Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-03-23

again. Then all will be in order for
tomorrow, and you can go back and
pay another visit to your royal rela-
tiveS."
CHAPTER XII.
HOW A GREAT NATIONAL CATAs-
TROPHE WAS AVERTED ON JUBI-
| LEE DAY.
Being DESTROYS of seeing the play out,
I had secured-at reasonable enough
rrice-a front seat in the top window
of the house exactly opposite to that
from the roof Of which Number Two
hoped, with one snip of his "abhorred
shears" to silt the thin-spun life" of
the royal family of England.
The morning of the jubilee saw me
take my place-not this time in my
councillors disguise-in my allotted
seat, whence I watched with no little
curiosity for the final act in what was
meant to be a tragedy, but which
had been the means of transforming
into farce.
| Number Two was not astir as early
| as was, and did not put in an appear
| ance on the roof until the tail of the
| great procession was in sight. Mean
| while l sat looking down on the stall
wart fellows who went swinging along
| at quick march on foot, or upon the
stately pacing and prancing of the cav
airy that passed, Gathering and jing-
| ling, in pursuing lines.
My enjoyment of the pageant was,
however, considerably marred by the
constant growing of a man sitting
near me, whose natural moroseness of
disposition was accentuated by the fact
that he was dissatisfied with his seat.
Who wants to see lot of court
f1unkeys riding in double rows or driv-
ing in carriages?" he grumbled.
That's what most of 'em are, you
know. It's bad enough for the nation
TO ave to pay for their RECIPROCAL
Keep tOO-and pay 'em big salaries for
doing nothing. without our 'aving 'em
stuck up on 'orse or in fine carriage
tor us to ave to pay to see 'em go by.
II you and me were dressed up in those
fine uniforms and 'ad 'orses found for
! us to ride on, we'd look just as fine
men as they. Isn't that so, mister?"
"Oh, YES" I said, lit is quite posi-
ble"
There You are, then. And who are
they, after all? That's what / want to
know"
"Who, indeed?" l made answer.
Now if they'd ask me- he went on,
as though he had rather expected
they would have done so, and felt ag-
grieved by the oversight, IF they'd
ave asked me, I'd ave said, What you
want is all the great people in the
queens reign-them as is living, of
course. They ave got Roberts and
Wolseley, and quite right too, but
where's Gladstone, and Roseberry, and
DR.. Parker, and w. G.? There's the
president of the Royal academy and all
the big doctors? Amt they done a
precious sight more good than all your
f1unkeys and princes? Princes! We've
got too many of 'em as it is. There's
'Enry Irving, and Wilson Barrett, and
All Game, and Marie Corelli, and
George R. Sims, and Penley and Stan
ley? They amt 'ere-leastwise, not
in the show. tell you if they'd asked
me"-with another splutter of resent
ment-'I could ave told 'em who to
put in"
Eyes, there's a great deal in what
you say I said, thinking it wiser to
agree with him than to add fuel to the
fire of his grievance by dispute.
All the same" put in a man of con-
ciliatory countenance who sat behind
me, "all the same, you can't deny that
it's an imposing sight"
Its imposing enough as a ole"
admitted the iconoclast. but if you
look at it separate-like, it's only lot
Of 'uman beings like you and me
dressed up in uniforms and riding by
on 'orses. But, 'Ullo! Why, I'll be
jiggered if there, amt Freddy 'Opkins
i'm as married my cousin-a-riding
by in the Lancers! That's i'm on the
white 'orse with the black mustache.
Fred-O! Fred 'Opkins! How are
you, Freddy? See, 'e's a-looking this
way. What yer Fred! How goes it,
sonny? See i'm nod? He looked up
and nodded, e did. Now e is what
call a 'fine-looking chap. Fancy is
being ERE too! Well, I'm jiggered!
must tell 'em at 'ome as l see Fred
'Opkins in the procession, and that e
looked up and nodded-not bit proud
like"
Just at this moment the sound of dis
tant cheering from the west increased
perceptibly in volume. 1t was no
longer mere cheering, but the almost
frenzied shout of a multitude swayed
by some great emotion. It was can
tagious. 1t seemed to run along the
lines like kindling fire. 1t grew nearer
-hoarser-louder-ti it was almost
upon us. Leaning forward with out
stretched head, I looked westward
along the Strand. The great street it.
self seemed palpitating with excite
ment. The houses seemed tOresemble
avenues of trees, every leaf Of which
was human being, all quivering-
the leaves of forest in a storm-un-
der some supreme agitation.
And then, amid whirling of waving
hands and fluttering handkerchiefs, a
string of carriages swept by. No one
stayed to notice the mechanical, al
most automatic, backward and forward
swaying of the royal princesses.
Even the prince, the ever-popular
prince, was deemed scarce worthy a
glance by the eager, hungry eyes that
sought only the one central figure OF
that little lonely old woman who sat
there, queenly Of mien, and none the
less queenly because on that sadly
smiling face, so schooled to royal self