Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1904-02-04

''Yes, there's a greas deal in what
you say" ! 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"
IT'S imposing enough as ole"
admitted the iconoclast but X you
look at it separate-like, it's only a lot
of 'uman beings like you and me
dressed up in uniforms and riding by
op 'orses. But, 'Ulio! Why, I'll be
jiggered if there ain't Freddy 'Opkins
i'm as married my cousin-a-riding
by in the Lancers! That's i'm on tho
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 VIII at |
call a fine-looking chap. Fancy is
being ere too! Well, I'm jiggered!
must tell 'em at ONE as | see Fred
'Opkins in the percession, and that 'e
looked up and nodded-not a 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. 1t was can
tagious. 1t seemed to run along the
lines like kindling fire. 1t grew nearer
-hoarser-louder-t it was almost
upon us. Leaning forward with out
stretched head. | looked westward
along the Strand. The great street it
self seemed palpitating with excite
ment. The houses seemed to resemble
avenues of trees, every leaf of which
was a human being, all quivering-li
the leaves of forest in a storm-un
der some supreme agitation.
And then, amid whirling of waving
hands and fluttering handkerchiefs,
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 eyer-popular
prince, was deemed scarce worthy
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
possession, the look of trembling Won
derment-almost of fear-told how
deeply moved was the widowed wo-
man heart.
Queen! Queen! God bless her.
God save herr" burst from many thou
sand throats. With the cries ringing
in my ears | switched my eyes upward
not without an effort-and looking
across at Number Two, | saw that he
was in the act of cutting the thread.
Something fell, harmless and unseen,
or, at all events, unnoticed, amid the
uproar and excitement. Once more |
turned my eyes upon the street and
leaned out of the window with craned
head. | caught peep of parasol, had
glimpse of the patient and beautiful,
but coldly impassive and wearied, face
of the Princess of Wales, and then the
cavalry closed in behind the carriages,
and the great pageant was already a
thing of the past.
| drew in my head once more and
glanced across at Number Two. who
was staring blanlly, even stupidity, at
the spot where the Intellectual ball had
fallen.
Suddenly the fact that someone was
looking at him-that at that moment.
when every other head but his own was
turned eastward for a last glimpse OF
the queen, one PERSONS eyes were fixed
upon him-seemed in some way to
make itself known to his conscious
ness. His own eyes swept the opposite
house like a searchlight, and in another
moment | saw that they were fixed
upon mine. AS l felt their fire con-
centrating, so to speak, upon me, some
instinct prompted me to make myself
look as little like myself as possible.
In the hope of masking my real per-
sonality and of preventing him from
Identifying me, l raised my shoulders
almost to my ears and dropped ny
jaw, so as to give new character, or
want of character, to my mouth. Then
| drew back from his sight into the
crowd
Did he recognize me?" said to
myself God knows, l don't. But
whether he did or not, | have at least
the satisfaction of knowing that have
been instrumental in avoiding a great
catastrophe, and in preventing this day
of national rejoicing from being turned
into a day of national mourning"
CHAPTER XII.
EMIT COUNCILLOR NUMBER FIVE.
The next meeting of the council was