The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-07-20
CHILDRBN'S CORNER.
THE QUEENS MUSLIN,
BY FRANK STOCKTON.
CONTINUED.

ah0 lnIuk nave 7p''Iih'HHr -
the various objects IN my Int"Tmina-
bic vaults" He then called his In
tangibles, and. giving one OF them
the tablets, told him to go with his
companions into the vaults and gath
err enough Of the things therein
mentioned 10 fill Il large museum.
In half an hour the IntangIbles re
turned and announced that the arti-
Giles were ready in the great court
yard.
$50, them" said the magician,
land assist these men 10 carry them
to the Queens museum.
The stranger then heartily thanked
Alfrarmedj for the assistance he had
given: and the band, accompanied
by number Of lntangibles, pro
cecded 10 carry the objects OF inter
est TO the Queens museum. ltwa7
"a strange procession. Hall dozen
lntangibles carried a stuffed man
moth, followed by others bearing
the skeleton of whale, while the
robbers and the rest Of their queer
helpers were loaded with everything
relating 10 history. science, and art
which ought 10 be III really good
museum. When the whole collection
had been put III place upon the floors,
the shelves. and IN the cases, il was
nearly morning. The robbers, with
the hermit's pupil, retired to the
cave; the Intangibles disappeared:
while the stranger bctOOk himself IL
the Queens palace, where. as soon
as the proper hour arrived, he re
qnested an audience.
When he saw the Queen, he per
ceived Il a she was very pale and
that her checks bore traces Of re
cent tears. lyon are back in good
time" she said to him, ''but it makes
very little difference whether you
have succeeded in your mi"sion Oh
not. There is no longer any muse
um. There has been "A great rob.
berry. and the thieves have carried
off the whole of the vast aud yalua
Bile collection which have been st
long III making"
II know of that affair."" said the
stranger" and ! have already
placed in your muscum-building the
collection which | have obtained.
If your Majesty plcases, | shall be
glad to have you look at it, 1t may.
IN some degree, compensate for that
which has been stolen"
"Compensaten cried the Queen.
Nothing can compensate for it;
DO not even wish to SEQ what YOU
have brought"
BE that as your Majesty pleascs,' y
said the stranger; ''but will b. so
bold as 10 say that | have great
hopes that the collection which
have obtained will interest the peo-
pie. Will your majesty graciously
allow them to see it?"
Il have no objections TO that"
said the Queen; land indeed | shall
be very glad if they can be made to
be interested in the museum. | will
give orders that the prisons be open
ed, so that everybody can go to see
what you have brought; and those
who shall be interested in it may re-
turn to their homes. did not re-
lease my obstinate subjects when
the museum was robbed, because
their fault then was just as great as
1t was before; and it would not be
right that they should profit by my
loss -
1.-The Queens proclamation was
made, and for several days the mu-
scum was crowded with people NOV
ing from morning till night through
the vast collection of stuffed animals,
birds, and fishes: rare and brilliant
insects; mineral and vegetable curl
oslties; beautiful works of art; and
all the strange, valuable, and in
structive objects which had been
brought from the interminable vaults
OF the magician Alfraredj. The
Queens officers. who had been sent
to observe whether or not the peO-
pie were interested, were in no
doubt upon this point. Every eve
sparkled with delight, for every one
found something which was the very
thing he wished to see; and in the
throng was the hermit's pupils tand-
ing IN wrapt ecstasy before large
case containing all sorts of fshin e.
tackle. from the smallest hooks for
little mlnows to the great irons and
spears used in capturing whales.
No one went back to prison, and
the city was full of reunited house
holds and happy homes. On the
morning of the fourth day, grand
procession of citizens came to the
palace to express to the Queen their
delight and appreciation of her mu-
scum. The great happiness of her
subjects could not but please the
Queen. She called the stranger to
her, and said to him:
Tell me how you came to know
what it was that would interest my
people," az
81 asked Them" said the stranger.
That Is to say, | arranged that
they should be asked"
THAT was well done said the
Queen; "but it is great pity that
my long labors in their behalf should
have been lost. For many wears I
have been a collector of buttons and
and there was moth
% Va III Tie line OF
my studies Of which l had not an
original specimen or fac-simile.
My agents brought me flom foreign
lands, even from the most distant
islands of the sea, buttons and but
holes OF every kind; those of pre-
clous metals and rare gems. which
could not be obtained, were copied
in gilt and glass. There was not a
duplicate specimen in the whole col |
lection; only one of each kind: moth
ing repeated. Never before was
such museum. With all nv DOW
,r l strovs to educate my people up
TO a love of buttons and button
holes; but, with the exception of a
few tailors and seamstresses. no.
body took the slightest interest in
what | had provided for their bene-
1T. | am glad that my people are
happy. but | cannot restrain a sigh
Tor the failure of my efforts -
The longer your Majesty lives"
'ald the stranger, 1.-THE better will |
vou understand that we cannot make
l.