in fine livery
and, when he was ready to go to his bride, he had a following that was
worthy of any prince.

At the castle the Princess Linka paced her chamber pale and trembling.
The two older sisters were with her, laughing heartlessly and making
evil jokes, and running every moment to the window to see if the groom
were coming.

At last they saw in the distance a long line of shining coaches with
outriders in rich livery. The coaches drew up at the castle gate and
from the first one a handsome youth, arrayed like a prince, alighted. He
hurried into the castle and ran straight upstairs to Linka's chamber.

At first Linka was afraid to look at him for she supposed he was still
black. But when he took her hand and whispered: "Dear Linka, look at me
now and you won't be frightened," she looked and it seemed to her that
Peter was the very handsomest young man in all the world. She fell in
love with him on sight and I might as well tell you she's been in love
with him ever since.

The two older sisters stood at the window frozen stiff with envy and
surprise. Suddenly they felt some one clutch them from behind. They
turned in fright and who did they see standing there but the Devil
himself!

"Don't be afraid, my dear brides," he said. "I'm not a common fellow.
I'm Prince Lucifer himself. So, in becoming my brides you are not losing
rank!"

Then he turned to Peter and chuckled.

"You see now, Peter, why you are my brother-in-law. You're marrying one
sister and I'm taking the other two!"

With that he picked up the two wicked sisters under his arm and _puff!_
with a whiff of sulphur they all three disappeared through the ceiling.

The Princess Linka as she clung to her young husband asked a little
fearfully:

"Peter, do you suppose we'll have to see our brother-in-law often?"

"Not if you make me a good wife," Peter said.

And you can understand what a good wife Linka became when I tell you
that never again all her life long did she see the Devil.

THE SHOEMAKER'S APRON

THE STORY OF THE MAN WHO SITS NEAR THE GOLDEN GATE

[Illustration]

THE SHOEMAKER'S APRON

There was once a shoemaker who made so little at his trade that his wife
suffered and his children went hungry. In desperation he offered to sell
his soul to a devil.

"How much do you want for your soul?" the devil asked him.

"I want work enough to give me a good livelihood," the shoemaker said,
"so that my wife won't suffer no