Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-29
SUNDAY MAGAZINE TOR APRIL 20. 1906

Asked BY the way, were you ever Queen3",'
No said 'Aclia wistfully; but | wanted to be.
oh that's all right he cried with the joviality
of a true Prince Come along with me and be
crowned" And before 'AIeia could protest he had
lifted her into the golden throne and was standing
before her at respectful attention.
Now, oh Queen" began the Prince; but sud-
denly he stopped stopped, and picked up something
from the floor. As he inspected 1t his face set
again into that hard bitter smile then it softened
wonderfully he glanced at the little creature
Anal he laughed; but it did not seem like real
laughter to 'Melia The very thing BY this
royal signet declare YOU to be the ruling sovereign
for the next ten minutes!" And he slipped it on
Melias forehnger.
1t was small brassy ring resembling those
which given away with candy and soap; and
it bore a four-leaved clover whose blurred blackened
appearance suggested that it had once been thrown
into the fire and dug out again.
4 wouldn't do that Your Majesty, he said,
for Meia sat widc-cyed instnctively rubbing the
treasure upon her arm. Perhaps it's one OF those
magic rings, and if you rub it the might
appear; and II wouldn't like that
He looked about him in half frightened way, and
then seated himself before his sovereign. It's this
way Your Majesty" he began. You see, once
upon time person and person were walking
in the park. One was Princess person, rich and
beautiful; the other just a poor heggar person
who wanted very much to be a Prince. Well, while
ne was telling the Princess some things-or, rather,
trying hard not to tell them-they both sped just
such ring as this. It's minel' cried the Princess.
No mnel cried the beggar Cut it in two, laughed
the Princess. Then the beggar took deep breath.
No. he said solemnly, / won't. It's like some
other things which people find while walking about
the world tOgether-nO to either if cut in two.
Princess, will you take the ring and wear my half
with YOURS and rub it a little each day, for luck?
And if the luck comes, perhaps some day you'll let
me redeem the ring-new lamps for old!
So the Princess laughed and took the ring, and
the beggar thought himself almost Prince. But
| think she must have rubbed it the wrong way.
Week after week the luck did not come; but at
length something else happened. 1t was silly
little quarrel worth less than hair of the Prin-
cess head; but they were both proud and-and they
didn't wait to say good-by. Well all their
friends tried tried everything, until the trouble had
along into many months and become quite
.Opeless; and then-isnt Fate queer!-at last the
luck came-luck, but no Princess That made him
feel worse than he already felt, and he began to
do foolish things He would cut pieces from
papers which told what she was doing and where
she had been-the theaters, dances, shows-and
next dav he would do the things, see the same
places, himself. One night she gave a May-poe
dance, and the morning after there he was, in the
very place where she had been and seeing the same
things Then what should he find the floor"
Here the Prince stopped abruptly checked by
the sound of voices, and the next moment two
people, a and woman walked past the
door. Then Melia looked upon the Prince and
found that he had turned deep peculiar red.
The Princess" he whispered in comic horror;
and Melia, who had been secretly rubbing the ring,
turned scarlet and implored in an awe-struck tone:
!" Let's get out of here'
As they gained the door 'Melia remembered her
parcel, and the Prince tptoed back for it. As he
vanished behind the palms, there woke the sound