d seen the King
come and drag Gloria away. The little girl's heart went out in sympathy
for the poor Princess, who seemed to her to be one of the sweetest and
loveliest young ladies she had ever seen, so she crept along the
passages and from a hidden niche saw Gloria locked in her room.

The key was still in the lock, so when the King had gone away, followed
by Googly-Goo, Trot stole up to the door, turned the key and entered.
The Princess lay prone upon a couch, sobbing bitterly. Trot went up to
her and smoothed her hair and tried to comfort her.

"Don't cry," she said. "I've unlocked the door, so you can go away any
time you want to."

"It isn't that," sobbed the Princess. "I am unhappy because they will
not let me love Pon, the gardener's boy!"

"Well, never mind; Pon isn't any great shakes, anyhow, seems to me,"
said Trot soothingly. "There are lots of other people you can love."

Gloria rolled over on the couch and looked at the little girl
reproachfully.

"Pon has won my heart, and I can't help loving him," she explained.
Then with sudden indignation she added: "But I'll never love
Googly-Goo--never, as long as I live!"

"I should say not!" replied Trot. "Pon may not be much good, but old
Googly is very, very bad. Hunt around, and I'm sure you'll find someone
worth your love. You're very pretty, you know, and almost anyone ought
to love you."

"You don't understand, my dear," said Gloria, as she wiped the tears
from her eyes with a dainty lace handkerchief bordered with pearls.
"When you are older you will realize that a young lady cannot decide
whom she will love, or choose the most worthy. Her heart alone decides
for her, and whomsoever her heart selects, she must love, whether he
amounts to much or not."

Trot was a little puzzled by this speech, which seemed to her
unreasonable; but she made no reply and presently Gloria's grief
softened and she began to question the little girl about herself and
her adventures. Trot told her how they had happened to come to
Jinxland, and all about Cap'n Bill and the Ork and Pessim and the Bumpy
Man.

While they were thus conversing together, getting more and more
friendly as they became better acquainted, in the Council Chamber the
King and Googly-Goo were talking with the Wicked Witch.

This evil creature was old and ugly. She had lost one eye and wore a
black patch over it, so the people of Jinxland had named her "Blinkie."
Of course witches are forbidden to