The Washington herald., 1908-01-05
NOR ANY OTHER CREATURE
By INA WRIGHT HANSON

Looking up from long drawn reverie
before the unfinished picture on my easel,
I saw IoIanthe beaming at me from the
doorway
Come on she cried. Put I'D your
work. and come with me into the coun-
try. believe you don't even know it is
May day. Don't you remember the month
of May when the air is so full Of sweet
ness and love that even one shaving be
gins to feel an affection for another shaw
ing? Come. let US a Maying go"
Il can't" I answered. I'm up against
it. I'm crowded 10 the wall. I'm broke. %
Iolanthe laughed-the sweetest sound In
this wise old world.
u had an intuition so; but that doesn' Z
matter. This is my treat You see Isabel
Dorey took me to dinner yesterday. so
had enough to take US picnieking to-day.
Come. brave knight. put on thy helmet.
and hasten"
I FASTENED. No one could resist Iolan-
the. took her little covered basket. and
we went down the hall and down tho
stairs. with mock-dolefuI messages fol-
lowing Us from our fellow-workers, WIN
were not going out into the blossoming
May-day world
What car are we going to taze?"
asked as we reached the street
Iolanthe blushed deliciously
I'VE are not going to take car. You
see, I got so interested in buying .
scrumptuous lunch, that I forgot about
the car. and"
7 see" I said gravely. And you don't
know how glad I am that we are TO walk:
it is so much healthier. Then we won't
have to mingle with the plebians on q
common car. When rich aristocrats like
us"
Iolanthe glanced up at me rather
sharply. I thought 1t couldn't be that
she knew-of course, she couldn't know
No one knew but my uncle's lawyer and
myself. and maybe my uncle won
dered If my uncle did know in that un-
known country he had lately entered.
BY and by I should tell Iolanthe that.
when the preliminarles were over. I
should have enough money to buy her
everything she wanted, even If on this
blithe day. I had not q penny; and all
due to a never-known, rich. old uncle,
now dead. But Iolanthe was proud, so
first I would win her promise; win It
while she believed me poor as herself.
Purity and courage and gentleness and
hoo kas I'll .
An. when our May day was over. should
1 be calling her mine?
who are you to-day?' she asked.
stopping to Ill her lungs with the buoy
ant air.
We had a habit of playing we were
other folks when We went on these ex-
eursions Childish no doubt, but we were
never going to grow old. we said. so it
was best to be children a long time
why. am King Cophetua." I an
swered promptly. with a great initiating
of my kIngiy chest and throwing back
of my kingly head as we walked on.
Her aims across her breast she laid;
She was more fair than words can stay:
In robe and crown the king slept down,
To meet and greet her on her way.
WHO are you to-day, Ioianthe2"
It's pretty story" she unused, not
answering my question, but suppose it
were turned around? Suppose that 1t
was Queen Cophetua and the beggar
man? Would he be good and let her love
him? And would he be willing to sit on
the throne with her?''
"0h, that's different" ! said. "Of
course, a man could not take faveys from
woman. The beggar man would have
to go out into the world and win his for
tune. He couldn't take 1t from his queen.