uced her to go, she could not see why
he insisted on her wearing her newest frock.

"Oh, I just like you in it and none of them have seen it. Suit yourself,
of course," he said.

So with a sigh, Jane arrayed herself. Jerry thought she had never looked
so well, with a deepened pallor of weariness and faint blue shadows
about her eyes.

When they arrived at the Chatfields' the big studio room was empty, but
in one end of it was a huge throne on a dais. Their host received them
with great dignity and to Jane's astonishment drew her hand through his
arm and led her to the throne.

"Sit there just a minute, Jane," he urged.

"But what for? What is this?"

He almost pushed her into the chair of state and the moment she was
seated, music struck and a procession began of all the artist folk. They
wore paper caps and robes and they approached the astounded Jane, who
would have fled, had Chatfield not prevented. A page bore a crown of
laurel leaves, which the head chamberlain set upon her head with
appropriate ceremonial words. Then the various officials of her court
presented her with the insignia of her royalty--a great pen, a huge key
to her counting house--an exquisite gauze veil, the cloak of imagination
was laid about her shoulders. Then a beautiful handmade book, entitled
"The Coronation of Queen Jane the First," in which were all the names of
her subjects, was offered.

Bobs, dressed as Ariel, brought her a crystal globe and explained in
charming verse that she was to gaze into it and see life, know the
powers of the air, follow the trail of the sun and moon into the realm
of universal knowledge, whither she was to lead her subjects.

Jane's first feeling was one of protest as the position was forced upon
her, but the spontaneity of their tribute, with its friendly impulse,
melted her first embarrassment into gratitude and affection.

When they ended the ceremony, by singing "Auld Lang Syne," she was near
to tears.

"Speech! Speech!" they cried, and she rose at once.

"My good friends, I feel sure that your acquaintance with the Cinderella
story of plain Jane Judd will excuse Queen Jane the First for lack of
royal words of thanks, but I am both touched and grateful, because you
are the oldest friends I have in New York, and many times in the years
back of us you've proved yourselves the truest.... Couldn't you let
Jerry finish this speech? He makes so much better ones than I do!"

"No, no; down with the men