La Junta tribune., 1907-06-29
The Fourth
Lady In Waiting.
D. EDaru }. nULsERT.
Nm, by =. C. E...n..,.

r
"A herald from his imperial majesty
the cxar OF Russia!''
There was . fare OF trumpets. an
eager swayinG OF the lines Of court
iers. q s"ft ripple Of laughter and then
| silence.
Before me stretched an interminable
path Of red velvet. nanked on either
side by rows OF smirking. bowling crea-
lures clad In rainbow hued satins, vel
vets and elittering with Jewels. At the
| farther end. on a throne OF ivory and
gold. sat q regal. white robed woman.
crowned and girdied with diamonds.
Behind her stood two dusky giants
| ma majesticaily waving fans OF peacock
feathers. At her feet knelt two tiny
pages attlresl In blue and silver.
She was the queen Of Bodalva and
sone OF the most beautiful women In the
world. WIS nobody. 1t was my
| province to deliver into her royal hand
the scroll intrusted to my keeping by
my gracious master. For weeks I had
been looking forward to this audience
with fevcrish eagerness. But now. at
the crucial moment, when grace Of
bearing and nuency OF speech would
| perhaps serve TO win me smile from
those perfect lips. I stood gaping like
n clown in the midst of her inckeys.
7 My feet refused to move. my knees
! trcmblc,l. the scroll In my hand shook.
/ my tongue Glove to the roof Of my
mouth. There was n muffied giggle on
I my right. Then clear. eSlulsitely
motulated voice smote the air like the
/ notes of a golden harp.
"Methinks." said the queen. flashing
laughter from her violet eyes. that the
/ messenger OF our fair cousin. the ear.
Is undnly ovcrawed by o',r presence
/ Be not afraid TO approach. Sir Herald.
/ We are quite harmless.
! Again came that siibdued gigglc. all
/ the mo-c madtlcnn,: that it had about
! 1t n battling familiarity. hut at n frown
( from the queen ii was quickly sup
I pressed
Summonine all my will power. I
plunged desperately forward and In n
moment Was kneeling M the foot of TIE
I throne between the two pages.
.'Thc l,,nilie as well the great.
[ your majesty. faltcrri. are over
come by the spcIl of beauty"
/ She smiled auI. Indicating by n gcs-
Z turc that was 10 rise. took the scroll
AMI. unrolling II. hastily scanned Its
/ contents.
4 change, swift and terrible. came
| over her conn;cnance. Her eyes flash
ed Her cheeks paled. Her lips
| Strengthened to a scarlet enc. Tearing
| the parchment thrice across. she cast
| II mt my feet and hissed in a low tone
| Of concentrated fury: That. varlet. Is
my answer TO yoiir master! See that
yon deliver 1t to him with all possible
haste. Ont OF my sight! Regone!'
Then again her wonderful voice rang
| out In all its clearness.
/ "Men or Boduivu.'' she said. ''never
while Sylvia lives shail you bend your
neck beneat., the yoke Of the Russian
tyrunt!"
1 Long live Queen Sylviar' shouted
4 the courtiers. And from somewhere in
4 the distance came the sounds of IN
multuous applause -clarping. stamping
1 and cries Of ''Brava. H,avar'
1 Mechanically backed down the red
velvet path. unliee,ling the misses and
+ Dlslth IOphS WHICH btsStt iit tlih'i
side. and presently found myself In a
small antcroom. the walls OF which
/ were hung with doublets. hose. cloaks.
( plumed hats and various articles OF
4 armor. Almost Immediately was con
] froNtcd by II tail, thin. fiasbily dressed
( man. who eyed me with an expression
4 of extreme ,iisfavor.
See here he said. I'VE don't want
supers in this company to forget their
cues and occupy the center Of the stage
! for ten minutes. and we don't want
any lines thrown In either. The man
! who wrote that play can attend to
that"
But l stammered. "the queen
| Miss Elswortii--said something to me
! that wasn't in
whats that 10 youy lie interrupted
1 sarcasticaliy. You're not a star just
One OF them young chaps from the col
lesc. uin't you:"
nodded.
First time on!"
Again I nodded. He shrugged his
shoulders.
We'll, won't report you II you look
sharp for the rest of the performance.
Luckily for you the boss Is away to-
night. What are you doing 1t for. any
wayI Stage struck or Ellsworth struck {:
did not deIgn to answer, and. with
derisive guffaw. he went ont. siam
ming the door behind him.
| had been alone scarcely a minute
when that irritnting gisgle again fell
upon my ears.
Who's tliereT' cried. fiinging open
the door md peering into the dimly
| lighted corridor
'.Sb! Go back.'' whispered feminine
voice. Ana as I obeyed its command