Page:An orchard princess (IA orchardprincess00barbiala).pdf/146

 "The Bachelor! The Bachelor! Te ti de dum te de! Whose cares are few, whose friends are true,  Whose peace holds—tra-la-le!"

A flood of warm color rushed into the Princess's face and a smile chased away the expression of doubt. She stood for a moment watching the mahl-*stick wave and the blue smoke go writhing up in the sunlight. And as she looked, as though to dispel any lingering doubt as to the identity of the person at the easel, Bistre trotted into sight with lolling tongue and cast himself down at the man's feet. Prudence took up her paint-box and went on.

"God bless the jolly Bachelor, Who's ever blithe and gay; Who, when he won't, my lad, he don't,  And when he would, he"