The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-19

Angelica was in love with Prince Bulbo he was deeply distressed. 70 Angelica he said, 'it was not thus you talked to me that" Get out, you saucy fellow chied Angelica, "how dare you remind me of your rudeness? As for your trumpery ring-there it goes,'' and she threw it from her slender finger and threw it out of the window. "1t was my mothers mar riage ring" sighed Gigilo. q don't care whose ring it was," snapped Angelica, "a beggarly ring indeed-not worth five shillings," and she fiounced out of the room. leaving Gigilo in the doleful dumps.
 Now, Angelica little knew that the ring Giglio had given her was a magic ring. If woman wore it all the men were in love with her, and if man all the ladies were in love with him. And who do you think picked up that ring after Angelica had thrown 1t through the window? No other person than the old Countess Gruff- anuf, It was owing to the possession of this ring that Angelica had achieved her reputation for beauty. and no sooner had she thrown it away than Gigilo won dered how in the world he ever thought his cousin passably good looking. On the contrary, when he met Gruffanuff he looked at her in surprise-why, the old lady was a remarkably well preserved personl Handsome, in fact, and not so very old. either.
 The arrival of Prince Bulbo set all the court in fiutter. Everybody was ordered into his best clothes and the footmen had new liveries. The Prince of Grim Tartary, when he entered the royal pres ence and beheld Angelica, could not help showing his disappointment-she was not anything near so good looking as he had supposed she would be. As for An gelica she thought Bulbo up to specified tions. When, after the formal presenta- tion, they placed chair for Bulbo, it was set so near the edge of the dais on which the throne stood that when he sat down in it the chair toppled over and he went rolling on the carpet. Everybody laughed-he looked so ridiculous.
 MY rose! My rose!" he cried. court chamberlain dashed forward and picked LID a rose which Bulbo had been carrying in his hand when he entered the royal presence, put NIlcll Dt Itiu ulOPPtd HhNh he fell off the chair. No sooner had the prince taken the rose from the hands of the chamberlain than everybody stopped laughing and wondered how they could have been so impolite-really there was nothing ridiculous in his appearance. as they had thought! He was short, stout and redheaded, to be sure, but for prince he was rather good looking.
 While the royal personages sat and talked, Prince Giglio was becoming more and more enamored of the aged lady, Countess Gruffanuff "Ah' said old GIuffy Gas the frivolous courtiers called her), "I see you are jealous of Prince Bull bo. You still love Angelica" "I did love her." replied Giglio, "but love her no longer. l despise her. Were she heir to 10000 thrones would not marry her. But why speak of thrones? I have lost mine and am too weak to recover 1t. I am alone and have no friends" "Oh, say not so, dear prince" cried the countess with languishing look. Besides" con. tinued he, T am so happy here behind the throne that I would not change my place for all the thrones in the world '' "Oh, you dear, dear boy" sighed Gruff It seemed as if Giglio could not tear him. self away from the Vaccinations of the Countess Gruffanuff. It was all the work of the ring, of course, but that he did not know. In fact, owing to the posses sion of the ring everybody began to pay complments-to Gruffanuff and she jumped at once into a reputation for beauty which no one had ever before discovered.
 Old Gruff saw her opportunity, and i'm proved it. Before he realized it she had entrapped Giglio into making a proposal of marriage. To marry the rightful heir to the throne. Here was chance. The artful hussy actually got piece of letter paper and wrote on 1t: This is to give notice that I. Giglio only son of Savio
 King of Patagonia, hereby promise tc marry the charming and virtuous Barbara Griselda, Countess Gruffanuff, and widow of the late Jenkins Gruffanuff, Esq. What are you writing there, dear?' asked Giglio "Only an order for you to sign, dear prince' replied Gruff, "foi giving coal and blankets to the poor this cold weather The King and Queen are both asleep, and your royal highness' or. der will do.''