The Portland daily press., 1892-01-16

nour1manos,
F1aki fastened to descend. The dai-
MO met upon the terrace steps anu she
threw herself into his arms with cry
OF, Father! father! thou art IN truth
god"
Then they strolled the park and gar
kens to admire this magic spring flak1
laughed and danced and clapped her
hands like child, and immeda5ely
great chariot shaped like pavilion, all
aglow with gold stars and drawn by
white bullocls, drew up at the terrace
steps for the princess and her maids OF
honor to take a ride through the coun-
try. Then the visitors entered their
cars and fell in line and it was one long,
joyous, brilliant and interninable pro-
cession.
The prince led the way, the prime
minister beside him, grave and lmpassl-
bic IN his triumph. The scene OF en-
chantment was the same along all the
roads, the warmth Of the sun and the
light golden fog that family yelled the
face OF nature rendering still more COM
plete the illusion of spring, richer, more
fiowery, more generous in all respects
than the real springtime.
|. "And what a delicious perfumep
cried the happy little princess, every
instant thrusting her pretty little head
out of the chariot to see the better.
"What delicious perfume floats in the
air from all these f1owers!"
Delicious indeed The dainnio him
self smelled it-scent fountains and
atonizers, in fact, hidden in the harness
ing Of the beeves, the spray from which
mingled itself with the breath of the
animals.
Ever and ever so far they went into
the country. Wild with delight, Fiaki
could not abridge her happiness. Then
she wanted to return by another road
was it possible?
A little uneasy, the prince regarded
his impossible minister.
''Does the princess DESIRE" demanded
he, ''to return by the hills or the orch
ards?"
1.-THE orchards, by all MEANS" the
young girl responded; sit is further and
more beautiful"
And by the orchards they returned; as
Fiali had said, more beautiful than all
they had seen. Soon the pink blossoms
of plum tree caught the princess at
tention.
81 must have it," she cried, ga branch
of that plum tree to carry with me as a
souvenir of this wonderful spectacle"
s'The game is upr' moaned the prince
to himself, throwing an appealing glance
upon his minister.
But the minister had neither paled nor
trembled.
81 will do myself the honor of pluck
ing it for you," said be. putting spurs to
his horse and returning a moment later
with superbly Powered branch.
No sooner done than the maids Of
honor wanted piece, and then all the
noble DANES, seeing that they were really
permitted to pluck the blossoms, leaped
from their cars and demanded fragrant
souvenirs on their own account.
Really this was too much. The prince
paled with anger and was going to order
them to move on, but the minister reas-
sured him with an imperceptible shrug;
he knew women. well-he had foreseen
this also, and at a sign to an assistant
cart drove up loaded to the top With
dewy blossoms, and all were provided
with that which they demanded.
Nai-Dai-Tsin had unhesitatingly pill
LACED all the Conservatives of the pal
aces and had men mingling with the
crowd with bags full of flowers till the
word was given. The prince, who had
not OWNED this very simple device, was
speechless with amazement.
''Thou art truly wonderful man"
he murmured in the minister's ear, as
they re-entered the palace, sand thou
hast done far more than could possibly
have hoped; but even in the delight of
this wonderful fete, there has been in
me dull disquiet- shall we ever
be able to surpass this spectacle for the
coming year?'
Meanwhile as the dain1io tarried to
speak to his minister, Fiaki descended
from her chariot; at the same time the
son of the prince of Satsouma, who had
far to come and who had just arrived at
the palace with a brilliant escort, ad-
vanced to salute her.
A very handsome young man, too, and
so brave that in spite of his youth he was
already much talked about. Deeply
moved at so much beauty, he stood be-
fore Fiaki, and she, no less blushing and
confused, buried her face in the fragrant
blossoms in her hand and could say not
a word.
Nai-Dai-Tsin, who seemed to see
everything, called the princes attention
to them, and to the mutual mental dis
turbance that seemed to leave them
both tongue tied.
"When the seventeenth year of your
daughter arrives for her, my lord" said
he, s'give her for husband that hand
some prince there, and she will love him
more than today she loves the spring"
The daimio's face broadened into a
delighted smile and he hurriedly thrust
gold and bronze trinket into the prime
minister's hcna.
"The key Of my treasure box, Mai
Dai-Tsin," said he; ''tale it, use what
you will, and heed my adyice-be not
too modestr- Translated from the