Suzanna Stirs the Fire

f sunshine. Maizie lay watching her sister, her gray eyes still blurred with sleep; not wide and interested as a little later they would be. Her soft lit

who could strike from dull stuff magic dreams; who could vivify and gloriously color the little things of life; who could into the s

ly in spirit she was absent and at last

a!" she

he laid it tenderly on the back of a chair till she had found in the lowest bureau drawer her white stockings and slippers, then she brushed and combed her hair, con

paused. Tall and slender she stood, with eyes amber-colored, eyes which turned to black in moments of deep emotion. Her brown hair touched with copper sprang back from her brow in wavi

yet, beneath the lightness, philosophies of life formed themselves intuitively, one after another,

nless I ask you a question," she commanded, "because I'm a princess who l

stared as Suzanna moved gracefully about the room wit

dress thyself, then go into thy parents' room and if the baby is awake, d

ed by the new personality which seemed to have entered with the princess. When

g to school t

her eyes in

of you. You can touch me with your hand. And besides,

. "A princess does not go to school. She wanders through the fields and over the

tals are bitter and beside w

down the stairs and into the little parlor. She regretted she had no train, since she might switch it about as s

dim, her own "crayon," the old horsehair sofa and chair, and the piano with its yellow keys and its scratched case. But with her inner eyes sh

s and gentlemen who came and bowed low before her. While she was still living in her vision, her fathe

ss, father,"

ess?" he

s sensitive face showed pale and thin in the early morning light. His eyes, brown, soft, wer

turned to the door. "Well, that's all right, your Majesty," he said. "C

t you, daddy?" she asked, anxiously

r, when by my invention the world will some day be better." Suddenly the passion died from his voice. He stood again the tall shabby figure

ddy," she said, earnestly, "this is my tucked-in day. I'm going to have two of them. Per

ere did you get your tucked

at big space, and so I have filled it in with a day of my own. If mother will let me, I'm going to

. "And now I hear others moving about upstairs.

eel the healthy pangs of hunger. "I sup

ng in his usual exuberant manner down the banisters, and at the stove in the kitchen, Mrs. Procter, t

baby with a practiced hand, pouring her husband's coffee, helping voracious Peter, her busy mind anticipating all the day's tasks. Suzanna loved and admired her mother. She loved the way the luxuriant dark hair was wound round and round the small head. She loved the rare smile, the soft

actical, always in a wide-eyed condition of surprise at Suzanna's wonderful imagin

ear the baby. Peter had had a twin, a little girl, who died when she was th

t little chap of not quite a year. Too plump to even try his sturdy

always ask a direct question. Suzanna's mind worked clearly, but it worked by its own laws. So now the mothe

said it wasn't a big wash and I did all the sorting Saturday night. I am all fixed up for a princess, and somet

t be that Suzanna would be given her own way? In truth the entire

ss, you may have y

d a short sil

zanna, "there are to be two tucked-in days.

y could she deny Suzanna her j

in their direction and stood a moment watching the sparks coming from the big round chimneys. Over across fields were the tumble-down cottages occupied by the employee

e in which she had been born. She loved it with its many memories. She fancied it held its head high because it sheltered her father's great Machine. At le

d no words for. Only it seemed color lay within her, rich color for a thought of love; a wistful rose shade for a passing desire, a brilliant orange for the uplifting knowledge that jus

that frightened her, she would quite understand then! In those far-off years of absolute knowledge there wo

ars. The Procter children had often played in the rooms of the small house, and once when Peter was a baby he had fal

ded them. As she lingered beside a pansy bed, the door of the little house opened and a rather frail little old lady came out, followed by a maid who carried a chair that was filled with pillows. She set the chair under a tree midway in the gar

w everyone in the village of Anchorville, and the old lady was a stranger. Suzanna gave up the

old lady she

lace cap, with two little curls falling on either side made the blue eyes seems like a very little baby's at the stage when they're deciding just what color they shall be. Like Suzanna, the lady was dressed in white, flowing as to skirt,

