The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-07-24

chanically upon the arm that was Of
fered me and followed the old officer
and my friend. Luckily at that mo-
ment the crowd was cheering the
huge, black. portly coachman of the
Maharajah of Trayancore, under the
impression that he was that potentate
himself, and SO attention was distract
ed from the little drama in which we
played our roles.
Your presence makes this event
seem like my own coronation. my
bright-haired sun-goddess," whispered
my escort, as we passed between two
lanes of policemen.
was SO angry could have struck
him. My hair is my most sensitive
feature. ! have been called Carrots"
in my childhood, and made miserable
for days thereby, and Mary Jenner in
sists that it is emphatically not what
the poets call auburn" That horrid
little Mr.. Spratt, too, who was so smit-
ten with me, had reused my ire one
evening by an untactful allusion which
was meant to be complimentary. But
/ had never before been Knocked by
| stranger. by a man whose name I did
| not even know, whom l had met once
only, and then as Competitor No. 6"
in an aviation contest. Did he sup
pose American girls to be so shallow
and foolish as to accept these half.
baked compliments for genuine?
loathed and hated him then more than
! had ever hated anybody before.
However, being Frenchman, he
had the perspicacity to read my emo
tons in my face.
Forgive me IL l offended, Made.
moiselle," he said, humbly. IF you
delay we shall not be able to gain
admittance. See, that policeman sus-
poets us. Let us go in"
| | let him draw my arm through his
own. A fatal indecision possessed
me. ! own l did want to see the cor.
onation, and | wanted Estelle to do
SO, too, If only to save her reputation
in her native city of Cedar Plank
Then, too, / was faint from the long
standing In the sun, and hardly In full
possession of my faculties. AS
moved onward toward the Abbey
doors. pace behind the elder man and
Estelle, suddenly the cry "Pickpock
cts" was raised again. / clutched my
purse tighter. And then, while ]
moved on, half conscious, eager only
for the cool seclusion of the interior
OF the building, as In dream ! saw
the evil face of the Greek Zeuxis
swim before my eyes. The man
II hrfIShnd Inc
thought | saw his hand go to his
breast pocket, as though to search It,
1t was the act of moment; | could
not be sure that he had really robbed
him, and then the recollection of 1t
was driven from my mind by the most
humiliating catastrophe.
Zeuxis swept past me; there was a
little rush of spectators; somebody
struck my hand, and my purse flew
from it and disappeared right in the
hollow top of one of the old gentle.
mans buff boots. And he walked on
serenely unconscious of the disaster,
carrying my $500 and the key to the
vault which held my Panama bonds!
Suddenly the murmur of thousand
subdued voices broke upon my ears,
and a grateful GOODNESS relieved my
tired eyes. We were within the Alb
hey, marching up one of the aisles as
though by right equivalent with that
of the five hundred peers and peer
esses in brilliant robes, who sat dan
ding their coronets upon their knees
and looking uncommonly common
place and untmportant in that vast
Gothic building.
(TO BE CoNTINUEDl