The Red Cloud chief., 1876-07-06
THE QUEENS LITTLE SHOES.

THE QUEENS LITTLE SHOES.
On the 9th Of January, 1916, ut the
feast of the Epiphany, there occurred
Oh board the French frigatc Heron, as
she lay at the pier previous to her de-
parture from France, a scene piquant
enough to merit recital.
All the officers whose services were
not III actual demand were prOmenading
the quarterback, smoking. chatting, and
otherwise Willing away the time, when
suddenly Il young midshipman mounted
the gang-plank from the pier, crying.
"llats off, gentlemen, hats Off,-the
Queen approaches" Yet, strange to say,
Marie AntOinette had not quilted Yer
Sailles, for at that moment she might
have been found in 4 corner of the
chateau. under the shelter of etiquette,
playing high comedy en- amille, taking
the cue from Count IL ArtOris, and
having for prompter the Count de
Provence, her brothers-in-law. She
filled the principal role i'm "Le Devrin
du Village"-"The Village Soothsayer'
and sang with feeling
Jai perdue mon ~serviteur
Jai perdue tout mon bOnheur-
words which she had occasion afterward
to repeat often enOugh-pOor, unfortu-
nate Queen,
Who, then, was the usurper? Who
LOO leagues from Versailles, had taken
up the scepter which the legitimate
Queen had for an instant abandoned
for a shepherds crook? Let us hasten
to assure the reader that there was no
imposition, no crime, nor high treason
there; the royalty that honored the
Heron with its presence was only the
fugitive royalty of the beau" which,
10y chance, had fallen to Il pretty creole
of Martinique, Il relative of the Captain,
who, under the charge of an aged aunt.
was Journeying to the metropolis i'm a
vague search for fortune and inher-
itancc.
In truth, it WAS to be regretted that
the young Queen was only PLAYING
Queen, for she carried her high and
novel honors with Il grace which Cath
crime III or Marie Theresa might have
envied.
"On your knees, beautiful page" said
she. addressing the youth who had n
nounced her; edo you not see that /
have dropped my glove? Approach,
my Ministers, and do not smile. for the
question to he discussed is a grave one
L love my subjects, and-do you hear?
I desire above all things that nv
subjects love me in return; we must,
then, decide as to whether I shall wear
a blue or 4 white rOSette to gain their
homage. How is this? 1t seems that
my Prime Minister permits himself to
puff the smoke of tobacco into the nos
trils of his sovereign in lieuOf incense"
And thus, with Il thousand innocent
~sallies, with a thousand little coquetries,
did she cause the old sailors to laugh
SO heartily and long that the fire of
their pipes died ont, and they forgot to
light them.
But one who seemed to enjoy the
sport more than the rest was Pierre
Hello, a native of Breton. an old sea-
dog with more scars than wrinkles.
who upon that very morning had re-
celved a medal of honor-a tardy ac-
acknowledgements of his long service
ard who, for that reason. had been adj
mltted as a guest to the Captains table
for the day.
Marie Rose, as the little lady WAS
called. listened, b~reathlessly, to the Won
derful stories related 10y the old man-of-
wars-man, and had complimented and
careSSed him until the heart of the old
sailor p%alpitated with as much emotion
at the praise of this young beauty as at
the moment when he received his medal.
lie alone waited upon her, and. indeed.
upon him devolved the entire care of
the child. owing to the fact of her
aunt's being a sufferer from govt and
unable to leave her comfortable chair.
where she spent most of her time read
ing the life of her favorite saint, Angus
tine, only looking up. from time to time,
to CRY, This way, Minette, this a
Marie Rose" as she saw her cat or her
niece chasing a sunbeam.
But Marie Rose, with that daring and
perfect freedom possessed by most
young girls of her age, one moment
would climb up the cOrdage, balancing
herself on the ropes, while brave Pierre
watched from below, ready to catch her
in his arms should she be blown down
the deck, or to jump overheard should
she fall into the sea. Then, firing of
that, she would amuSe the unemployed
officers or men with a song or dance,
until attentive Pierre seemed suddenly
to have found intelligence enough to
comprehend the verse and appreciate
the grace of the little elf. The day fol-
owing that of her mock coronation, !