e?"

"Certainly not, certainly not," hastily replied the master of
ceremonies. He too was disappointed; he had a sister. Was there ever a
man in power who didn't have a sister?--who didn't have a good many,
all wanting crowns?

"Will you make a speech?"

"Nary speech," declared Rube, laughing. "I'm not so swift in my tongue
as my legs! See here, Cap'n, there's no occasion for an unnecessary
amount of tomfoolery about this thing. Some gentleman bring Miss
Creecy forward. I'll put this gewgaw on her in a jiffy, and that'll be
the end of it!"

Rube smiled softly to himself. That was very far from being the end of
it.

"Mell! Mell!" screamed Miss Josie, running up to her _protege_, the
bearer of astonishing news, "you don't know what's going to happen!
You'd never guess it! Rube is going to crown you, my pretty darling!
You are to be queen of Love and Beauty."

"But, I'd rather not," said Mell, drawing back.

"Rather not?" screamed Miss Josey. "Did anybody ever before hear of a
woman who would rather not be a queen--a queen in the hearts of men?"

"I don't see how you can help it," continued Miss Josey. Mell did not,
either, alas! "But I don't wonder you feel a little frightened about
it. It is such a wonderful thing for Rube to do: but Rube has two eyes
in his head, Rube has, and knows the prettiest girl in the county when
he sees her! This thing is going to be the making of you, Mell (rather
say the undoing, Miss Josey) so don't be so frightened, but hold your
head high, and bear your honors bravely, and remember all eyes are
upon you. The rest of the girls are fairly dying with envy, don't
forget that!"

This last remark brought Mell to her senses. Not one of them but would
gladly stand where she stood--gladly put themselves in her shoes if
they could. Rube was not a mate, as mating goes, to be met with every
day in the year. The sugared point of this timely suggestion served
Miss Josey's purpose effectually. It stilled the wild throbbing in the
girl's heart, brought the blood back to her face, and turned the
purple of such wondrous hue in her eyes, to the softest black; with
intensity of gratification, Jerome himself was forgotten for the
nonce.

Miss Josey, still in a flutter of delight, now proceeded to put on her
sash, to replace the knot of ribbons at her throat, to pass her hands
assuagingly across Mell's wilderness of frolicsome hair, and to put an
extra touch or two to her simple toilette generally;