The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1918-02-14

tCop5aeUt u sA0fiatory pub O
~ MARGARET DODGE

af q locomotive aH empty baggage
ear. and the regally equipped private
ear Priscilla should stop for three.
quarters 81 an hour al Mayyiile June
ten Indeed IN bis instructions the
Great Man Who vas the ears sole oc.
cupaut bad provided for Is wait OF only
five minutes II Is d matter OF record
however. thar Tor - minutes the OH
clal train waited az the lonesome little
station on the Indiana prairie What
happened In those 81 minutes Is now
FOR The FIRST time given TO the public
After the Great Man-Who was no
Other than be president II the A. NJ
& + Trunk lin. which joins The Al
lEuiic OCEAN with the great lakes
after the Great Man had taken per
functory turn about the little station
and had asked a few stereotyped
questions OF The station agent he went
back 20 his seat in the Prlscllas
whiteand gold drawing room and sat
down to a game OF solitaire. Being
very young presideut-n0t over forty
the Great Man was not specially
fond of solitaire But he was still
less fond OF the thoughts engendefed
by a twoweeks' solitary tour of IN.
specuOn through the fiat drab. ma
larial country OF the middle west
After prolongiug his luncheon to the
latest possible hour. and extracting all
the comfort to be obtained from a
single mild cigar, he found himself
longing 10 exchange his godand.white
grandeur tor even the plebeian red
velvet Of day coach where he could
observe the vaearies OF country bridal
couples, and invite the confidence OF
smudgy small boys with prize pack
ages Of magenta lozenges
II was while the Great Man was in
dulging IN these vain visions, much to
the detlrimeut Of his success at coli
taire that he was startled by these
words spoken I'm a shrill little voice
apparently just at his back;
III 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 Ait through his brain.
What he saw however. when faced I
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 wen
advanced while her hazel ewes
cleaned Al him anNously from under
a fuzzy brown hat
Really said the Great Man good
humofed,y don't know wht YES.
now that YOU speak OF It'll suppose
I am a sntt OF king At least believe
newspapers call me a railroad king ]
Wont yuu come here and sit down."
The small zirl shut the door and
slid 10 his side in a gait that com
bined a bop and a glide Il suppose
II isnt jus the thing to SIT down in
The presence Of royalty" she said as
she perched on the edge Or ba tapes
trycushioned Turkish chair. Blu, YOU
see ! ann q princess myqeIf--a fairy
princess She added, with an EN-.
phaiic shake Of her nuffy yellow locks
Indeed The Alice fiji Wonder.
land memdtles suddenly revived.
That's very interesting. and | don't
Ike to doubt the word Of a lady. Blu,
All DE fairy princcsses Of NV &C. J
have had wings and
spanelcs. and carried s'artipped
Fands aadand ain that" concluded
The Grcai Man vaguely
"Bu, that was because YOU saw J.
hem during Ole performance" said =
he small eigl c'asping her thin little
ingcrs over one scarlet stocRinscd 4
lnee I wear wings and spauglps and $
arry 2 wand myself In the evenings. :
md az tho Wednesday and Saturday y
nai.nees I'm The Princess Iris" she y
in the Golden Crown opcra Y
company and n ! wore my fairy y
lothe ail the time my wings would 2
al" and the spaHg'cs would wear on a
8ui you know said the small "
tfl yoa dent lock a bit Ike the
ines q my acquaintance They all d
tear SLIT crowns and velvet ana ar
line robss and carry scepters. Ana ~
csIdes sou are great deal too a.
a1ne pl
The Great Man laughed. Il am ~
,raid sou have lie there al least i
mean ] suppose you are right said :,
{ leaning back ia his chair and re i,
ardlne Princess his with twlnkI.ne
yes don't look my part. But.
ign ! am not performing now my.
~ We are N the same boat-tha, 4,
Nc
Oh you needn't bother to explain
Id the small girl. Il understand
ane 0nR dent talk Il myself COW. -
.cept vhsa ! forget because The
lecn doesn't like Sc 81
So there !g d queen. too Il ihert - Z"
ia the Great Man. The merry lines 'n'
ulnc his blue eyes growing deegr- ~
hear ne We shall soon have he en-. +"
g roysi family 'ht
Yes there Il queen. and she Is IN
70 b. laughed AZ said he ch0d
afeag u fact rs partly about II.
q I've come III paHtea AZ ana. o'o