the shoes. "I can't tell daddy that the shoes would be different from
everybody's else," she said, "because it will hurt his feelings. But,
oh, Drusilla! My heart jumps into my throat when I think of wearing
those shoes so different from everyone else's."

"The shoes cost forty-eight cents," elaborated Maizie, "and so you can
see Suzanna has to wear them whether she likes them or not."

"Yes," said Suzanna, "forty-eight cents is very near to half a dollar
and we can't afford to lose that. I thought, Drusilla, that you could
give me some advice. That's all I want, just that you tell me which is
best, to be honest or to suffer. You told me once about the little
silver chain and that has helped me a lot."

Drusilla looked puzzled. "The silver chain?" she asked.

"Yes, don't you remember that day you were queen and told me about the
chain?" asked Suzanna.

In a second a remarkable change came over the old lady. She rose to her
feet. Then she turned to Suzanna, her shoulders straight and her head
held high.

"My crown," she demanded. "Is that to be lifted from me in these the
full years of my queenhood?"

"I've never seen you with a crown on," said Suzanna.

"Enough, serf!" cried the queen haughtily. "Procure me my crown."
Suzanna looked about her. An old dried-up Christmas wreath hanging on a
rafter attracted her attention. Quickly she procured it and held it out
to Drusilla. "Here is your crown, Queen," she said. And then, her voice
changing, she said: "You'd better let me put it on, Drusilla, it's
liable to crumble if you're not careful. Lower your head, please."

The old lady did so and Suzanna placed the crown upon the silver hair.

"Now," said the old lady, "if you have sought me to gain advice, repeat
your question, that I may answer in a manner worthy my exalted station."

"Well," said Suzanna for the third time, "I want to know whether it's
best to be honest or to suffer?"

"What shall be your course if you are honest?" asked the queen.

Suzanna pondered. "I think I'll tell daddy, perhaps tonight," she said
at last, "that to wear the shoes will hurt my feelings dreadfully; that
I tremble when I think of being the only girl in the drill without low
shoes with two straps. Something like moccasins. If I tell daddy this,
then I'll be honest."

"And if you decide to suffer?"

"Then I'll wear the shoes at the drill and from the time I put them on
till the drill is over, I'll be full of pain. I'll know tha