d the big room rather awed by the ornate display of rose velv

t think of your Uncle Pete, Tessie, sitting down to dinner every day in a room like this and to a di

couldn't be true that she was in the dining room of the Waloo Hotel, with Mr. Bill as the host of a family party-a family party of Gilfooly

Mr. Bill yearned to stab him with his dinner knife. When Bert went back to his friends and told them who Tessie was, there were many curious and admiring, and almost as many enviou

stop at the library. It closes at nine. And anyway it wouldn't be right to

of necks and whispering. The head waiter bowed them out with much ceremony and hoped that Tessie would

cking the door of the branch station when Mr. Bill and Tessie ran

en she heard Tessie breathlessly explain

Ocean." Tessie told he

do you come running in here at this time of night to ask for books on the Sunshine Islands?" And she looked from pin

and she felt that she had to give some reason for taking the librarian back to her library after the d

acific Ocean. "There!" she said. "If you read all these you'll learn something about your kingdom. The best book," she re

because he cared but because the librari

yes and rather shabby clothes." The librarian appeared to desc

would be just like Joe to learn everything about my

Bill. "He can tell you what he learns, an

's the way queens do, isn't it?-have some one do things for them? Thank you for the books

and nothing as interesting as this ever happened. I hope you'll be a very happy queen!" And the librarian drew a long breath. She had never supposed that she wou

hand to shake the librarian's lean finge

and the books went to join Granny and Johnny. "My goodness,

ker than a pocket. The city fathers depended on the moon for illumination on certain nights designated by the almanac, and if the moon was dilatory or negligent, that

e've all enjoyed it, and we have the liver and onions for to-morrow night when we've had time to ca

your granddaughter's-at least I'm going to be such a friend-we belonged to the

young as I was, and it's a good deal of a strain for an old woman to hear all in one day that her son was a king a

t touched something that gave beneath her weight. It was soft, and yet it wasn't. Granny drew back her foot, s

t," offered the r

had run to her grandmother and was staring at the

orted her brother. "We can

ey could see that the black shadow was the body of a man, h

" And she sat heavily down on the step. "I don't

Tessie shr

n bending over the body. "At least I don't think he

d she trembled so that Mr. Bill had t

ight!" He looked about for some light, but the resourceful Scout had taken the key from Granny's limp fingers, thrown the door open and turned on the

want?" she asked the stranger sharply. "I'll bet he was after that Tear of God, Tessie," she sa

wel. It was there in her pocket, and she gra

d Mr. Bill. "You don't want

?" And there was Officer Clancy peeri

s made her Queen of the Sunshine Islands, and we come home to find this dark-complected gentleman on my nice clean front porch. I almost stepped on him." She shuddered as she recalled her sensations when sh

red to hear Granny talk so glibly of queens and porches, b

g here, frightening the ladies out o

ark! The Shark!" but Granny thought that her ears must have deceived her. A sha

could understand, although he stammered a lot of words that sounde

icer Clancy exclaimed helplessly. "I'll try him a

an porch!" adde

rish jumbled around the word "Shark." Officer Clancy jerked him

"He hasn't done any harm, has he? Maybe he was taken sick as h

ack of his head," declared Mr. Bill. "Look

him, and he crawled up on your porch and fainted. And I bet I saw the guy that did it! I passed a queer-looking chap not ten minutes ago. He was dark like this fellow, and his hair was

asked Mr. Bill in a frightened whisper.

spoke about. I wonder!" An

their whispers. "Friend of

ckly. "Just a messenger of some sort. I think you

clears up and he can tell us how it was. Yo

anything but glad. "Only I hate to leave

nsulted Boy Scout. "I guess I kno

ant send a man right over to keep an eye out. I'm sure glad to hear of your luck, Miss

means finding strange men fainting on our fr

. Bill, as he saw how she trembled. "I

u take that stranger to the station, Mr. Clancy, and lock him up tight. I'll bet he knows more than he's letting on." She peered into the dark face. "Thank the good Lord tattooed

cer Clancy, when he heard the story. "I'll look after things here." When Mr. Bill had reluctantly said good night, ho

bed, Tess. You mus

My soul and body!" she exclaimed, staring around in amazement, for the house which she had left as neat as wax was now in disorder. Drawers had been pulled out and their contents dumped on the floor, closets emptied in a way that startled and angered Granny. "Somebody's been here,

y didn't get anything. You trot up to bed

fore the drawers were pushed into place and doors shut on the disordered closets.

s face. "What do you think about queens now? Are you still glad that you are s

clasp his strong fingers. "It isn't what I thought i

. The world doesn't need queens any more. I'm sorry, Tessie," his hands slipped from her shoulders to

"If that isn't just like you! You never want me to have any fun! You o

!" he insisted stubbornly, his

id not answer her at once, she asked him agai

e a darned sight better than other people. I'm one of the other people, but you needn't think you are any better than

as if a queen wasn't any more than a scrubwoman. I shan't listen to you another minute. I'm going to bed. But before I go, I'll tel

she tossed her head and

d that queens were no better than other people. The very idea! Mr. Bill never talked that way. Indeed, he never did! Tessie st