Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1907-02-20
The Fourth
Lady In Waiting.

Copyright, 1905, by p. C. Eastment.


"A herald from his imperial majesty
the car of Russia
There was a fare of trumpets, an
eager swaying of the lines of court
lers, soft ripple of laughter and then
silence.
Before me stretched an interminable
path OF red velvet. fianked on either
side by rows OF Sinking, bowling crea-
lures clad in rainbow hued satins, vel
vets and glitfering with jewels. At the
farther end, on a throne of ivory and
gold, sat regal, white robed woman.
crowned and girdled with diamonds.
Behind her stood two dusky giants
majestically waving fans of peacock
feathers. At her feet knelt two tiny
pages attired I'm blue and silver
She was the queen of Bodalva and
enc of the most beautiful women In the
world. / was a nobody. 1t was my
province TO deliver into her royal hand
the scroll fntrpsted to my keeping by
my gracious master. For weeks had
been looking forward to this audience
with feverish eagerness. But now, at
the crucial moment when grace of
bearing and fiuency OF speech would
perhaps serve to win me smile from
those perfect lips, stood gaping like
a clown In the midst of her lackeys.
My feet refused to move, my knees
trembled, the scroll In my hand shook.
my tongue Glove to the roof of my
mouth. There was a muffied giggle on
my right. Then clear. exquisitely
modulated 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 car,
is unduly overawed by our presence.
Be not afraid to approach, Sir Herald.
We are quite harmless"
Again came that subdued giggle, all
the more maddening that 1t had about
II battling familiarity, but at a frown
from the queen ii was quickly sup
pressed.
Summoning all my will power, I
plunged desperately forward and In a
moment was kneeling at the foot OF the
throne between the two pages.
1.-THE humble as well as the great,
your majesty" I faltered, "are over
come by the spell of beauty"
She smiled and, indicating by a ges-
ture that was to rise, took the scroll
and, unrolling II, hastily scanned its
contents.
A change, swift and terrible, came
over her countenance. Her eyes fash
ed. Her cheeks paled. Her lips
Strengthened TO scarlet line. Tearing
the parchment thrice across, she cast
II at my feet and Kissed in low tone
Of concentrated fury: THAT. varlet. Is
my answer to your masterl See that
you deliver il 10 him with all possible
haste! out of my sight Begone!'
Then again her wonderful voice rang
out In all its clearness.
"Men OF Bodalva," she said, never
while Sylvia lives shall you bend your
neck beneath the yoke Of the Russian
tyrant,''
Long live Queen Sylvan shouted
the courtiers. And from somewhere in
the distance came the sounds OF tn
multuous applause-clapping stamping
and cries OF Bravo! Bravar'
Mechanically | backed down the red
velvet path, unheeding the Kisses and
black looks which beset me ON either
side. and presently found myself in a
small anteroom. the walls of which
were hung with doublets. hose. cloaks.
plmed hats and various articles OF
armor Almost Immediately I was CON
fronted by tall, thin. fiashily dressed
man, who eyed me with an expression
Of extreme disfayor.
'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" ! stammered, the queen
Miss EIsworth-said something to me
that wasn't in
whats that to your he interrupted
You're not a star Just
yet, are you? Who are you, anyway?
One Of them young chaps from the col
lege. amt your
/ nodded.
First time onY"
Again I nodded. He shrugged bis
shoulders.
well. won't report you II you LOOK
rharD for the rcaf Of the pcrformancc