The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-12-22
a s;s.... < ''TRUXTON KING" s h.sss Bar.

flank"
"Whew! I thought she was
the queen!"
Hobbs went into details con-
corning the beautiful countess.
During the hour and a half of
display he pointed out to King
all of the great personages. giving
La Baedeker-like account of their
dotngs from childhood up, quite
satisfying that gentleman's curl
osity and involving his cupidity
at the same time.
When. at last, the show was
over, Truxton and the voluble
little Interpreter, whom he had
employed for the occasion. stroll
ed leisurely back to the heart Of
the town. Something had come
over King, changing the quaint
old city from a prosaic collection
of shops and thoroughfares into a
veritable playground for Cinder-
elias and Prince Charmings. The
women, to his startled magma
tion, had been suddenly trans
formed from lackadaisical drudges
into radiant personages at whose
feet 1t would be a pleasure to fall,
In whose defense it would be d.
vine to serve; the men were the
cavaliers that had called to him
from the pages of chivalrous tales,
ever. since the days of his child
hood. Here were knights and
ladies such as he had dreamed of
and despaired of ever seeing out
i side his dreams.
Hobbs was telling him how
everyone struggled to provide
amusement for the little prince at
whose court these almost mytho-
logical beings bent the knee.
Every few days they have a
royal troupe of acrobats in the
castle grounds. Next week Tan
tora's big circus is to give a pri-
vate performance for him. There
are Marionettes and Punch and
Judy shows, and all the doings of
the Grand Grignol are beautifully
initiated. The royal band plays
every afternoon, and at night
someone tells him stories of the
yalorous men who occupied the
throne before him. He rides,
plays baseball and cricket, swims,
goes hooting-and, you may
take it from me, sir, he is already
enjoying fencing lessons with
Colonel Quinnox, chief of the cas-
tile guard. Mr.. Tullis, the Ameri-
can, has charge of his-you might
say, his education and entertain
ment. They want to make of him
a very wonderful prince. So they
are starting at the bottom. He's
quite a wonderful little chap.
What say, sir?"
II was just going to ask If you
know anything about young
woman who occasionally tends
shop for William Spantz, the arm
orer."
Hobbs looked interested
"She's his niece, I've heard. Been
here a little over a month. /
think she's from Warsaw"
well, I'll say goodbye here.
If you've nothing on for tomorrow
We'll visit the castle grounds-and
l-ahem!-take a look about the
place. Come to the hotel early.
I'm going over to the gun-shop.
So long!" AS he crossed the
square, his mind full of the beau
tiful women he had seen, he was
saying to himself in a wild strain
of exhilaration: "I'll bet my head
that girl isn't the nobody she's
setting herself up to be. She looks
like these I've just seen. She's
got the marks of a lady. You
can't fool me. I'm going to find
out who she is and-well, maybe
it won't be so dull here, after all.
1t looks better every minute"
He was whistling gaily as he
entered the little shop, ready to
give CHEEKY greeting to old
Spantz and to make him a tenn
porisinZ offer for the broadsword.
But it was not Spantz who stood
behind the little counter. Trux-
ton flushed holly and jerked off
his hat. The girl smiled.
81 beg PARDON he exclaimed
'"I-I'm looking for Mr.. Spantz-
i"