The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-02-04


barking up the wrong tree. The maid
refused to be abashed in his august
presence, and at his imperious manner
and naughty speech her soul rose in
revolt, and the fire of disdain cleaned
In her eye. And tho he had never
closely studied the intricate problems
presented by a complicated social
structure, he now began to realize that
the maids question, "Who is not
beggar ?" was indeed difficult query
to answer-far too difficult to answer
in an offhand manner. And he felt
that he had been too prssumptuous; it
slowly dawned upon him that he was
in the presence of an intellectually
greater than his own. The beggar
maid was revelation to him. ALI the
ladies of his az quaintance were polite
even to the extent of untruthfulness;
the humble beggar maid was truthful
even to the extent of impoliteness.
While he did not relish being called
beggar, he was nevertheless, quite
charmed with her candor. He stood
for some moments as if a fit or irresolu-
tion had seized him; then, recollecting
himself, he again addressed the maid,
but in terms of reconciliation.
"Fair maid, I did not call you hither
to upbraid you. You did right to
rebuke me. If was somewhat arro-
CANT in manner and speech toward you
it was merely to try your mettle,s and
by the bones of my illustrious ancestor,
you have mettle enough, and to spare.
[ will deal frankly with you'll had
you brought hither because l am in
terested in you. And shall consider
myself honored if you will tell me
something about yourself; ;-about your
past life, and your present hopes and
aspirations. Talk to me as you would
to brother; assure you, tho 1 am
king-and beggar-I am not one who
will abuse your confidence"
The maid smiled, and in smiling dis
played a set of teeth even enough,
white enough, to have been made by
the celebrated toothmaker on Ivory
Street. She rather liked the king. He
certainly was an engaging sort of a
fellow. There was merry twinkle in
his eye, and in spite of the evil environ
ments that kings and others of so-called
exalted station are subjected to, there
was that air of manliness about him
that every true woman regards and
reveres
81 am completely in the dark why
the king of all Egypt should feel in
terested in one of my humble station
in life," she said, shut since it pleases
my sovereign to inquire into my past
life and present hopes and aspirations,
l will give him the desired information,
and that the rather because he has
come off his high horse and adopted
the manner and speech of a common
mortal.
"My father was photographer, and
my mother was stenographer. They
were a loving couple, and when my
mother died my father survived her
only three weeks. He died of grief.
At the age of fourteen 1 was left an
orphan, and my younger brother, who
had been manned by street car when
six years old, looked to me for support.
| sold most of the household effects,
and the money obtained from the sale
put in the Citizens Bank, to be with
drawn only in case of dire necessity.
1t is there today. My brother, being
unfit to labor, sent to school, and 1
sought and obtained employment in
Mr.. Sox's knitting factory at four
slmoleons week. 1t was just enough
to keep body and soul together. My
brother was, and is, dilligent student,
and early showed an aptitude for the
higher branches of learning. When
my wages bad been increased to six
simoleons a week I sent him to the
university. About year ago lost my
situation because had joined the
knitters' union. For a time I did
housework, and resigned my member
ship in the union. Then I reapplied
for work at the factory, but the FORE
man told me every department had
been unionized, and to give employ
ment to 9 nonunion worker would
mean q general strike. I applied to
the secretary Of the union for readmis-