Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-04-07

sun was shining, and there were love-
ly shells and weeds lying on the sands
at his very feet, and one could forget
the multitude of things that were I'M
becoming il one had some one to play
with At home; at the palace, there
was Enrique, the head gardeners
sen, who sometimes was allowed to
share the kings amusements. En-
ricue, too, talked of things, that were
''unbecoming. and was dull, tame
kind Of boy but, when one had no
other boy to play with, even Enrique
was better than nobody. He won
dered what Enrique would have
thought of,this queer little dancing
girl
Then, Tor courtesy was a branch OF
education in which the king had never
needed instruction, he moved forward
and picked up the hat that lay upon
the sands, beside the print of tiny
foot half-flled with sea water.
AS the king did this, the girl-child
stopped dancing, tossed back her
curls and smiled. At least there was
the scarlet lips as the king took off
his bonnet with pretty grace and
held the hat out to her, saying in
French, ct was getting wet, mademoi-
selle, lying there; and that out be-
yOnd'-he pointed to the breakers
lis not snow, only foam. And-there
are no such things as fairies They
do not exist"
E'Ah, ba AS if | did not know
that" said the girl, still painting from
the dance. Her eyes were of an odd
agate color, and fringed with wonder
fully thick, black lashes, and her
chestnut cOlored eyebrows were
traced on her delicate temples as
though a fine pencil had drawn them.
And her flushed face was like ripe
Eectarine. "One pretends one
wishes to amuse ones self. And here
it is so triste and dull!'
The king opened his blue eyes at
this. She had seemed so happy, and
all the while she had been pretending.
Now she cried out with admiration
that seemed quite unfeigned, ooh la,
la The stick-the lovely stick!
Who gave you that?'
st is a Basque stick, mademoi-
selle," the king explained. ''The pea
SAINTS make them. and I bought this
it was not given to me-" He stopped
for the girls eyes asked for it, begged
for it, entreated for it, coaxed for it.
Monsieur, l beg of you, let me have
it in my hands. How pretty it is!
How happy you must be to possess
such a stick" She Rugged it to her
breast, as though she could not part
with it, and, though the gaudy, new
possession was dear to the boy. he
yielded it.
Keep it, mademoiselle." He did
not say Il will buy another" for they
kept nim very short of pocket money,
and permission to spend what he re-
ceived was a concession gained with
trouble TO fritter away money up
en- trif1es is unbecoming a king" To
break or spoil or give those trifes
away was unbecoming also. But to
refuse a ladT's request, that would be
impossible, the king felt. And the
agate eyes asked, if the red lips did
not.
you may keep the stick, mademo1-
selle," he said gently.
The agate eyes sparkled with de-
light
"How good of you! But why call
me mademOiselle? | am Marie. Oh,
look at the beautiful red flowers"
The glowing trail of weed she
pointed to Jay stranded at the sea
brink one moment. The next wave
might snatch it back into the treas
ury OF ocean. The king sprang to-
ward the prize and snatched it up as
the wave broken and Kissed about his
little white ankles. Then he brought
the long scarlet trail in triumph back
to Marie
Hold my hat and stick" she said
imperiOusIy. Then with a few deft
thrusts and turns, she made a wreath
o. the seaWeed and set it on her re-
bellious curls, and looked at him,
smiling, crowned with the fantastic
splendor. He anew there are no such
things as fairies out of childish books,
but if Marie had spread gossamer
wings and taken flight he would hard
~ have been surprised 81 will make
you crown, too she said, with a
little, gurgling laugh, "and then we
can play at being king and queen.
Come, let us lOk for more of the red
flowers"
But the king held back
Crowns are not made of seaweed
or of fOWers-at least, those that are
worn by kings he said They are
OF heavy metal, and hurt the head"
'Iney are of gold and jewels" cried
Marie, tossing her lovely head LAS
though did not know that! | want
ed to make believe, and you will not
help me. We could have built pal
ace out of sand, and played at reign
ing over a kingdom together"
The king face grew grave and
earnest.
''Mademoiselle, we are too young to
REIGN There iC th4 minority dI1rin @,