Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-05
IN MARY'S REIGN.

| those same two hooded and masked fig
| ures had passed almost Immediately be-
meath the platform of Mirrab's tent.
They had been running very fast and.
exhausted, were now clinging to one an
other, covering in the deepest shadow of
the rough wooden construction.
"Oh! Margaret sweet" whispered o
feminine voice from behind the silken
| mask, Il vow 1 should have died with
| fright!'
Think you we have escaped Them"
murmured the other feebly.
| She who had first spoken. taller than
her friend and obviously the leader of
this mad escapade, tiptoed cautiously
forward and peered out into the open
space.
''She-sh-sh!' she whispered. as she
dragged her unwilling companion after
her. DO you see them-rght over there?
They are running fast. Oh, no! no! ho!'
! she laughed suddenly with childish glee
| as she clapped her hands together. But,
Margaret dear, did we not fool them mer-
| ri1y? Oh! l could Shrek for joy Aye,
run, run. run, my fine gallants! she
added blowing an imaginary kiss to he:
| you'll ne'er oertake us, cen though you
raced the wind Ha! ha! ha!''
Her laugh sounded a little forced and
hysterical, for she had had a terrible
fright, and her companion was still cling
ing miserably. helplessly, to her side.
Nay, Ursula, how can you be so mer-
| ry?' admonished Margaret in g. voice al
| most choked with tears. Think If the
Duchess of Lincoln were to hear of this
| adventure, or her majesty herself. on
| But Ursuia's gay, madcap mood was
/ proof against Margaret's tears.
"Oh! oh! OH" she calculated, mimicking
her friends tones of horror. "Oh!' she
added, with mock seriousness. We'll,
then, of course there would be trouble,
Margaret mine-sweet Margaret! Such a
| lecture. And oh! oh, OH such black looks
| from her majesty. We should e'en-think
on it-have to look demure for at least
two days. ntil our sins be forgiven US.
She paused awhile, mischief apparent
even beneath the half-transparent lace
which hid her laughter-Ioving mouth. She
drew her trembling companion closer to
her, and, still laughing, she coaxed her
gently.
There. there, sweet" she murmured.
NCheer up, l pray thee; cheer up See,
we have come to the end of our journey.
We have baffied those persistent gallants,
and this is the witch's tent Margaret"
she added with an impatient tap of the
foot. cart goose to go on crying so! L
VOW I'd have come alone had l known
thou'rt such a coward!'
Ursula said Margaret somewhat en-
boldened by her friends assurance,
could you guess who We're those two
gallants?"
"Nay!' replied Ursula indifferently.
''One of them, methinks was the Mar
quis de Suarez, for l caught sight of his
black silk hose. But what do we care
about these nincompoops, Margaret?
Come and see the witch-we have no time
to lose
Eagerly she turned toward the booth,
and, somewhat awed. anxious, yet not
wholly daring, she gaZed up in astonish-
ment at the gaudy draperies. the tall
Flagstaff, the weird black flag with its
strange Device Then with sudden reso-
luton she planted her foot upon the bot
tom step.
wilt follow me. sweet? ?" she asked.
Even as she spoke Abra, in tall peaked
cap and flowing mantle. emerged from
within the tent.
Margaret. who was screwing up her
courage to follow her friend, gave a
Shrek of dismay.
mo! no! no! URSULA she said, clinging
to the other girl, not daring to look up at
the awesome~ figure of the lean magician.
Il implore you, give up the thought"
"Give up the thought rejoined Ursula
boldly trying to smother her own super
stitious fears, when I've gone thus far?'
IT cannot think what you want with
that horrid witch!' pleaded Margaret
At sight of Abra's long white beard
his wizards wand and cloak covered with
,cabalistic signs. even Ursula's courage
had begun to ebb She had hastily re-
treated from the steps and followed Mar
garet once more within the protecting
shelter of the shadows.
II want to know my fortune. Margaret
mine,'' she said in a voice which was not
quite as firm as before, land hear that
this witch can see into the future. Ills
said that she has marvellous powers
why should you want to know the
future?" persisted tinid, practical Mar
garet rs not the present good enough
for you?"
His grace of Wessex comes back to
court today rejoined Ursula, after an
absence. of many months"
We'll. what of him.
What of him? Margaret, art stupid,
or art not my friend? Is it not natural
that I should wish to know whether / am
to be Duchess of Wessex or abbess in
holy but uncomfortable convent?'
Yes, tits natural enough" assented
Margaret thoughtfully, but"
His grace has never seen me since l
was so long said Ursula, with a short.
impatient sigh, and stretching out round
arm decked with a sleeve of rich silk and
fine lace. Il had a red face then. and
pap was stuffed into my mouth to keep
me quiet. You see could not have been
madly alluring them
"And you are beautiful now, Ursula.
But of what avail is it? You cannot wed
His Grace Of Wessex, for he'll never ask
you to be his wife. He'll marry the
queen. All England wishes it,
But I wish him to marry me-" cuoth
Ursula, with a resolute tap Of her high
heeled shoe against the ground Yes.
me! and / want that witch yOnder to ask
the stars if he will fall in love with me
when he sees me. or If he will yield to
those who want to make of him a tool
for their political ambition, and marry an
ugly, ill-temoered, old woman who hap
pens to be Queen of England"
"Ursula,,r'
Margarets horror. amazement and awe
had rendered her almost sceechless. Ur-
sula's .utterance was nearly sacrilegious
in these days when kings and queens
ruled by right divine.
But the young girl continued quite I'M
abashed by her friends rebuke.
"Well!" she said, imperturbably, "y,ou
can't deny that the queen els old!-and
highland ill-tempered!-"
Margaret, however, was prepared to
deny these mOnstrous statements with the
last breath left in her delicate body The
poor little soul was frightened out of her
wits. :
Suppose some one newfoundland re-
peated the tale that two of the queens
ladies-in waiting had called her majesty
old Land ugly-and nl-tempered!
Nay! Ursulas madcap freaks were past
bearing, and would lead her into serious
trouble one of these days.
Margaret" whispered the delinquent,
who still seemed quite unaware of the
enormity of her offense, hast thou ever
seen His Grace of Wessex?'
mol" replied Margaret. CURLY, for she
was still very wrathful, and vaguely felt
that at this stage all references to the
t'Nor I since I was baby sighed Ur-
sula, "but see here
From beneath the folds of her cloak
she drew a chain and 1Ocket and holding