A Kingdom at Stake

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Prince Vladimar, of Vandalia, a small kingdom, is greatly disquieted by the attitude of the Revolutionist Party, whose inflammatory literature occasionally finds its way into the Royal Palace. Chief of these Revolutionists is Yan Kador, an earnest, conscientious worker in the people's cause and a professor in the university. One day, while strolling meditatively about the gardens of the Palace, Kador sees a pretty little girl climb a dangerous wall to pick flowers and slide suddenly down toward him. He rescues the little girl, restores her doll and goes his way little dreaming that he has saved the life of the tiny Queen Yolande. Sometime later in an effort to show a friendly hand toward the malcontents, the Prince Regent Vladimir decides to select a tutor for the little Queen from among the professors of the university. Believing that he could vitally aid the people's cause by securing so desirable a relationship toward the hated tyrant, Kador readily acquiesces in the earnest entreaties of his Revolutionist companions and applies for the position. At the Palace the professors line up with their diplomas for inspection. Yolande insists upon making her own selection and passes from one professor to the other. Imagine Kador's surprise when he is suddenly seized by the little Queen and dragged forward to the Regent, recognizing in the little girl he had saved the hated tyrant of Vandalia. He is duly sworn in and thenceforth becomes the daily companion of Yolande. A great friendship springs up between them and one day Yolande innocently shows him the secret entrance to her apartments. Meanwhile the Revolutionists grow uneasy and urge Kador to provide them with a chart of the palace grounds. This he does, torn by conflicting emotions of love for the little Queen and his sworn duty to his compatriots. The day comes when the test can be put off no longer. That night Kador receives a message that the "friends of liberty" will force an entrance into the palace at midnight to murder the Queen and Prince Regent. Kador spends an evening of great mental agony: treason, or murder. He finally decides for the latter and rushes madly into the Prince Regent's room with the fateful message in his hand. Ten minutes later the little band of Revolutionists are captured. The day of the trial, Kador steps calmly up into the center of the room, drops upon his knees and begs forgiveness of his horror-stricken companions and electrifies the Court with the news of his duplicity. They are condemned to die, and the following day the death decree is sent to the little Queen to be officially signed. Glancing down the list of the condemned, Yolande sees the name of her beloved teacher. Across the bottom she writes, "I pardon." With a smile Prince Regent seizes the death decree and starts to tear it up when the aged minister interferes, reminding him that no death sentence can be executed without the Queen's signature. The following day the little Queen holds Court and in her presence the conspirators are shown the signature which makes them free. Thus did Yolande win the hearts of even her most disloyal subjects.