The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-03-27
The Fourth
Lady In Waiting.
BY EDITH j. HUBERT.
Copyright, las. by P. G. Eas,ment

"A herald from MS iihperiai maJcsV
the car OF Russia!"
There was q flare OF trumpcts, an
eager swaying Of the lines OF court
iers, a soft 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 glittering with jewels. At the
farther end. on throne OF ivory and
gold, sat a 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 In blue and silver
She was the queen Of Bodalva and
one Of the most beautiful women In the
world. was a nobody. 1t was my
province to deliver into her royal hand
the scroll intrusted to my keeping by
my gracious master. For weeks l had
been looking forward to this audience
with feverish eagerness. But now, at
the crucial moment when grace OF
bearing and iuency OF speech would
perhaps serve to win me a smile from
those perfect lips, stood gaping like
clown In the midst OF her lackeys.
Ny 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 mufiied gigsle on
my right. Then a clear. exquisitely
modulated voice smote the air Ike the
notes of a golden harp.
aMethinks.n 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 q battling familiarity. but at frown
from the queen 1t was quickly sup
pressed.
Summoning all my will power, !
plunged desperately forward and In a
moment was kneeling at the foot OF the
throne between the two pages.
THE humble as well as the great.
your majesty. falsered, "are over
come BY the spell of beauty"
She smiled and. indicating by a ges-
ture that was to rise, took the scroll
and, unroiling It, hastily scanned It's
contents.
A change. swift and terrible, came
over her countenance. Her eyes flash
ed. Her cheeks paled. Her lips
straightened to a scarlet line. Tearing
the parchment thrice across, she cast
It at my feet and hissed in q low tone
OF concentrated fury: THAT varlet. is
my answer to your master! See that
you deliver 1t to him with all possible
haste! Out OF my sight! BegoneF
Then again her wonderful voice rang
out In all Its clearness.
MEN OF Bodalya." she said, never
while Sylvia lives shall you bend your
neck beneath the yoke Of the Russian
tyrantr'
Long live Queen Sylviaw shouted
the courtiers. And from somewhere In
the distance came the sounds OF tu-
multuous applause clapping, stamping
and cries of "Brava! Bravav'
Mechanically | backed down the red
velvet path, unheeding the misses 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
plumed hats and various articles OF
arnor. Almost Immediately / was con
fronted by tall. thin, fiashily dressed
man, who eyed me with an expression
of extreme disfayor.
'.See here" be said. 1--WE don't want
supers in this company to forget theii
cues and occupy the, center Of the stage
for ten minutes, and we don't want
any lines thrown in either. The mar
who wrote that play can attend t.
that"
But" | stammered, "the queen
Miss Elsworth-said something to me
that wasn't in"-
Whats that to your he interrupted
sarcastically. You're not star JUS
yet, are you? Who are you, anyway
One Of them young chaps from the col
lege, amt your
! nodded.
First time onY
Again | nodded. He shrugged bi
shoulders.
v"Well, won't report you II you lool
sharp for the rest of the performances
Luckily for you ths boss Is away to
night. What are you doing 1t for, any
way7 Stage struck or Ellsworth struck .
/ did not deign to answer, -ad, wit
a derisive guffaw, he went out, slam
ming the door behind him.
had been alone scarcely a minut
when that irritating giggle again fe
upon my ears.
who's thereY cried, flnging ope
the door and peering into the diml
lighted corridor.
"Eh! Go backr' whispered Il Ieniniil
voice. And as obeyed Its comman
the doorway framed petite golde
haired damsel, resplendent in pink sa
In and a court train
seized her hands and drew her