Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-25

looking girl in serge coat and skirt and plain hat
who had left the Kings presence. The Sara
who came back TO it in half an hour was hardly
recognizable even to herself
The dark blue dress had been exchanged for
finest white cloth embroidered where the skirt
neared the dafntily shod feet with meanderinqs
of silver. The fine dark hair, waved and beau.
tifully dressed, stood out like cloud around the
small face, and hat upon which the artistic
had extended their best and most successful ef-
forts crowned her head.
The King started, and the count gave nod
of approval.
"No one will ever suspect" he said.
There was not moment to be lost The Roy
al carriages were waiting at the palace entrance,
and trains will not be always late, even TO con-
venience kings. The King gave his arm to the
Queen, and the count signed to the girl to follow
them along corridor, and down the wide stair
case.
Gorgeousy appareled footmen and the troops
mustered in the palace yard stood at attention.
and the massed bands roared forth the salute
the Royal party came out in the sunshine
The King and Queen were driving off, the count,
bare-headed in the hot sun, stood aside to let
the Princess pass to her carriage. And as Sara
Fleming, journalist, passed into the main streets
of Herzfort there came a deafenng storm of
cheers. FRAGRANT blossoms crushed beneath
the feet .of the horses, beautiful ladies waved
their handkerchiefs from crowded balconies, and
crowd, barely kept back from pressing over close
to the princess they loved so well by the efforts
of the soldiers who lined the route.
Sara bowed mechanically at first and then,
her part began to force itself into her partially
stunned brain, she forced smile. Princesses al
ways smile, she knew that from the newspapers.
The station was reached in due course, and she
Joined her parents on the crowded platform,
with its crimson carpet and gay decorations, a
mark for the interested, sympathetic whispers,
with strange sense of unreality. Had there
been anyone to care before whether Sara Fem-
ing was pale or not? She had told herself she
wanted nobody to care, but there was lump in
her throat, lump almost of pity for the Sara
whom she had put off for today-just for today.
The train was whizzing into the station, heads
were barred in expectation, Sara felt the anxious
gaze of the King and Queen upon her, before
they composed their faces for the welcome
smile" Her heart began to throb with a nerv-
ousness quite foreign to her selfreliant nature,
but she smiled, too, little half shy smile that
was more foreign to her even than the nervous
feeling.
The Prince, TALL uniformed, and boyish-looking
was upon the platform. He was shaking hands
with the King and Queen. Her eyes met his,
and he had bent to kiss her hand. There were
cheers again. and the massed bands whose
strains made speech impossible, broke into the
national anthem of 'the Princes native land,
when ne and Sara crossed the platform together
and took their places in the carriage, where she
had driven a little while since quite alone
It was better to be two than one; there had
been SO much of that alone in Sara's life She
met the honest friendness in the Princes eyes,
and her fears vanished
She never could remember clearly afterwards
what they two talked of on the homeward drive
Motors for one thing, she thought and Sara,
who had never driven in a motor in her life,
waxed eloquent upon the subject when she saw
that it was one he loved Conversation was in
terrupted again by the need of replying to the
enthusiastic reception of Herzfort. The Princes
helmet was oftener in his hand than on his head.
and Sara smiled incessantly. Only once did her
attention wander from her duty to prince and
people, and that was when the carriage passed
the big photographers, where she had stood last
night. Her eyes turned to the plate-gass win
dow and the Princes followed hers.
'Do you know, don't like that photograph of