| Show copi right 1905 by dalla story pub co he bowed his head and bent his knee upon the monarch s silken stool his pleading voice arose 0 lord be merciful to me a fool behind the painted mask none cared to look the jester himself least of all with it on he dared to approach the princess unmasked and dressed as humankind he consorted only with the serfs of the show that is why he liked the mask best yaco corn canlon of mock lords and dukes was better than barney fairleigh derelict on the tide of life she smiled at yaco but looked not toward barney it made all the difference in the world of course the play demanded the smiles but nevertheless they came quite natural and increased her beauty at one place he bowed so low be fore her that she placed a tiny foot upon his impossible hair and this is the nearest he ever came to touching her the thrill of that contact made him her slave while he played the footstool the jester s eyes modestly sought the floor his dismissal came when the princess said yaco away here comes his high ness the heir apparent all gold and vel vet was tall and black eyed and young yaco hated him with right good will the princess loved him in the play in reality she did not know the prince loved her in the play and imagined he did in reality before the footlights be had a rival whom the audience saw was unworthy of her in natural life the coast was clear on the stage the prince made love furiously off of it he bided his time just before the curtain fell on the last act the tool sang a quaint love song over the happy ending of the ro mance between the prince and the then he slouched over to a saloon and took the taste of the song from his mouth he mistrusted the prince off the stage but was his loyal servant while on it to an outsider oits ider the situation would bave seemed complex to the tool it was crystal clear the lady could not love him she ought not love the prince the prince did not know how to love her all these between the dropping of the last curtain on one night and its ascent the next night stand back thou fool the gallant prince said when he sought to kiss he lady s hand and the tool stood back but that was in the play and as the heroine smiled indulgently he did not mind when the court of tinsel and paint ed castles had moved far to the west ward there came a dreary day the people who were expected to pay the customs that the throne might stand became sadly remiss in their obliga alons and mercenary landlords and shopkeepers by royalty clam 01 ed tor their shekels the prince n ent to the lady s room and proposed that they should flee ere morning dawned bi t our friends how will they get back home she asked walking s good let em toot it the lady recoiled and you who brought them away out here would desert thema he laughed after the style of the villain which he was off the stage why my dear he said the show s busted and it s every man for himself to save you aiom biscom advanced toward her tort I 1 thought I 1 d take you with me not go a step she said promptly and decidedly she saw he gasn wasn t a hero after the curtain tell 1 then he advanced toward her his sinis ter dark eyes telling of a darker pur pose before he grasped her the tool entered unprompted the lady sprang to his side and this time he did not bend his head tor her tiny toot but looked squarely into the bitter eyes of the prince who sought to destroy his mistress the fool sneered the prince ay and yet a man now on your knees my lord and beg this lady a pardon there wa nothing like it in the lines he recited nightly and yet delivered with strange dramatic pow er As the princess looked at the fool who was a man and at the courtier who was not her color came and went and the fine blue eyes glowed with something akin to pride get out of here roared the nobleman the fool had meekly obeyed far less luty tones and it seemed odd this menace did not move him now you will not kneela then see down to this hour the prince could not give o 0 veracious account ot how it all happened but he recalls that when his eyes opened he was ly ing in the corner of the room and that there seemed to be funny little specks dancing mockingly in front of him yaco thou art the real prince he did not want to die in the pres ence of the lady so he told her he was truly repentant that business troubles bad so engrossed him tor the instant he had tailed to realize he was of high degree and had acted the knave with her kind permission he would now withdraw and worry her no fur ther that was the abdication of the prince when he was gone yaco told the princess that out of bis savings he bad paid the bills of the retinue ot the footlight kingdom and had furnished them tickets for their homeward jour ney would she deign to suffer a like consideration at bis hand yaco said the princess as she walked toward him and gave him a grateful little hand thou art the real prince I 1 would so lady said the jester for then I 1 might dare to tell thee a long cherished secret of mine she ran to her trunk and took out a gilt paper crown which she placed upon his head now tell it your highness the dancing blue eyes invited dis closures why why in truth I 1 ve heard them say it oft enough but ju now my dull head falls to serve me and I 1 cannot rightly choose my words but but she looked up into the honest face and understood I 1 know she said simply and I 1 love you too yaco my king |
