New-York tribune., 1901-12-08
A ROYAL BETROTHAL.
BY CLO. GRAVES.

Who does not know San Saline, that southern
saaboard ElySium where health and pleasure
Seakers Of all types. grades, degrees and ma
tionalities DO congregate. arrayed in bath tow
cling shld with rope sandals. and crowned with
broad Ieaved palm leaf hats? Here the Bor-
deaux merchant lays down his cares, oblivious
of the rise in glucose or the increased import
tay on logwood Here the American millionaire
shifts fer while the burden OF his millions,
the English peer is said to occasionally forget
that he is somebody, and mere the crowned
heads Of Europe play al being nobodles with
NOR or less success.
The high. yellow cliffs that guard the coast
are honeyc0mbed with caves and broken by
sandy havs and little cuVeS. rock girt AValons
of 1ine and sea scented healing and repose- Be
for. Vol the Atlantic thunders upon miles of
jagged reefs, and. behind. the VerdurouS country
unIulateS TO the pine clau 1oothllls OF the
Pyrenees. The harhor lies on the southern side
Of a grim promCutcry crowned 10y the ruins of a
Saracenic castle and the EtabSSer2ent deS
F,a;ns and the Casino, the theatre, and the
sandy golf links have in the seasonal compre-
,1a,-Si,-.e ana-their crowds OF devotees Beyond
IN, TOWN with its huge hotels and cosmopolitan
boarding houses Set in cactus starred, lex
shaded gardens. the bungalows and villas
Of rnonarchs crowned and uncrowned. There IS
a sheltered cove on the northern SIDE OF the
castled lromontory which is in especial favor
with children. and here two little people.
grave fair boy OF eight and biach eAe0 Slfi
Of seven found themselves alone one June day
on th, bronze colored border Of wet sand left
by the retreating tide the girl was dancing
some shells of the razorfish serving her as cas-
tauets. clicking the accompaniment TO her I'M
urovised cachucba-
y.
breakers thundered on the honeycombed reel
ridges and spent themselves in kissing sheets "i
dazzling WhiteneSS.
The hov. who wore n bonnet of Basque tartan
uuon his fair curls n crimson string Sash ABOUT
his coarse linen blouse. and peasant shoes ot
rope upon his slim. bare feet stood loohtiS
doubtfullx at the girl. who danced on TO her
shell music. and seemed to take no heeu oi
him. She. too. wore short loose froch ol "il,
beached linen. but il curious!y erlbrodertu
al the throat. hem and sleeves. with silk OF
bright barbaric hues. and gaudy tass.ls adorned
her hempen footgear. Her SIM brown I'm I'm
and legs like the fair limbs OF lne BOY, w.
hare and her rich chestnut brown locks cinc-I
as she did. without restraint, Tor her hIo,tu
laaved palm hat had fallen off and lay upon the
sands where the little pink crabs Were scuttlng
amid The ripple marks. and the air @up"4tN "
hidden shelfish quivered and shGne Ike pens
of crystal in the hot. bright sunshine
Fairy snow" she went on singing; laliH
fairy. fairy snow, -
The boy was not sure whether he Hhea i'eI
or not Certainly she pretty-hut, theh, 10
dance like one OF the Basque peasant girls Out
in the open air upon the sands. with the shy
and the sea and the cliff martens looking on.
l. ea.,oa5 .-,Dbacon,iuC" That was a word the
boy was weary of. 1t was ever on the hl'S VI
his governors and tutors. Only that mornlhS
Professor y. had used it because th, boy i-do
made a little little mistake III geography
1t is unbecoming your majesty An ile Dog
could hear the pedagogue's grating voice anu anu
see his long hooked nose as PLAINLY as one CosS
see and hear things one hates 10 rtiiielilDei-
--Yoslr ma jesty must be aware that 1t IS unoe-
coming that a monarch should be lnadeludte'S
informed as to the extent Of the colonial pos
sessions pertaining TO his crown. Your majesty
VIII condescend TO write The Laffarin Islands
in your copybook fifty times over. FOR the
fair pale boy Of eight the King of lbera
and the small hand that played with Basque
stick oddly ornamented in the peasant faShion
with rings of metal, would one day weld d
scertre He was weary of lessons and lectures
and that day seemed very dim and far off; but
the sun was shining. and there were lovely shells
and weeds lying on the sands al his very feet,
and one could forget the multitude of things
that were unbecoming if one had some one to
Tlay with. AT home, at the palace, there WAS
Enrique. the head gardeners son. VINO some
times allowed to share the Kings affluse-
rnents Enrique, too, talked of things that were
"uubecoming' and q dull, tame kind OF
boy. but. when one had no other boy to play
with. even Enrique was better than nobody
He wondered what Enrique would nave thought
o this queer little dancing girl. Then, for cour-
tesy was a branch of education in which the
King had never needed instruction he moved
forward and picked up the hat that lay upon
TIL sands beside the print OF a tiny foot ha!f
filed with water
As the King did this. the girl-child stopped
dancing. tossed back her curls and smiled At
leas- there CLEAN of small white teeIh
between the scarlet lips as the King took off his
bonnet with a pretty grace and held the hat oct
n-r. saving in French. 1t was getting VT
ma al-noisefIe. lying there: and that out beyond
h. pointed - the breakers-'1 rot snow, Only
foam. And-there are no such things as fairies
TIey 10 not exist
All bah, As if ! did not know that &ald
Tho girl. sun panting from the dance Her eEes
were of an odd agate color. and frlnGed "ith
wonderfully thick. black lashes, and her chest
Yl., colored eyebrows were traced on her delicate
iefnpeS Il though fine pencil had dTa"h tli-Iil