Show 0 HER HIGHNESS the ahe story of a christmas peacemaker I 1 by A M constantine v her highness jumped off the piano stool and ran to him eagerly you are very late sir knight she said ie oh two three hours late fate is the offender your high ness the young fellow replied with a deprecating wave of his arm my train was delayed two hours and in the accident several people were killed so I 1 in fortunate to be here at all oh ohl murmured the child but I 1 trust your highness is in good health he added with grave cour tesy and all your royal brothers and her majesty the queena then he kissed the outstretched lit tie tle fingers with great dignity and laid a small package in one palm and a handful of bonbons in the other and then he wished her highness a very merry christmas and again added his courteous felic tor for all the royal relatives her highness cooed delightedly and oh ed and ah ed very softly and when she had feasted her eyes on the tiny golden pin and had read several times the inscription to her highness from her devoted subject she te labed her royal gravity and threw two soft little arms around his neck and kissed him oh thank you very much sir knight she lisped and thank you too for your good wishes ihen she sat herself on his knees and looked unendingly at the dainty box and its golden pm pin and nibbled her bonbons in great content urn um said he presently isn t L her majesty at court today to day daya no her highness answered po bitely she she went out tor for a drive in the park everybody rides there in the afternoon don dont t they and nd ashes going to dinner at aunt les le s indeed breathed the knight stand ing very rigidly after a time he sat down again the silence lengthened until it became oppressive to the child she observed that the bonbons were all gone but he seemed lost in a reverie so her highness begged his pardon and told him again that they were all gone he ile fumbled in his pocket and ab bently handed her another tribute and apologized and then he gulped and told her highness that she abe austn t tor for get him when be he was many miles across the ocean and and yo i will be away a long long timea away in london and paris way off in europe yes he mumbled murr bled and nobody will bring me pres ants sighed the child but then she added I 1 don t want nobody to bring me presents till you come back the knight stroked her golden hair affectionately affection atel I 1 don t think he said slowly that I 1 in coming back the child looked up with wide eyes never she den wonder never 1 never any morea no dear her highness regarded him with mystification never comin back 9 and I 1 wont see you any more ever and aldand and she wont see you any morea no but I 1 want you to she faltered cause r then the tears came and he gathered her in his arms and kissed them away and told her that she austn t cry since she made him feel badly too and he didn dian t wish to go away avay feeling badly besides he added soothingly somebody else will come and bring you presents and you can call him your knight I 1 won wont t declared a stifled small voice from his shoulder only you are our knight only you after she said this he held her more tightly than ever and tried not to groan but he made such a failure of his effort that the child detected the break and sobbed harder you mus come back she wailed you mus promise he ile gritted his teeth and forced down the lump and then he kissed V V F X PIMA t G cm to stroked her golden hair her again and put her down on the throne and smiled at her reassuringly it Is so far away your highness he pleaded one can t come back 1 in a day you know can one onea no murmured mur muied her highness certainly and then I 1 ie e went on with de ceiling gayety chete Is so much to do there and I 1 ve always wanted to go really and truly and see all the things there and my plans are all an made it would cost lots of money to change them you t have me spoil everything would you deara but some day began the child some day la is very far ahead your highness he ile went to the window and looked up the avenue a long time and down the avenue a long time and then up the avenue again her highness still drooped ocher tarone and gazed at him out of wet eyes Is she comin 9 because he was studying the figures in the avenue intently he dida t hear her so he spoke louder Is she comin 9 no dear be he answered finally the child sighed I 1 guess she went truly to the park then yes said the man between his teeth lie ile began to walk up and down rapidly her highness looked from him to the floor in great perplexity but I 1 should like to have seen h her er before I 1 sailed he observed pres antly in a strange strained voice her highness glanced up quickly and lisped she thought you were comin you know then she thought you comin baand by and by she thought again you you were comin he leaned forward with a jerk and stood tensely over her yes yes dottle dottie and then she looked out of the window awhile and said you comin I 1 was delayed by the accident he hastened to say her highness clapped her hands I 1 I 1 said you were comin she cried triumphantly cause cause you promised to bring mb something to today day you was mas goin to keep your promise youa he ile seized the chubby hands tender ay 1 before god I 1 intended to come he said in lil a solemn voice I 1 knew it her highness chirped I 1 knew it cause you t go away and not keep your word I 1 told her that maybe it if you had promised to bring her a christmas something she would have believed too that you was comin she kissed me an awful lot and said she wished you would come lisped the small voice he ile wheeled and stared at her then he rushed across the room toward her throne and picked her highness up in his arms and kissed her many times and stroked her hair and de banded excitedly to know what she said her highness much confused contused nestled her head on his shoulder and murmured again she kissed me lots of times and said she wished ou on would come then when you didn dian t she put rose water on her face and dressed and went out and she didn dian t say any more capt when I 1 told her you was comin to bring me something and how nice sou you look today to day sir sit knight he ile imprisoned both her hands go on go on he entreated so feverishly that the blue eyes opened wide what more did she say dear eaf est she only said you was away to day and perhaps you d never see her again but you wanted to see us tore fore you went didn t youa I 1 should hope so he cried fer vently but did she say anything morea it if you give me another he thrust the entire box of bonbons into her hands did shea he dema demanded please tell me dottie noo she dida t say anything more cause cause he ile waited impatiently cause she mos bryin I 1 guess she really wanted you to come you know she tell lord I 1 wish she bad hadl he groaned she told me her highness whis softly she told me that it if you t come you ou were you were a big brute and then she jumped up a and nd said you didn dian t love her and I 1 said you loved me don t you youa asked the child seriously are you goin to cry cryb what makes your mout pucker so and you re hurrying right away awaya yes he said very gently kissing the upturned inquiring face but I 1 in only going to auntie s and then I 1 in coming back to see your highness again the child plucked his sleeve c confida angly then you 11 all come back together won t you you and her majesty he stooped and kissed her again and then he straightened to his full height and smiled happily and cried gayly I 1 L promise mise your highness 11 Q 16 N 0 ga I 1 rl there sa wonderful tree a wonderful tree the happy children re I 1 jo ce to see spread ng its branches year by year it comes from the forest to flour sh here ohl th s wonderful tree V ath its branches wide is always blooming at chr af r 1 it |