The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-12-12

the queen, touched, got up and went to
the cradle, and looked at Cecile who
had gone to sleep again hugging a card.
board dog tenderly to her breast.
"Poor child" she murmured,
WASN'T it a heartless thing to do
for mother to abandon a child of that
age?" said the signal man in q smoth.
cred voice. "That she should have
left me after all was my own fault. j
ought not to have married o woman too
young for mel ought not to have let
her go to town where she picked up
evil acquaintances. But to abandon
this darling! Wasn't it Infamous? And
now I have to bring up the poor mite
myself! And l can tell you it is not
easy with all the work 1 have to do.
In the evening l am very often obliged
to- leave her there screaming and crying
when [ hear the whistle Of the train.
In the daytime, though. I take her with
me, and she is quite used to it already,
the darling! She is not afraid of the
railway now. Only yesterday Twas hold
ing her in my left arm, while I waved
my flag with my right. Well, she W
even trembled as the express train went
by. But, you see, what troubles me
most is having to make her frocks and
caps. Fortunately, I was a sergeant in
the Zouaves once and know how to use
my needle"
"But, my poor friend" began the
Queen, at is a very difficult task for
you. I should like to help you. I sup
pose there is q village near here, and
there must be some good people in the
village who would take charge of your
little girl. If it is only a question Of
money"
But the signal man shook his head.
"No, good lady, no. l amnot proud,
anything that was done for Cecile.
But I will never part with her. No.
not even for an hour!"
"But why?"
"Why?" repeated the man, in his
deep voice, "beceuse I can trust no one
but myself to make this child what her
mother was not-a good woman! But
excuse me would you kindly rock Ce-
ellie a moment? I am wanted on the
track"
Who can tell what thoughts passed
through the mind of the young Queen
of Bohemia chat winter night as she sat
rocking the poor signal mans child,
while the General and Baroness whose
help she had refused, sat and sulked
before the fire? "Now then, ladies and
gentleman, the express is starting take
your ~seats!" the Queen put her purse,
swelled with gold and the bouquet OF
violets from her belt, into little Cecile's
cradle and went back to her seat in the
train.
But her Majesty stayed only two days
in Paris; she retntned to Prague al.
most Immediately, and now she never
leaves it. She devotes herself entirely
to her sons education. The places OF
the governesses, with their thirty
quarterings, who cast the shadows OF
their funeral caps over the h%eir-appar-
ent, have become %sinecures. If there
are still kings in Europe when little
Wladislas is grown up, he will be what
his father was not--a good king. AL
ready, though he is but five, he is very
popular; and when he travels with his
mother on those good old Bohemian
railways, where they go as slowly as
carriage, and, looking out of the win
dow, sees a singnal man holding a child
with One arm and waving his little flag
with the other, the royal child, at s
sign from his mother, kisses his hand tx
him.-Adapted for the Argonaut from
the French by Mile. Boucher.