Part 31 (1/2)

”Meddlesome spirit that you are,” she said sternly, addressing her words to the crestfallen enchanter, ”you can no longer trouble the Brownies.

Your commission to do evil has expired.”

”How so?” he demanded. ”I made application for a renewal.”

”Yes,” she said, ”but, through an error in the date, you were too late.”

”Too late?” he repeated blankly.

”Yes, by thirteen seconds,” she announced triumphantly, ”and Beelzebub refuses to renew the policy.”

”Great Scott!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Dragonfel, with much chagrin. ”This comes of trying to run business without an almanac!”

”Henceforth you will be compelled to be good,” said Euphrosyne.

”Yes,” said Dragonfel, in a rather shamefaced manner. ”It may come rather hard at first, but I suppose I will get used to it in time. As a matter of fact, I'm growing rather tired of being bad. There's nothing to it, after all. The only thing one gets from being bad is a lack of respect in the community.”

[Ill.u.s.tration]

”I see you're somewhat repentant,” said Euphrosyne encouragingly. ”It's a little late, of course, but still it's better late than never. You understand, don't you, that after this you're to let the Brownies alone?”

”I should say I will let them alone,” coincided Dragonfel heartily. ”The Brownies are too much for me. They have beaten me at every point. Even if I were disposed to do them further mischief I am placed in a rather delicate situation. I owe my life to the Brownies.”

”There is one thing on which I insist,” spoke up King Stanislaus. ”You must do something for these poor mine-sprites.”

”I will see that they are restored to their parents from whom they were stolen,” a.s.serted Dragonfel hastily. ”Furthermore they shall all be given handsome dowries, with a beautiful solitaire diamond of a half-dozen karats more or less for each, so that when the right young man comes along the engagement-ring will be easy.”

Here the mine-sprite who had expressed her preference for the Policeman gave him a coy glance, but he twirled his club, and looked the other way.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

”It's too bad about your palace,” said the Dude to Dragonfel.

”Oh, don't trouble yourself about that,” said the enchanter cheerfully.

”I never did like its style of architecture, anyhow.

I'll soon have it rebuilt, and give the Union scale for labor, with double pay for over-time. The palace was a rather tame affair anyway, I ran too much to the emerald, topaz, and turquoise in its composition.

I'll make more use of the sapphire, the ruby and cornelian, in the makeup of the new structure; and those columns, I always felt a little weak over them, as they were only imitation chalcedony, the real thing goes in the next one, if I have to import it from Palestine.” The glances the Brownies exchanged showed they felt that they had struck a master in his line.

It is said, that some of the Brownies, to this day, annually celebrate their deliverance from the mine, and the reformation of Dragonfel, by proudly parading half the night, bearing the implements they had to use while in captivity.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

So delighted was King Stanislaus over the general outcome that his blithe spirits found expression in a jolly song that was a great favorite of his, and the Brownies all joined in the chorus. The words follow:

I'M RULER OF THE BROWNIE BAND!

KING STANISLAUS

I'm ruler of the Brownie band, Most favored of personages; I sway my sceptre o'er a land Not found upon hist'ry's pages; I take my nightly promenade By anarchists unmolested; On me no bomb or hand grenade Has ever by them been tested!