The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-09-11

the underground palace was quite a
museum of rare and curious and costly
After her first hasty examination of
the rooms O7ma began to wonder which
or all the numerous ornaments thew
contained were the transformations of
the royal family Of Ev. There was
nothing to guide her, for everything
seemed without a spark Of life. So she
must guess blindly; and for the first
time the girl came to realize how dan
gerous was her task, and how likely
she was to lose her own freedom In
striving to free others from the bond
age of the Nome King. No wonder the
cunning monarch laughed good natur-
edly with his visitors, when he knew
how easily they might be entrapped.
But Ozma, having undertaken the
venture, would not abandon it. she
looked at a silver %candelabra that had
ten branches, and thought: This may
pc the Queen Of Ev and her ten chill
dren' Sc she touched II and uttered
aloud the word "Ev,' as the Nome
she guessed, But the candelabra re-
manned as 1t was before.
Then she wandered into another room
and touched a china lamb, thinking ii
might be n Of the children she
sought. But again she was unsuccess-
ful. Three guesses; four guesses. five.
SIX, seven, eight, nine and ten she
made, and still not one Of them was
right
The girl shivered a little and grew
pale even under the rosy light: for
now but one guess remained, and her
tate depended upon the result.
She resolved not to be hasty, and
strolled once more, gazing earnestly
upon the various ornaments and irving
10 decide which she would touch. Final
ly, in despair, she decided to leave 1t
entirely to chance. She faced the door
way Of a room, shut her eyes tightly,
ana then, thrusting aside the heavy
draperies, h advanced blindly with
her right arm outstretched before her.
Slowly. softly, she crept forward un-
til her hand anne in contact with an
object upon a small round table. She
ala not know what 1t was, but in a
ioW voice she pronounced the word
The rooms were quite empty Of life
after that. The Nome King had gained
a new ornament, For upon the edge
of the table rested a pretty grasshop-
per, that seemed to have been formed
from a single emerald. 1t was all that
remained of Ozma Of Or.
In the throne room just beyond the
palace the Nome King suddenly looked
up and smiled.
Next he said, in his pleasant
voice.
Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin
Woodman, who had been sitting In
anxious silence, each gave a start of
dismay and stared into one another's
eyes.
Has she failed?' asked Ttktok.
so II seems" answered the little
monarch, cheerfully. But that is nc
reason one of you should not succeed,
The e may have IL guesses, instead
of II, for there are now IL persons
transformed into ornaments. Wen,
Welt Which Of you goes next?''
"FH 60" said Dorothy.
mot So" replied the Tin Woodman,
"As commander Of Ozma's army, Il is
my privilege to follow her and attempt
her escue."
Away YOU go, then" said the
Scarecrow, but be careful. old friend. =
II will" promised the Tin Woodman,
and then he followed the Nome Kins
to the entrance to the palace and the
rock closed behind him.
Editors Note-in THE Nome Kings
Laughs" we shall near what came Of
! the Ttn Woodman's attempts at the
Eleven GueNseS.