gate and wound like a corkscrew toward
the center of the City. It was paved with pink marble, and between the
street and the houses that lined both sides of it were gardens filled
with pink flowers and pink grass lawns, which were shaded by pink trees
and shrubbery.

As the Queen lived in the very center of the city, the captives were
obliged to parade the entire length of this street, and that gave all
the Pink Citizens a chance to have a good look at the strangers. The
Pinkies were every one short and fat and gorgeously dressed in pink
attire, and their faces indicated that they were contented and happy.
They were much surprised at Cap'n Bill's great size and wooden leg--two
very unusual things in their experience--and the old sailor frightened
more than one Pink boy and girl and sent them scampering into the
houses, where they viewed the passing procession from behind the window
shutters in comparative safety. As for the grown people, many of them
got out their sharp-pointed sticks to use as weapons in case the
strangers attacked them or broke away from their guards. A few, more
bold than the others, followed on at the tail of the procession, and so
presently they all reached an open, circular place in the exact center
of the Pink City.

TOURMALINE THE POVERTY QUEEN

CHAPTER 14

The open space which they entered was paved with pink marble, and
around it were two rows of large, pink statues, at least life-size and
beautifully sculptured. All were set upon nicely carved pink pedestals.
They were, of course, statues of Pinky men and women, and all had bands
of pink metal around their foreheads, in the center of each band being
a glistening pink jewel.

About the middle of the open space inside the statues, which appeared
to be the public meeting place of the Pinkies, was a small, low house,
domed like all the other houses but built of a coarse pink stone
instead of the fine marble to be seen everywhere else. It had no
ornamentation, being exceedingly plain in appearance. No banners
floated from it; no flowers grew near it.

"Here," said one of their guides as the procession halted before the
little stone building, "is the palace of Tourmaline, who is our Queen."

"What, that little cabin?" exclaimed Trot.

"Of course. Did you suppose a palace would be like one of our handsome
residences?" asked the woman, evidently surprised.

"I thought it would be better," said the girl. "All the palaces I've
seen