Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-03-20
THERE STOOD THE TWO MEN.


sulleA from hunger and pitifully weary
from endless walking and the cruel
| anxiety of one who hears danger In
| every sound. He crawled into way
1 side barn and slept exhaustedly. 1t
| was late in the morning when he
| awoke, and he then became aware that
/ shrill but sweet voice was reading
| aloud, steadily and surely. on the floor
| beneath him.
Parting the waves of hay, Jack look
| ed down to see q child of perhaps
seven years in white frock which
| admirably suited her unusual beau
ty. Now and then the long golden
locks on her shoulders fell on the page.
but she tossed them aside and read on
with breathless interest.
"And SO King Charles. who was
quite worn out with travel and hum
GER" read the voice. "came at last to
large barn. He slept all night with
nothing to eat and nobody knows just
what would lave become Of him If he
had not found an egg. which he de-
vour-cd eagerly"
As Harden listened u whimsical de-
termination moved him. and, leaning
little farther down, he said gently:
"AIl that Is very true. except that
have not found the egg"
His musical tones glided so easily
into the story that the little reader
looked up without even a start. In the
restless and handsome dark eyes gaZ-
ing down Oil hers and in the lines Of
the face she saw only tie countenance
OF tie tired Charles. That the story
lad come to life was nothing wonder
full All stories were alive if one only
recognized it Properly. She looked up
Mt him seriously. dropping her chin on
n supporting band.
why have you shaved off your
pointed beard:" she asked gravely and
with feminine irrelevance
Il am too young yet to have it." said
King Charles ns gravely In return.
THAT was later on. you know"
THE egg couldn't be there" observ-
ed the reader thou@htfully. because
we have no hens. but there's dozen
bought frolA the store. They are in
the house, only they are boiled Lard.
ready for the pic!iic this afternoon
"They will do" returned the king
hastily. Bring all OF them. and mind
you don't say IL word to any one. on
account Of the Roundheads. you
known
Il know said the reader confident
Iy. She hurried away. leaving the book
Of historical tales forgotten on the
floor. Had not the king himself step
ped out Of the leaves? 1t seemed to
the hungry man an age before she re-
turned holding up her skirts, In which
lay the promised eggs. He began to
eat them with starving haste. the
reader watching him critically.
you de-vour them eagerly. Just as
you should" she observed. but you
ought not to ci oke so. Your eyes are
almost sticking out"
"Get me some water!' gasped the
king. THAT last egg is sticking half
way down my throat and refuses to
go any farther"
She brought the water hurriedly, re-
morseful that she had no raw eggs to
offer instead, but the king was not diff
ficult to please. The last one disap-
peared, and he sighed as though he
might have eaten moro. However. he
felt greatly refreshed and told the
reader so. She looked at him with n
new timidity in her air.
81 do so want to ask you something"
she murmured, "but don't know II
ought to do it."
AcIy oh
fully. "I'll answer"
''Its about long word in his book.
thought you ,cald explain it."
Bring it up here on the hay. You
did not tell anybody that am here"
Course not" said the reader very
reproachfully. "'Sides, there's no one
to tell. They left me in charge of
Susan while they went to town, but
Susan had message to come to her
mothers right quick. cause Sammy
that's her smallest brother-had done
scalded hisself-himself, l mean
dreadful. So now there's nobody here
but just me and Towser."
She scrambled up on the hay as she
spoke, while the king promptly resolv-
ed that he would -ummage the house
for suitable clothe'. Meanwhile their
two heads bent together over the page,
and the reader delivered ber words
with labored air. troubled by their
undue length:
king Charles might have succeed
ed in after life in making a good king,
for he had many talents, but he was
always of va-cil-la-ting disposition
Now, what does that mean|
at means" began the king bitterly,
and then a sudden intuition made him
look over the edge of the hay. There
stood the two men whose presence ON
his track he had most dreaded and who
met his startled gaze with cynical
amusement
"Come DOWN. said the nearest
curtly. I'VE don't want no nonsense"
The reader saw the color die away
from the kings face, leaving dull
ashen gray. and she wondered II so
many eggs had disagreed with him.
She also peered over the edge.
who are those peoplef" she de-
nauGcd. Are they royalists?'
Yes said the king quietly. He
laid -doWp the book and made his way