The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-03-21

thrones IN the world" oh. you dear
dear bohy." sighed Grun. 1t seemeo
as ii CYCLIC could not tear himsel4
away from the destinations of tn.
Countess Gruffanuff. 1t was all the
work Of the ring. OF course. but tina.
he did not know In fact. owing to
the possession OF h ring everybody
nun and she jumped at once n a
reputation for beauty which no one
had ever before discovered.
Oid Gruf saw her ep~portunity and
improved it. Before he realized II she
had entrapped CYCLIC into making "a
proposal Of marriage. To marry the
rlshtful heir to the threne!-Here was
a chance! The artful hussy actually
got a piece of letter paper and wrote
on il: This is to give notice that 1.
Glgllo, only son Of Savio, King Of Pa
tiagonia, hereby promise to marry the
charming and virtuous Barbara Grieel-
oa, Countess G~rufanun, and widow OF
the iate jenkins Gruffanuf, Esq
are you writing there. dear?'
asked CYCLIC. Only an order for you
TO sign, dear prince replied Grur.
I o giving coal and blankets 10 III.
poor this cold weather. The king and
queen are both asleep. and your roy
h~ighness's order will do"
This conversation took place In the
LAG " oIIc evening AFTER Oln-
ner, not long after the arrival of
Buibo at court. and Giglio, the good
natured fellow. signed the document
without readine it. as the designing old
Grufy knew he would. She had am.
bilious plans for Giglio and herself.
did old GrufTy. and hat night sat up
late practising such signatures as
"Griselda Patagonia" barbara Re-
gina" "Griselda Barbara, Pr. Reg"
n ever so many more variations OF
the same thing, from all of which it
may be seen that Old Gruffv had de-
signs upon the throne as we'll as upon
CYCLIC. In fact, the countess was SO
pleased with herself and her pros
poets that when Retsinda came that
night :" nut~her hair up IN curl papers
she said: MY dean girl, l have lone
promised you a present tfor ATTENDING
we ;" are five hilffnvs-no. this
is better, here is q nice ring I picked
up IN the garden" The stingy old
countess: She would give poor Bet,
sinda only a ring. which was a cheap
looking affair at best, and had cost her
nothing. Yet it was The Ring:
OF course, now that Betsinda had
the ring all the gentlemen fell in love
with her. She needed its aid less
than any other person at court, but
beautiful n modest as she was, ever
the most perfect of us and the mos
S"iA CSSAiA0 " I(A1S uI51 Il 4
when it comes to making us still more
than nature intended.
Prince CYCLIC and Prince Bu1bo both
declared Their v for Retsinda anc
fought over her. CYCLIC got the better
Of the encounter. It was rather late
at night ana the gentlemen had beer
dining generously. Retsinda had beer
coming from her duties and had &
warming pan in her hand when she
encountered the warning princess VINO
were fi"hting over her. His majesty
the king heard the noise and came OIL
to see was going on. When h
saw Petsinda he cried out: "Charmins
chanbermaid: never mind these youne
men urn your eyes upon a middle
aged autocrat. who has been consid.
cred not uncomely in his time!' "Oh
SIR cried Retsinda, what would he,
majesty say? Her majesty" laugh
ed the kine-he had. as stated. beer
dining Her majesty be hanged! An
! not %autocrat Of Patagonia. Nay
have I not blocks, axes. racks? Run.
not a river by my palace walls Sa,
but the. word and You sha be m,
queen and your mistress sewed III
in p sack stra;ghtway."
When GisliO heard these atrociou.
words he grabbed Betsinda's warmins
pan and smote the king a might,
blow over the head. knocking hin
down as flat as a pancake. There wa
pretty row in the royal palace, a.
may be imagined. The king was fu
tr'ous and shouted for Hedzoff. his cap
tain of the guard "Hedzoff." said hi
majesty. seize upon the prince. Tho,
will find him in his chamber, TIVE
flights up. Away. no more; the vii
lam dies who has dared with sacri
~le@ious hand to floor me with a warm
in" pam.
Cantain Hedzoff was much affected
J for he loved CYCLIC like a son. Poo
IGiglio." he moaned when the king ha'
j, 6isa ppeared: IAN it is my hand tina
, pr"st conduct yoU TO the s"affc17''
"Conduct him to fidd1estickst" exclaim
ed a. female voice "The King sand yo,
> iwere to execute the prince. Well. exc
cute him. 1t was the voice of Gruf
] I~fanuff, who had no mind to lose
young and royal husband lust TO sat
l;cf,.- 4Ln- ..hira -nf ala AralnrnSA &NIX