Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-03-28


for the thick golden mass was quite
beyond the management Of the Prin-
cess. and Erebus firmly refused to play
lady's-maid. Since the Terror was one
of those who enjoy doing those things
which they are called upon to do, he
presently forgot the unmanliness Of
the occupation. and began to take
pleasure in handling the silken
strands.
1t was on the fifth day after bath,
when he was brushing out her hair in
the sun on the top Of the Knoll that
he received the severe shock. Heaven
knows that the Princess was not a
demonstrativc child; indeed, she had
never had the chance. But he had
just finished his task and was survey
ing the shining result with satisfac-
ton. when of Il sudden, without any
warning. she throw her arms round
his neck and kissed him.
ooh. you are NICE she said.
The Tcrrors ineffable serenity was
for once scattered to the winds. He
flushed and gazed round the woods
with horror-strickcn eyes: il anyone
should have seen it.
The Princess marked his trouble, and
like mo to kiss you?"
The Terror swallowed the lump of
horror in his throat, and said family
but calamity: "Yes.-Oh. rather"
''rhen kiss me-" said the Princess
simply. smuggling closer to him.
The despairing eyes of the Terror
swept the woods; then he kissed her
gingerly.
II am fond Of you. you know" said
the Princess in frankly proprietary
tone.
The Terror's scattered wits at last
worked. He rose to his feet and said
quickly: Yes. Let's be getting to
the others"
The Princess rose obediently.
But the ice was broken: and the
kisses of the Princess If not frequent
were at any rate not rare. The Ter
ror at first endured them; then he
came rather to like them. But he
strictly enioned discretion on her
Discretion and kisses. however. have
no natural affinity: and without theil
knowing it, Virgins became aware OF
the practice.
The confidence between the Twins
had always been so full that he was
not aware that he was letting cat
out of bag when he said to Erebus
II oppose the Terror's in love Will
the Princess. kissing her like that.
think it's awfully silly" And he
spurned the earth.
Erebus'S dark face was all one dusky
flush as. somewhat breathlessly. she
drew from Virgins his idyllic story
Then she rose and with clenched fist,
and blazing rs. sought the Princess
She found her lying back drowsily
against bank. and forthwith erie,
fiercclv
"Pr;ncess or no Princess, you shan
kiss him."
The drowsiness fed; and the Prin
cess sat up. Her gray eyes darkonet
and sparkled. She had never made
face in her life; it is quite probable
that she was ignorant that faces were
made; but quite naturally she made
hdeous face at Erebus, and said: 4"
SHALL"
III you do, I'll smack YOU" crie'
) Erebus and she ground her teeth.
He won't let you; and IL you dc
} he'll smack you-much harder" salt
the Princess confidently.
Had the Princess been standing ny
Erebus would have smacked her thel
} and there: but the Princess was sit
ting safely down. Erebus growled il
her throat. turned on her heel. ant
dashed away in seach OF the Terror
She came upon him dragging fallel
bOugh up to the Knoll for tirewood.
, II know all about your kissing tn
, Princess! | never heard of such sill
J babyishness :" she cried in tone q
the fiercest contempt.
J The shame-faced Terror blushed
then he turned braZcn
, "You mind your own business" h
said firmly at isn't babyish at all
' She's asked me to marry her; and II
+ going to-so there
e In the face of this situation Erebu
Y found herself utterly helpless; sl
wrung her hands and turned sharpl
e aside into the wood
e Then followed period Of strait
0 Erebus assumed an attitude of Taught
4 contempt toward the Grant pair. ST
T. devoted herself to Virgins. and |,
' them coldly alone. 1t is to be fcare
{ that the kisses, having been forbidden
Y became sweeter and more frequent.
1t was at this juncture that s
I Maurice FalcOner. the uncle OF IL
: Twins. came into the affair. He hi
from the very beginning taken a di
c ferent view of the disappearance I
the Princess from that Of the rest I
a the world. 1t was his habit to ascrit
any uncommon event which occurr'
{ in the Dcepings to his nephew an
p niece. When then he first read in h
: Morning Post OF that disappearanc
It no said quietly to himself TT
It Twins again." IIe was confirmed
J. his opinion by the sight Of repfodu
ton Of the Socialist Manifesto in a
It entorprising halfpenny paper
y But Sir Maurice was not man
l. interfere lightly, and he was bus
IS enough with many lunches. rae
k meetings, dinners. dances, and suppe
% to postpone his Intervention till Il
" sixth day, when every Socialist Orgal
It ization from San Francisco to Japa
II was loudly disavowing any complici1
d with the crime, and the diplomats
Y and newspapers of Germany and En-
land were snarling Mt one another in
e fashion which forbode war. He fe
n that the time had come to ease the i
x ternational situation.
p With that end in view. he went dow
r 10 Little Dceping. and learned fro
$. Mrs. Dangerfeld that the Twins we
n canning ont on OepDin0 Knoll. Thn