The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-08-12
BOOK REVIEWS
And in the woods he, who had never
sung before. sang:
1.-THE empress father. for his part.


1.-THE empress father. for his part.
Feels SO happy In his heart"
He went masked. but rs a matter OF
course. to the fctes Of the manor and
the great funerals. Everyone humorcd
the whimsical old man and invited him
to sing and tell stories about his
daughter. the empress. No one had the
heart TO break his illusions. and SO he
lived the village life. taking his ex.
allied place. by the grace OF the people.
az the emperor of Portugallia. His
world was reopled with courtiers and
ladies' in waiting. The high road fror:
the pier to the palace bloomed with
golden roses. His importance was en-
HANGED by the gift of prophecy. He
foretold death and disaster in the VII
laEe. He held mysterious councils
with trolls on wintry nights.
Thus. IS winters and summers
passed. The boats on Lake Lavcn had
stopped. Jan was wandering far from
home when the great far-off event
transpired. She came. in no chariot OF
gold, but afoot. over n rocky road. II
was not that she was no longer the
golden haired girl of Is who went away
in the pretty. red dawn that caused
Katrina to sink into a chair and hug
her shaking knees. IT was that she
had a leadcr hue, looked heavy and
gross about the mouth and the skin
under her eyes being in sacks. You
should have written to us that VIC
could have known YOU were in the land
Of the living" were katrina's first
words yes. I know: l went wrong
in the beginning. Perhaps you heard
about it. That's why ! STOPPED writ
ing" She went on sturdily don't
think any more about that. Now am
head stcwardess on the Malino steam
err. ! have fitted up home for myself
and have come to take you and father
to live with me"
At this point n dozen children fol-
lowed q faded. shrivcled old man into
the house. He strutted along. his head
thrown back and his feet striking the
ground with the measured tread Of n
soldier on parade. ON his head was n
green leather cap. topped with bushy
feather: round his neck. chain Of gilt
paper stars and crosses. Tho children
shouted "Empress' Empress" who
is that man." said Glory in a fright
ened voice, rs 1t father? Has he gone
mado" Yes" said Katrina, tears COM
ing into her eyes. rs it because Of
me?" Our Lord let it happen out OF
compa ssion. He saw that his burden
was too heavy for him."
But the emperor Of Portugallia made
his little speech of welcome, so long
deferred; Welcome. welcome, oh.
Queen Of the sun. Oh. rich and beau
tiful Glory Goldie." Then nc began to
sing but Glory could stand no more
For Heavens sake. be still" she cried.
DO you want to make a laughing stock
of me by calling me Empress But
Jan thought this the proper manner
of an empress and was content.
A week later Glory had persuaded
her mother TO abandon her father to
the parish and go with her to the new
home. Katrina weakly complied. They
planned the escape. The boat had
pulled well ont into the lake when
Jan was seen running down the hill
to the pier. He saw Glory again van
ishing from his life. His only thought
| was that the empress was being borne
away by conspirators and that he must
10 inc rescue. W lttlOuL Il ScCOHu w
lay he plunged after them into the lake
| He sank and never came to the sur
| face.
From that moment. he was the real
emperor over Glory. She could not
leave the pier he had haunted so many
years. He was waiting there in tht
| depths. powerful and awe-inspiring. L
punish the daughter. who had first
driven him out OF his mind, and thcl
| to his death.
Within a few days Katrina had dice
Of a broken and remorseful heart. JAMS
body had been recovered from the lake
| The double funeral Of the old pcaSant
was honorcd by the whole countryside
An emperor he had lived. More thar
emperor he had died.
The author has spun a web of fac
and fancy: of humor and pathos. am
shot 1t through and through with sill
Yer imagination. When you have rcat
The Adventures or Nils" and "Qost
Beiling" and The Emperor of Portu
gallia" YOU will answer pron,uvy-
oh. yes. I do believe in fairies"