The Glasgow courier., 1916-06-30

ness
Naturally we do not expect you to
be married before you are out of
short frocks. my dear" said Prince
Dantan sti6hy. But q betrothal ia
quite another thing. 1t is customary
to arrange these marriages years be.
FORE
lis Prince Robin in love with me?"
"l-ahem-that's a very silly ques.
ton. He hasn't seen you since you
were a baby. But he will be in love
with you. never fear"
He may be in love With some one
else. for all we know. so where do |
come in?''
"Come in?" gasped her father.
"She's part American. DEAR" ex-
planned the mother with her prettiest
smile
Besides" said the crown princess.
with fnality. I'm not even going to
| be engaged to man I've never seen:
And If you insist. I'll run away az
sure as anything"
And SO the matter rested. Five
years have passed since the initial over.
lures were made by the two courts.
and although several sly attempts were
made to bring the young people to 4
proper understanding Of their case they
aroused nothing more than scornful
, laughter on the part Of the principals.
And no one saw the portentous shad-
ow cast by the slim daughter Of vii.
liam W. Blithers. for the simple rea-
son that neither Graustark nor DAVIS
bergen knew that it existed. They
lived in serene ignorance Of the fact
that God. while he was about It, nut
Maud Applegate Blithers into the world
on precisely the same day that the
crown princess Of Dawsbergen first
saw the light Of day.
On the twenty-second anniversary
of his birth Prince Robin Jared forth
in quest Of love and romance. not with
out hope Of adventure. for he was
valorous chap with the heritage Of
warriors in his veins. Said he to him.
self in dreamy contemplate ton Of the
long journey ahead of him: Il will
traverse the great highways that my
mother trod. and will look for the
Golden Girl sitting by the wayside
She must be there. and though it is q
wide world. am young and my eyes
are sharp. I will find her sitting at
the roadside eager for me to come. not
housed In q gloomy castle surrounded
by the spooks Of a hundred ancestors.
They who live in castles wed to hate.
and they who wed at the roadside live
to love. Fortune attend me! II love
lies at the roadside waiting do not let
me pass 1t by. All the princesses are
not inside the castles. Some sit out.
eide the gates and laugh with slee. for
love u their companion. So away I
60, Ia, Il! looking for the princes with
the happy heart and the smiling lips!
1t is a wide world, but my eyes are
sharp. l shall find my princess
But. alas. for his tine young dream.
he found no golden girl at the roadside
nor anything that suggested romance.
There were happy hearts and smiling
lips, and all for him. it would appear,
but he passed them by. for his eyes
were sharp and His wits awake. And
80 at Inst he came to Gotham, bis
heart as free as the air he breathed,
confessing that his quest had been in
vain. History failed to repeat itself.
His mothers romance would stand
alone and shine without flicker to
the end Of time. There could be no
counterpart
well, l had the fun Of looking" he
philosophical Ito himself, for NO man
knew Of his secret prOject) and grin
ned with 4 sort Of amused tolerance
for the sentimental side Of his nature.
I'm q silly ass to have even dreamed
OF finding her as passed along, and
II l had found her what the deuce
could have done about it anyway?
This isn't the day for medieval lady
snatching. l dare say I'm just as well
OF for not having found her. ! still
have the zest for hunting farther, and
there's a lot in that" Then aloud.
Hobbs. are We on time?
I'VE are. SIR" said Hobbs without
even glancing at his watch. The train
was passing One Hundred and Twen-
ty-fifth street. ITO the minute, sir.
We will be in in ten minutes II moth
ing happens. Mr.. King will be at the
station to meet you. sir, Any orders.
sir?''
"Yes; pinch me, Hobbs
pinch your highness!" in amaze
ment. my word. sir, wOt"-
II just want to be sure that the
dream is over, Hobbs. Never mind.
You needn't pinch me. lin awake"
and to prove 1t he stretched his fine
young body in the ecstasy Of realixa.
tion.
That night he slept soundly in the
Catskills
Toward the end of his first week at
Red Roof, the summer home of the
Truxton Kings. the prince might have
been found on the broad lawn late one
afternoon nlaviuu tonnic with I;c