Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-29

forgot carefuness, even forgot that she carried a
parcel; she was blocks away clad in white, with a
gilt crown and notwithstanding veil, anointed
sovereign of the May-pole
And meanwhile in almost hypnotic manner
her feet had strayed into the coronation route, had
wandered and on, until at last she caught sight
OF white hgures upon the green common and stopped
abruptly For moment 'Melia the f1uttering
streamers, saw her rival standing yelled and crowned
amid the throng, with gentlemen courtiers turning
sonersaults of homage about her. then horrd dread
of discovery shook the Pretender she flashed her
back upon the scene and fastened thence into hard
sterile streets, dabbng her eyes with convenient
corner of the bundle. But all the while there was
great lump in her throat and great tear either
cheek.
'Melia found her way to the great hotel, and
paced three times up and down before it in great
awe and wonder, to gaze in upon ladies and gentle
men luxuriOusly lunChIng-or it breakfaSting?
at snowy tables behind palrn-trees. At length
gathering courage, she passed in at the door marked
Employees Entrance" and inquired for Miss
Meara the chambermaid.
Now perhaps 'Melias timid whisper was mis-
understood, or perhaps the elevator gentleman
was absently thinking of the beautiful dase whose
photograph decorated his cage but however it
might have happened, when Melia was deposited
she found herself in a long silent corridor of sub
dued lights and rich carpets wherein her feet
seemed to sink almost ankle-deep. There was none
to direct her. and she dared not stand like some
gaping intruder; SO she wandered on and on, down
stairways along halls and around corners in breath
less apprehension penetrating more brilliant fairy
like realms at every turn and quaking afresh at the
awful stiffness of her footsteps.
Suddenly there broke upon her strained sense the
close Clanor of mems voices. With a thrill of
terror 'Mela fed through a wide doorway and
behind providentia1 oasis of palm-trees. When
the sounds had passed she took breath and began
to look about her.
She was in a room wide, so lofty so befowered
that vaguely suggested hospitals visiting days
It's floor vast stretch of smoothness lay glisten
ing in the light like a tremendous bowling alley
There flowers everywhere: flowers pushed in
corners and banked about the das upon which
glittered single golden chair flowers stacked along
the music gallery overhead, flowers twned about
the May-poe that rose with its rainbow fall of
streamers in the center of the room Yet peering
patches of gray daylight gave the scene a spent,
disheveled look; stray roses scattered the
floor; and all about there stood half disnantled
little tables.
Lured onward by rich watt of flowers, 'Me1a
lowered about of the tables her fingers fastened
helplessly upon sandwich; then she stole back to
her corner in panic of guilt. Her teeth met upon
the sandwich it tasted not only of toast and ham
but also lettuce, egg and several other things.
Mela sighed ecstatically who has slipped
magic potion. Here she in enchanted land,
eating enchanted sandwich! She recalled the
tale of how a beggar maiden, once wandering in
fairy-and, had been turned into a Princess and
married to Prince.
And just then, as naturally as in any fairy tale,
in walked the Prince He wore ordinary creased
trousers and carried prosaic newspaper, yet Mela