The Black Cat, Vol. I, No. 5, February 1896

“Do you know, he thought just what you did, because she wouldn’t marry him instead of going off for what he called a—a ‘career’? And he’d known her ever since she was a little girl, too, and ought to have known better, oughtn’t he?”

“Yes,” said the Great Man huskily, “I suppose he ought. But you see the Queen didn’t tell him about—about the money she was paying back. And she was a great deal younger than he, and beautiful, with a voice that people said would make her famous, and he thought that she really cared more to be a stage queen than anything else.

“Tell me, dear, has she still the ring that he gave her when she was a little girl?”

“The teenty little forget-me-not ring that she wears on a chain and often kis— But—how did you know?” stammered the child, twisting around and staring up into his face. “I never told you the rest, and your eyes are so strange—”

But the Great Man had risen and was striding rapidly up and down the car. “And Alice really cared for me—she cares for me still,” he murmured. “While I, who ought to have stood by her have only hindered her. And now she needs help, and I with all my money haven’t the right to help her. It’s too late—I can never make up for the time I’ve lost—”

“I hope you don’t mind,” said the small girl who stood as if petrified just where he had left her; “but you spoke so loud I couldn’t help hearing the last. And if you mean the train to Washita, it isn’t too late. If you could get it here in fifteen minutes—and I s’pose that’s easy, for a king—we could give the performance, even if the curtain did ring up late.”

“Train to Washita,” murmured the Great Man—“Why, yes; of course! How stupid of me,” as he pressed the electric button. “Let’s see, how many are there of you?”

“Twenty-two now,” said the child, “but I don’t quite—”

“And you haven’t had the best of fare in the hotels?”

“Well, it hasn’t been very bad, but yesterday and to-day we’ve pretended we didn’t want any lunch, because we knew how things were with—”

“Never mind,” said the man with something like a groan, “I only wanted to know on account of the orders.”

Then, to the porter, “Ask the conductor to step here.”

“The Golden Crown Opera Company have been delayed here,” he said, when that official appeared, “and I want them to take this special train to Washita. Put the whole party in my private car. Tell the engineer he must make extra time to get them there at six-thirty. Telegraph ahead for a clear track, and to Casstown for supplies, so that dinner may be served in this car. When the train is ready to start step over to the station and tell the company that the train for Washita is waiting. And be sure that everything is done to make them comfortable. I will follow on the regular express.”

As the conductor withdrew, the Great Man found himself suddenly caught in the embrace of what seemed a small-sized tornado. “You really mean it?” cried the child, half sobbing. “We’re not going to disband, after all! Oh, I was sure from the beginning that you were a really, truly king, even if you didn’t wear a crown and velvet robes. But,” with a sudden clouding of her face, “you won’t go away just when the Queen’s coming?”

“Well, you see, the fact is,” said the Great Man, setting the Princess carefully in the depths of the Turkish chair, “these meetings with royalty are so unusual for me that I feel hardly prepared for another one the same day. So I think I’ll follow in a common car. And in the morning I’ll ask for a private audience with the Queen.”

[Illustration]

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