be?" asked the

all of Suzanna's colorful imagination. She

Princess Cecilia," s

sudden, vivid change became at once man

ed the old lady's hand that rested on

ess," said the old lad

first speaking. "A real o

even suspected by my own son who lives yonder in the big house on the hill. But I'm the real

said; "the people only live there part of the year. I know Mrs. Bartlett, sh

t on: "It's not generally known, I believe, that I am a queen." A

nd sank herself upon it gracefully as became a princess of the blood, but

rself in the presence of royalty,

me to get the chair," said Suzanna. "O

the old lady. "I am your queen, and yo

nna

queen, "and perhaps I shall

down?" as

ime the old lady sat with folded hands and looking off into the distance. She was very, very still. Only the lace on her bosom moved

ueen remember

e absence of my lady-in-waiting I reque

now standing very straight and slender, still was scarce two heads taller than her visitor. She sl

y as I now am. There was one who afterwards became my king, with whom I walked by the sea. We saw together the s

stood looking down the quiet road. But the little old lady s

ness in walking by the sea or in climbing the mountains; I sometimes clinging to his ready hand or skipping before him. And once we ran away from all the pomp and ceremony that was me

my little prince forgot me, and I a

when a little baby, soft and cuddly had gone away forever, Suzanna had wept for days and far into the nights. This queen, she found

chairs under the tree. The queen sank again among her pillows and Suzanna was

you can find. I wish cream beaten to a froth and peaches, halved and stoned.

a, "I can't get str

t begone, serf?" in stern accents she crie

he day impressed Maizie? And now, was this stranger, even though she were a queen, to demand

en and prepare food." And then forgetting her r?le, she assumed her ordinary voice. "Why, this morning I didn't even w

ponded the queen. "Wha

day tucked in between last wee

doubt, and she hoped the strawberries were forgotten. But alas, she was wrong, for in

te change of voice; one with some satire in its tone she concluded: "Dost thi

not work," said

st think that when in my palace I reigned a queen I gave no service? There were those who loved me and needed me.

d Suzanna, "yo

ere were the feeble, and there were the poor. Could I go about unconcerned as to their welfare?" Her voice suddenly softened. She put out her hand, now trembling with her emotion, and drew Suzanna close to her. "My sweet l

he had a fair meaning of the other's words. "The c

going back to her former imperious manner: "Am I thus t

he paused when she saw Suzanna. She had a very gentle face, Suzanna decided, and when she spoke t

r strawberries wet with dew and b

ed the maid, "shall

ia," said the queen, "s

g time past she had been hungry, and had been thin

he came into the garden again and announc

they went down the path, up the four steps leading to the little house, through the open door, an

id the old lady, indicatin

tess into the dining-room, to the left of the small

a silver tray with little cups of cream soup, and then cold chicken buried in pink jelly, a most delici

not mention the strawberries. With a little sigh Suzanna obeyed. And now, instead of returning to the garden, the old lady led the way into the parlor, which lay to the right of the

zanna looked up into the pictured face. "I like h

tly, but in a way that hurt Suzanna inexpressibly. She stood for a moment hesitant. The sobs still continued and then

asked. "Just tell me

re is no one to do for me; no one to do

or a sister?" in a mo

said the l

a dire thought came to her, "there's

na's face. "No one," she said sadly, "and it's such a pretty

anna," Suzanna said, and she leaned forward and touched t

e seemed less of the queen now than before, just a flutter

is moment. She went st

you must take your nap now. This i

said at once: "Well, I must be going. B

"Drusilla" sweetly. "I'd

ng face and kissed Dru

-no one with a family, at least, Suzanna decided. It was a big thought; you could go on and on in your heart and find many places for it to fit-and then she reached her own gate and felt as always a sense of

eeks had parted them, for she knew Suzanna's aptitude for great adventures. Always

ppen, Suzanna?" s

together," Suzanna responded. "I'll t

to play at some

Only Child," said Suzann

sister?" a

the yearning in

"I'll be your clos