The Chronicles of Rhoda

ING-

e wedding-day of Prince F

be more radiant with grace and loveliness than usual, for every livin

en treasure, the winds grew more balmy and caressing, while the flowers were p

ill the fairies were busy with their preparations at sun

s, cups, and saucers fashioned with quaint exquisiteness from flowers, and there were li

arlotte russe, mince pies, plum puddings, all kinds of berry tarts, old-fashioned strawberry short-cake, peach cobblers, and apple dumplings. For the menu of the fairie

a minute, and each minute a second, Florimel and Titania in their impatience tho

h her, and while they talked of their union now so clos

el?" she asked him, fo

s can say," was hi

ure you'll ne

's keeping King Stanislaus and the ban

not for the thought of Dragonfel." At the mention of t

g to speak lightly. "He's across the sea where he can't hu

and waving tiny handkerchiefs at a great rate. And windows gay with flags and bunting filled with flushed

imel to Titania. "Let us go up on the pal

with the rest, from which they could obtain a glimpse of the ro

with hearts attuned to merry-making,

e long frisking, frolicking, cavorting line of march were lions, tigers, elephants, camels, zebras, ostriches, emus, cassowaries, and ma

they were gathered together, within the garden-walls, and the beasts and birds had gone away,

ed. "He had some pressing engagement with

made with big wooden mallets. Brownies and fairies looked at each other in

t?" cried Q

Your Majesty," said the fairy guard, as she

sistence, and, advancing close to the

, and what d

dding," said a mild, gentle voice from

the Dude, in great disgust. "Wh

ome fine presents," th

seemed

it them?" he

e Sailor. "You'd better have

" said Titania sweetly. "

They were attended by four grinning imps in red who varied their walk with so

hought for the wedding, and the same taste and judgmen

ken as many as a half-dozen Brownies or fairies to cut with. An

ach hand of a fourth dangled an immense round clock, and the faces of them were lettered: FALSE ALARM. MADE

in a semi-circle humbly before the bride and groom to-be

do you

der, in his gentle voice, "mos

, "we shall be glad to have you joi

their head

ango or do t

y shook t

si

l shook t

see them at the supper-tab

"I trust we shall find some means fo

of these few, simple, unpretentious gifts as a trifling evidence of the distin

refully prepared and then committ

he presents the Brownies began

the big, hulking fellow who held them could not repress an evil inclination, and snapped

clapped the hood forthwith over an ordinary Brown

ill-mannered antics, whereupon the one reluctantly released the frighte

ned from your long journey," said

Titania hospitably, "I will see t

ed his acknowledgment of the proffered courtesy they clumsily foll

l, and some other fairies to accompany her, and th

but just then King Stanislaus and the P

t outside the portcullis the Policeman had overtaken Hi

Stanislaus, "have you

ub. "The path I took didn't keep straight. My fo

d you di

thi

t wa

nothin

hing's s

t's no

t be in the dictionary. But it's no use

a good

t is

iminated. The deduction I've arrived at is that he's in some other place.

th talking?" asked

islaus. "We'll catch him yet. Bu

ty, providing for some new

id King Stanislaus seriously, "you must be

nse

t. It often happens

w s

husband a piece of her mind till

e, ladies-in-waiting to the quee

ong?" crie

!" gasped

n!" said Jassamine,

rimel. "Has anythi

d Mignonette.

lorimel, distrac

. "We have searched the palac

rusilda?" asked

e too," sai

Violet are missing

edding-guests-

cried Mignonette an

Florimel, as he ran toward the palace-steps.

eps before him, and were already po

A sail!"

. "I see it all now. This

cried one and

Dragonfel and his wicked followers. He has abdu

ir. King Stanislaus came, and pl

"The Brownies will go at once t

rownies. "To the res

spondent Florimel. "We

k King Stanisl

a raft with m

sea ere morn