The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-10-09
aAb ro saws Beantv pravelv. She

aAh p says Beauty gravely. She re-
CARDS him attentively for moment or two
in her slow pretty fashion and then goes
on: "Your Majesty is done me great
honor, 1 had no idea that was conversing
with royalty"
"Well, one mightn't think it certainly,
to look at me, says Mr.. Bohun modestly,
"but the facts remain"
~ should rather fancy your people must
be troublesome. I shouldn't think you
have much of time with them" says his
companion timidly.
"You are right" said Mr.. Bohun, "but
that arises principally from the reason that
| am seldom among them, their attentions
are a little too pronounced for my tastes, so
are their meals. Even when | do visit
them it don't seem to signify they don't
trouble overmuch and of late years have
noticed that the levees grow smaller and
smaller. You see they have rather play
full way of making themselves scarce, es-
lecially in famine times, and it is pretty
lsarly always famine times"
! "Poor peoplel how their poverty must
| OFoolSoc JOu
sNot SO much as you might imagine"
says Bohun; ''as told you before, except
on very rare aeeAe;ans- don't inhiet my
skeiety nrpn them.
aWhy?" with interest.
"Lest they should make me scarce, too"
aAh' says the lovely lunatic so compre-
hensively that Bohun for a little while
stares at her refectively. Then he says
gently:
aNow, 1 have told you all my private
affairs; don't you think you might conide
little in me? May ask your name?''
She lowers her eyes and hesitates per-
ceptibly, after which she says with gentle
dignity II am the Queen of Hearts =
Indeed !" says Bohun, with quick
smile, "you amaze me! 1 did not know
that there was Queen in the room, and
such Queen After all, it was no COM
mon instinct drew me to your side. Like
inclnes to like you know, and birds of
feather"
a'Gather no moss" says the Queen of
Hearts unsmilingly.
T"Quite so" replies Mr.. Bohuu, though
IL
a little-at fault Again he stares at her
meditatively. Certainly she is very able
lunatic.
'Your kingdom is larger one than
mine" he says presently.
''It is universal, " returns her Majesty
mildly. "It grows every hour"
~ has certainly grown within the last
hour" replies he; "you have made fresh
conquest. Will your Majesty deign to en-
roll me as new subject?"
"Your' with laugh full of amusement
and vivid blush, $50 soon! Oh it is i'm
possible
at is quite possible. 1 would be, not
your subject but your slave says Bohun,
warming to his work and insensibly moving
degree nearer to her.
At this unexpected movement on his
part the fair Queen shows signs of fear.
She pales visibly and casts an anxious look
around her. Then, shrinking from him,
she makes quick gesture, suggestive of
instant flight.
"Have offended you? Surely you are
not afraid of me ?" asks Bohun reproach-
fully.
"Oh! no-no. 1t is not that" muir
mers she, family "only you are $3.50
impetuous. The fact is cannot speak to
you-if you-stir y
Her fingers clasp each other nervously.
There is good deal of unmistakeable fear
in her large blue eyes.
("Hysterical !" thinks Mr.. Bohun, "very
flighty and unsettled, poor little thingr)
avery WELL" he says, "then shant stir
but at least relieve my anxiety. Tell me
that you do not reject me; that you will
accept me as a subject ?"
"Of course 1 accept you. Why should
1 not? Only moment since confess |
felt little frightened; remembering where
you came from I half thought you were
going to bite me"
at was a most natural thought" amia-
bly,, "but reassure yourself; it is so long
since 1 have tasted human flesh that have
almost lost my zest for it. Ipromise faith
fully shan't take bit out of you, at all
events"
Remember, royal promise can never
be broken says the Queen, earnestly.
~ shall remember it, )" replies he.
Then ensues a slight pause, broken at
length by her.
"Have you been long here?"
"Not very long"
~ imagined that Your face is strange
to me-"
ayes. I shan't stay long, either. am
leaving very soon, so perhaps We shall never
meet again.
Is it fancy, or does look of infinite
compassion fall into her lovely eyes at these
words? She is gazing at him, sadly, wist-
fully as it seems to Bohun; then the eyes are
lowered and the look is gone.
"Have you been here any timer. he
asks in his turn.
eyes, nearly three weeks. lido not like
it. l, too, am going away tomorrow"
Bohun regards her silently and surely
the pitiful look that moment ago darkened
her eyes has wandered and shines now out
of his. Getaways tomorrow, 1 suppose;
poor soulw thinks he, 'and tomorrow
never comes
"Then, perhaps, we may meet again,
he says, with an assumption of gayety he
is far from feeling; Sin the great world be-
some day; when we are free, f 's66 ss66dtffl tfGee ase
one of your other subjects the way to my
Queens palace and then l shall lay my
homage at your feet May II"
"You may" replies her Majesty, won
derful softness in her tone. Then she
murmurs something he cannot hear and
rising makes him graceful inclination of
her pretty head and vanishes among the
crowd.
When she is quite gone Mr.. Bohun draws
himself up with deep sigh that has some
thing of impatience in it.
"What life p he says; II should go
raving mad myself if l saw much more of
it. l wonder how Norman can stand it.
That poor, pretty creaturel tits the saddest
thing ever saw. Her beauty, her vain
longings for freedom 1t is horrible"
With this he, too, leaves his seat and
makes his way toward Wilding, who is
standing at little distance, evidently lost
in contemplation of the elderly prima donna,