Part 10 (2/2)

Tessie laughed and hugged her grandmother again. ”Silly old dear!” she said lovingly. ”Mr. Douglas explained it all to me. There isn't any necessity now, Granny, or at least he doesn't think there is. It's just a custom. Once upon a time it was necessary, Mr. Douglas said, for the king to have a bodyguard to protect him from his enemies, but now it's probably just a custom. Anyway, I haven't any enemies,” she finished triumphantly.

”Gracious, I should hope not! And I hope to goodness Mr. Douglas knows what he's talking about and it is only a custom,” grumbled Granny. ”It don't sound good to me, but I'm old-fas.h.i.+oned and maybe it's all right.

It certainly did make folks stare when we walked into the Evergreen with Ka-kee-ta walking behind us with his meat ax. I guess everybody in the store knew you was somebody with Mr. Kingley and his son and all the clerks a-hanging around!” She laughed happily as she recalled the pleasant experience. ”And that lady they called the advertising--what was she doing here last night, Tessie?”

”She came to help me look over my mail.” Tessie sighed as she remembered her mail. ”I never could have done it alone, Granny.”

”You poor child!” sympathized Granny, as she too visualized Tessie's mail, which had been brought to her in a huge clothes-basket.

The publication in the _Gazette_ of the romantic story of the queen who was found in the bas.e.m.e.nt of the Evergreen, had been the signal for an army to take to typewriters and pens, at least it seemed as if it must have taken an army to write the enormous number of letters which had been addressed to Queen Teresa, or to Miss Teresa Gilfooly, Queen, or to Her Majesty, Miss Gilfooly.

There were seventy-three proposals of marriage from men who stated that they were willing to be kings, and that they were strong and fearless and would help Queen Teresa govern her kingdom. There were innumerable letters from automobile dealers, florists, dressmakers, shoemakers, milliners, jewelers, stationers, real estate dealers, railroad and steams.h.i.+p agents, caterers, architects, house decorators, dancing teachers. Indeed every one who was in business in Waloo wasted no time in calling Queen Teresa's attention to the fact and to the knowledge that he was eager to serve her, and the sooner the better.

There were letters from philanthropic organizations asking the queen's patronage for orphanages and old peoples' homes. There were letters from girls who wanted to be singers or dancers, and from boys who wanted to be painters or poets and who asked for loans from the royal treasury.

There were letters from people who wanted mortgages raised and doctors paid or victrolas bought.

And here came a boy with another basket filled with mail. It was too provoking. If Tessie read half of them she would have time for nothing else. And after the first basketful, the reading of the letters was a stupid task. You can understand why Tessie looked at them in horror and despair.

”You'll have to get a secretary,” grinned Mr. Bill, who had brought Tessie a huge bunch of violets, ”or throw them out. They aren't worth reading. Throw them out!”

”I can't do that,” frowned Tessie, her nose buried in the violets. ”It wouldn't be right. There might be something in one of them, you know, something I should know about.” Tessie showed every symptom of taking her royal duties seriously. ”Mr. Marvin said Mr. Douglas could help me.

Perhaps----”

”Bert!” interrupted Mr. Bill quickly. ”Bert couldn't help you in this sort of a job.” Mr. Bill was quite sure that Bert would be worse than useless. ”You want to have a woman. Miss Lee helped you yesterday, didn't she? I expect Dad would let you have her again. You know her and you like her?” Tessie nodded, and her face brightened. She would like to have Norah Lee help her. Norah was not a stranger. ”Just chuck the stuff away and let Miss Lee look after it and come with me for a spin around the lakes. You'll be sick if you stay cooped up here all day.

Come on! Just the two of us!” he coaxed.

Tessie hesitated, and you know what happens when people hesitate. She allowed Mr. Bill to push the big basket full of letters under the table and ran to put on her hat. Just outside the door stood Ka-kee-ta, an object of terror to the hotel staff and of pride to the hotel guests. He drew himself up as Tessie came out with Mr. Bill and raising his ax to his shoulder fell in behind them. Mr. Bill stopped.

”The queen won't need you, Ka-kee-ta,” he said carelessly. ”I'll look after her.”

”Yes, Ka-kee-ta, you can take a rest,” smiled Tessie.

”Glad to be rid of him for awhile?” grinned Mr. Bill, as he followed Tessie into the elevator. ”h.e.l.lo!” as they shot down and pa.s.sed another cage shooting up. ”There is our friend Douglas going up to see you.”

”Oh!” And as the elevator stopped at the office floor Tessie hesitated.

”Perhaps I should go back? Perhaps he has come to tell me that the special representative has come from the islands? Perhaps----”

”That's enough of perhapses.” Mr. Bill dared to put his hand on her arm.

When he was with Tessie he frequently forgot that she was a queen and that he was only a floorwalker in the Evergreen. ”What do you care? It won't hurt your special representative to wait for you. You have had to wait for him. Come on! I dare you!”

Again Tessie hesitated, and then she laughed softly and walked down the corridor with Mr. Bill. All around her she heard whispers. ”That's Queen Teresa! She used to sell face cream at the Evergreen and now she's Queen of the Suns.h.i.+ne Islands!” It was exciting if it was not altogether truthful.

When they reached the curb where Mr. Bill's car was parked, and Tessie was settled on the front seat, there at her side, his hand on the door, was Ka-kee-ta, ax and all.

”Oh, dear!” exclaimed Tessie. ”Couldn't a queen ever go anywhere with a gentleman friend?” She looked at Mr. Bill for an answer to her unuttered question.

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