's sacred office. She had never dreamed of crossing i

le breathlessly. "Listen to t

reen publicity staff, look up from the sketches and copy they were studying. And when he saw his only son

e rose to his feet and glared a

seemed at a complete loss for words. Nothing like this had ever happened before in the Evergreen, and so it was not surprising that Mr. Kingley, like Mr. Walker, was unprepared. It takes youth

and was staring at Tessie as if she had never seen a black-frocked salesgirl before,

, first and last. He went to bed at night that he might get up in the morning to work for the Evergreen. He passionately envied his son, because Mr. Bill was just beginning his career in the Evergreen, and so might naturally expect a long life of service to the big store. He admired his

d and solemnly shook it. "You might send for the photographer, Miss Lee, and arrange to have some pictures taken of Miss Gilfooly at the aluminum-was it?-receiving the news of her-of her accession to the throne of the Sunshine Islands

sical to Mr. Kingley, and to Mr. Bill, too. "Not for twenty-five years. He ran away to sea when he was sixteen and my grandfather wa

. "A king! Bless me! It is romantic!" He sounded almost envious of Tessie's romance. "Do you know anything abo

with Mr. Kingley and Mr. Bill! Tessie's head whirled, but she managed to tell them in her soft, pleasant voice that she really knew very little about the Sunshine Islands, but that she would have to resign her position in the Evergreen, because

that he would know that she was not going to tak

"You'll make a good queen. And you're going

Scout!" It would have cheered Johnny's hear

t Tessie contemplated going to them without an army to aid her. "At least, I read somewhere once that they were cannibals," he said hurried

will go with us, of course. And the cannibals are reformed

in the situation, for, as has been said, he was the owner of the Evergreen before he was any one else. "I don't suppose, Miss Gilfooly," he said slowly, as if he were following a train of thought which was dashing through his mind, "I don't suppose you would want to hold a little sale here some day soon, after the Gazett

do it," Tessie told him obligingly, and she glanc

in town would want to buy a piece of aluminum if a queen would sell it to her," he declared. "But we can talk of that

d to stammer, although her heart began to thump

ve had your picture taken, Bill will go with you to your lawyer's. Help her all you can, Bill," h

on, Your Majesty!" He grinned at Tessie. "It sounds like a

he tattooed nose would never have given me this, would he?" And she opened her left hand which she had held tightly closed, and showed them

s large as a marble before. He touched it with his fingers to m

the Sunshine Islands. I couldn't be the queen if I didn't have it," she

pers very carefully drawn up before anything passed from hand to hand. Evidently that was not the way affairs were conducted in the Sunshine Islands. "Simple people, aren't they? It must be worth a great deal of money!" He eyed the pearl with the respect one gives to what

ere worth hundreds of thousand

Mr. Kingley, his e

ered Mr. Kingley for inspection. "That's more than dollars, isn'

is is splendid and romantic! I was always interested in romance. I never could have built up the Evergreen a

of pounds she had just received. Gee, but she was a queen all right! A peach of a queen! "Come on, Miss Gilfooly, and I'll take you home." He drew a q

Miss Gilfooly, anything in the way of frocks or furbelows," what he really had in mind was a coronation robe but he did not put the thought in words, "just help yourself

rs over the pearl. "She'll be interested because Uncle

k in his chair and stared around him at the familiar furnishings which just then did not seem so familiar. "This is

o refused to let so much as a sketch of a hook-and-eye appear in any paper without his august approval. Joe stopped and stared. What was Tessie Gilfooly doing up her

demanded, without an

eyes. Above the shade his brown hair was rough and untidy. Mr. Bill's hair was black and of lacquer smoothness. Joe's coat was old and torn. There was a darn at the upper corner of the pocket. Mr. Bill was

ed. "What do you t

told him about the lawyer and the native with the frizzled hair, and sho

uspected that Mr. Bill were responsible for the

ie went on eagerly. "You've hea

t connection there could be between Granny's vagabond so

slands! Can you believe it?" Tessie drew a long breath, for she could not believe

ve a word of it. What do you mean about a lawye

th me," Tessie told h

dy and soul. He might not approve of the result, but

r have him," he said, and he

weeks he was her old friend, and Tessie would no

all. "And his father told him to go with me. And he can go without being docked," she explained

whisper. "But it's all right, Tessie. Mr. Bill can look after you and perhaps he does

ich told Joe that she believed in kings an

demanded Mr. Bill. "Don't

hing any more. You can see how it's getting rid of them-Russia and Austria and Germany. It may be all right," he admitted slowly, "if Tessie lik

was shocked, and he moved closer

. But that doesn't mean I can't congratulate Tessie because she has a plaything that will amuse her until

e wouldn't be king of any cannibals!" The ide

on, and who had no patience with Joe Cary's outrageous ideas-pure envy, pure unadulterated envy,

her and made her forget to be indignant at Joe. "But first

Joe, who could not find head nor tai

nkly important. "Mr. Kingley suggested it, and I

tronizing to her, although she was far too tender-hearted to have formulated that thought. She only knew that it was mighty pleasant to do so

Run along, Tess," as she stared at him, "and have your picture taken. I expect it will make mighty good publicity for Mr. Kingl