me," gasped Edna. "Your voice goes up when it
should go down, and down when you ought to go up, and the rest of the
time you go straight along."

Cricket looked injured, for, strange to say, she was sensitive on the
subject. She loved music so dearly, that she never could understand why
she couldn't make the sounds she wished come out of her little round
throat.

"I never pretended that I thought I could be singeress to the
President," she remarked, with dignity. "Anyway, if I'm emperor, I have
people to sing for me. Begin, Zenobia."

"I don't know 'Hail to the Chief,'" said Edna. "Let's sing 'Highland
Laddie'--I love that," and Edna piped up in a gay little voice, that
startled the birds overhead, and presently attracted the attention of
two prowlers, who were getting birds' eggs for their collection.

"The kids have had an accident," said one of them, peering through the
trees. "Hi! there!"

"There are the boys," said Eunice, as the "triumphant procession" halted
at the voice. "Come and help us," she called.

"No, we don't want any help," said Edna, moving on, "and boys are such a
bother. Don't call them." But the boys needed no calling, and so she
added, with decision, "You can't come with us unless you behave
yourselves."

"We're a triumphant procession," explained Cricket, "and you must go
behind and be slaves. I'm the emperor that captured Zenobia, and Edna
and Eunice are Zenobia and her daughter. They're to march in front,
singing, and Billy is one of my captives who carries my chariot because
the wheel came off, and these are my elephants that draw it. Ho, there,
base minion! are you tired?" for Billy was grunting a little under his
burden.

"Guess one of them boys better spell old Billy a little," suggested the
slave, putting down his side of the chariot, and mopping off his face
with his red bandanna. "Cart's kinder heavy when you carry it so fur.
Hurts your hand, too."

"That's so, boys," said the emperor, stopping her diminutive elephants.
"Do help him, please. There, now, Zenobia and her daughter are almost
out of sight. Put your eggs and things in the cart, Will,--I mean in the
chariot. Now let's start. Billy, you can walk in front of me now."

They started on again, the boys holding up the side of the demoralized
chariot, and keeping up a fire of jokes.

"Next time you're emperor, Marcus Aurelius, see that your groom looks
after your chariot wheels before you start," said Archie, finally. "I