Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1917-01-03
Copyright, by Shortstory Puo. Coz
By MARGARET DODGE


ule that the special train, consisting
of a locomotive, an empty baggage
car, and the regally equipped private
car, Priscilla, should stop for three
quarters of an hour at Mayville juno
ton. Indeed, in his instructions, the
Great Man who was the cars sole Oc
cupant had provided for wait Of only
five minutes. 1t is a matter of record,
however, that for As minutes the Off
ciaI train waited at the lonesome little
station on the Indiana prairie. What
happened in those As minutes is now
for the first time given to the public.
After the Great Man-who was no
other than the president of the A. M.
& P. Trunk line, which joins the At
lantic ocean with the great lakes
after the Great Man had taken a per-
functory turn about the little station
and had asked a few stereotyped
questions of the station agent, he went
back to his seat in the Priscilla's
white-and-gold drawing-room, and sat
down to a game of solitaire. Being a
very young president-not over forty
the Great Man was not specially
fond of solitaire. But he was still
less fond Of the thoughts engendered
by a two-weeks' solitary tour of in
sDectiOn through the fiat, drab, ma
larial country of the middle west.
After prolonging his luncheon to the
latest possible hour, and extracting all
the comfort to be obtained from a
single mild cigar, he found himself
longing to exchange his gold-and-w white
ho
velvet of day coach, where he could
observe the vagaries of country bridal
couples, and invite the confidence Of
smudgy small boys with prize pack
ages of magenta lozenges.
It was while the Great Man was in
dulging in these vain visions, much to
the dettriment of his success at coli
taire, that he was startled by these
words, spoken in shrill little voice,
/ apparently just at his back:
! eff you please, sir, are you the
king?"
The moment that elapsed before the
Great Man could whirl about in the di-
rection of the voice was long enough
for several detached bits of 'Alice in
Wonderland" to fit through his brain.
What he saw, however, when faced
around, was simply a very solemn,
very pale little girl who stood with
one thin hand on the door knob, and
one small scarlet-stockinged leg well
advanced while her hazel eyes
cleaned at him anxiously from under
fuzzy brown hat.
Really said the Great Man, good
humoredly, II don't know-why, yes,
now that you speak of it suppose
I am sort of king. At least believe
newspapers call me a railroad king
Won't you come here and sit DOWN."
The small girl shut the door and
slid to his side in a gait that COM
bined a hop and glide 81 suppose
it isn't just the thing to sit down in
the presence of royalty" she said, as
she perched on the edge of a big tapes
try-cushioned Turkish chair but you
see, I am princess myse1f-a fairy
princess, she added, with an en-
phatic shake of her fluffy yellow locks
Indeed" The "Alice in Wonder
land" memories suddenly revived.
That's very interesting, and 1 don't
like to doubt the word Of lady. But
all the fairy princesses Of my &C
quaintance have had wings and
spangles, and carried star-tipped
wands-and-and all that" concluded
the Great Man vaguely.
But that was because you saw
them during the performance, said
the small girl, clasping her thin little
fingers over one scarletstockinged
knee. II wear wings and spangles and
carry a wand myself, in the evenings,
and at the Wednesday and Saturday
matinees. I'm the Princess Iris" she
explained, "in the Golden Crown opera
company; and If 1 wore my fairy
clothes all the time my wings would
fade and the spangles would wear off,
But you know" said the small
girl, you don't look a bit like the
kings of my acquaintance They all
wear gilt crowns and velvet and err
mine robes, and carry scepters And,
besides, you are great deal too
young"
The Great Man laughed. 81 am
afraid you have me there; at least,
I mean, suppose. you are right" said
he, leaning back in his chair and re-
garding Princess Iris with twinkling
eyes. 81 don't look my part But,
then, l am not performing now my
self. We are in the same boat-that
is"
"Oh, you needn't bother to explain"
said the small girl, 81 understand
slang. Only l don't talk it myself, now.
except when / forget, because the
Queen doesn't like it,
$50 there is a queen, too, is there?"
said the Great Man, the merry lines
around his blue eyes growing deeper.
Dear me, we shall soon have the en-
tire royal family"
Eyes, there is a queen, and she is
not to be laughed at said the child
gravely. In fact, it's partly about
her I've come. II wanted an audi.