The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-29
MAGAZINE


 may write during this endless week that I am to live through alone?"
 "As you like about that but do not ex- pect to hear anything from me until the week is over."
 He uttered a long sigh, leaning over her till her hair brushed his cheek. "Evadne! !-- Evadne!' he whispered, pleading in his tone if not with words-such pleading as only man completely in earnest can use
 The girl thrilled to the call of nature. Her breast heaved beneath its soft white draperies. The words which had danced be- fore her eyes during the nterview-those little stabbing words
 "Votre mari wit encore. Vous n'etes pas veuve"
 seemed to fade before the magic power ,f Theobald's eager manhood.
 She had almost lifted her bent head almost raised her untouched lips to the call of his-when a sound of scurryng and laughter among the garden alleys broke upon their ears.
 In flash the charm had snapped The princess sat upright, the prince drew himself SASN1' AhS oouIu was urdWlUS HcaTeT, growing louder; in another moment there broke into sight group of girls-Nada and about half a dozen others from the palace household, surrounding little old peddler who came along, smiling a curious smile with lips tight shut, his sparse gray locks hanging over his bushy gray brows like a terriers, and his cracked voice raised in an inward laugh.
 As they all romped and tumbled about him, debouching from sidewalk into the broad walk at the end of which the lovers were seated, he was the first to note their presence.
 ''Ha!' cried he shrilly, waving his hand, 'more customers. More customers. and they illustrious. Great and mighty prince, will you not buy your lady ribbon for luck from the old peddler?"
 Nada, among the .rls, as great romp as the best of them, came to very sudden halt when she realized to whom the old man was addressing his impertinence.
 She uttered warning cry and her com panions, scattered like clucking fowls. with glances of apprehension over their shoul- ders, and were out of sight in a moment.
 But Theobald, as it chanced was pleased. The old man had with the unerring instinct of his class recognized that he and the prin- cess were lovers That they should appear in such light, even though the princess's maid were the sole spectator, was just what Theobald desired. Peddlers were notorious gossips. This one would be, in the course of the afternoon, relating in who knew how many inn parlors the proud fact that he had sold token to Prince Theobald for the lovely Princess Evadne. The young man broke into his jolly laugh and said:
 "But how delightful! This old boy is full of local color! How adorable your Kilistria is! You are like one great family. and the peasantry buy their goods from ped dlers with packs on their backs as if it were the middle ages. May call him hither. my princess?"
 To the girl also, after the first shock of displeasure at the invasion of her privacy. the appearance of the old man was welcome. It had solved difficult moment. She had now recovered her self possession, had her. self in hand, and could at the right moment bid her lover . composed good-by. She laughed her consent, and the peddler. fol- lowed by Nada, drew near upon the beck oning of Theobald's hand.
 "Oh, ma'am," Nada could not resist speaking, though in mortal fear of rebuke, 'he has such pretty things-and he tells fortunes, too! He has told Siiia all about her lover, just as though he knew him. and he has charms to sell-charms which -..su 1~~~~