted the man beside himell with terror and crossing himself to hi heels and disappeared this is the comic side of motoring but thero is another one the italian people hava no idea of the many times in which they have been on the point of being left king leaa and without a direct heir to the throne the king admits that his fondness for going at a great speed ie a source of danger but to the of his wife and mother ho is aid to reply always that ho knows they arc right but when ho begins to go he becomes possessed by the joy of speed and must give way to it it must be confessed that queen dionas are not very spirited as the also feela the joy and when with her husband certainly does nothing to stay his hand not long ago king at frosinoni frosinone Fro sinone with one of his tart ed for home thinking he knew the road so well that he could pass over it blind fold edit necessary at a certain point when lie had got up great speed ha became conscious of a small figure in tho middle of the road wildly waving its arms and the automobile slowed up five yards from a precipice the road had been changed and the warning signs had not been seen so only the quickness of a email boy had chiq sovereign from certain destruction he was well rewarded and the incident was kept quiet tor a time naturally victor em manuel III always finds scores of persons ready to render him aid of all kinds which his majesty makes it an invariable rule to refuse one day his chauffeur called a peasant to come to his assistance si and the king immediately said am I 1 not here to help you never call assistance and later explained that hia motive was two fold because he wished to remain unrecognized and because it he accepted assistance every time he broke down from everybody who offered ho soon would be a poor anan GOOD FOR FIFTY MILES AN HOUR most of the kings subjects regard hia craze for motor cars with amused toleration as up to the present ho has had the good luck never to run over any one cattle horses and mules to say nothing of dogs have occasionally como to grief but these incident are not chronicled and the people at large know nothing of them victor emmanuel has four automobiles but the most recent is the favorite as it has the greatest speed this he uses personally and has called it nike victory the name bmg bag clearly painted on the back it is of french make and is aid to have coal it seats four persons has a maximum speed of fifty miles anhony the queen mother also has a handsome ear but it cannot go quite so fast and cost bome lees the king learned to motor shortly after his marriage years ago and took to it with remarkable aptitude ho not only learned to guide the car but to repair it understanding th so well that he practically ha no need for the chauffeur although he always has one with him lie learned the lesson of motoring ono summer in the park at and as the road for considerable sid erable distance goes by the park rail inga it was the delight of the peasant and barefoot boys to eia the fence or peep through the hedge at the and if be came to a standstill or ran aff the road this item lasted them to gossip over both king and queen affect the aha blest costume when motoring both hare duck cloaks and head cover they ings with goggles but tb can aror ao 1 I 1 well known that they seldom escape jee 1 lon queen elena deonly to beran band in her knowledge of tae 1 asia of an automobile she aver q tny put her knowledge to practical use beba if the necessity arose she could i 1 puncture with perfect success ahoi lol knowd also how to drive the nike bati once having had a narrow bad accident he declares sho haedo nervo for it 1 L |
