Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-02-14
PRINCE AND BEGGAR MAID.
BY AGNES G. BROGAN.

b AGNE0 ". DnONAN.
Copyright, 1911, by Associated Liter
airy Press.)
The little governess held the child
in her arms as they rocked to ana
fro in the freight.
Dear" coaxed the child, Gust one
bedtime story, please, OF prince, y
princess and golden castle"
The governess sighed and gazed
musingly into the fire.
"The story l would tell tonight"
she said, "is of prince and beggar
maid"
"Was the beggar maid very beauti-
ful?" asked the child.
A tender smile lowered about the
am pIol ssQ 7ou!ld sqLn 'sdI s.ll!S
so," she said.
"Then 20 on" urged the, child. and
nestled closer. |
"Once upon time, in far coun.
try place, this little beggar maid tied
on her cloak. waved; last good-by 70
the empty home and started out IN
the world to make her fortune. she
had not gone very far when IN the
pathway there arose a high noun
tain; she had Travelled up this noun
tain side before, but the father had
been with her then to carry her over
the rough places and to point out the
flowers which grew here and there.
SO she had not known how steep ana
wearisonme was the way. But no"
that the father had gone upon MS
long. long journey, she knew that she
must make the climb alone, and she
started very bravely.
Gust as. evening bells were ring
ing, she reached the top, tired and
hungry, for-oh, so many things. and
then she saw that she was standing
almost at the gateway Of wonderful
golden palace. Here lived the grand
mother queen of the gold purse the
mother who was like beautiful but
terfly, and, dearest of all-the princess
Golden Hair.
"Grandmother queen looked kindly
upon the beggar maid as they met.
"'Come, she said, you shall live
with us and care for our princess
Golden Hair
"Nox the beautiful mother. was
loved by so many people that she
was here, there and everywhere, ana
the princess was very lonely little
girl until the beggar maid came.
Then all was changed; they had need
ed each other so much, these two, that
now they were very happy together.
queen was pleased, and
the beggar maid thought that she
would live on and on in the golden cas-
tie forever-and then one day, the
prince came home.
"The beggar maid was walking
alone in the garden when they met
by the old sundial and it seemed that
their hearts went flying out to each
other like little imprisoned birds that
had been released. And as the days
passed they spent many happy hours
together, standing long beside the
tinkling fountains, or riding, perhaps.
in a fairy boat upon an an enchanted
river. and the prince had forgotten
that he must marry golden princess,
and the beggar maid had forgotten that
she was a beggar maid until grand
mother queen sent for her and told
her all about it.
ooh, the queen was angry, indeed,
and she said to the maid:
".You must go very far away where
our prince can never see you again,
then he will wed rich and wonder
full princess. who will help him to be
all that we have planned
"But she would not CO." the child
cried sharply; 'she could not go II she
loved him.
The governess smiled sadly.
"It was because she loved him so
very much more than herself that she
agreed to co." she replied; but her
heart ached at the thought OF parting
from the Princess Golden. Hair, and
she could not bear to say good-by,
so she decided to wait until all was
very still at night and the princess
asleep in her little white bed, then
the beggar maid would go into the
room very softly and leave kiss so
light that Golden Hair would never
know. Then she would steal down
the stairway slowly, slowly, tie on her
little old cloak and go out into the
more alone"
Dear" asked the child, why are
you crying?" -,
81 believe" said the governess with
an odd little catch in her voice. i be-