Page:Tales of Today.djvu/73

Rh Antwerp. Here's what I read upon the hand-bills: 'The king, having heard tell of her marvelous beauty, desired to see her, and declared that she was rightfully entitled to her surname of Queen of the Giants.' Encouraged by the royal suffrage, I entered the show and had the honor of receiving the distinguished notice of the Queen of the Giants."

"Ah!"

"In presence of all the assembled spectators she said to me: 'If monsieur, who is of goodly stature, will kindly come and stand beside me, it will be seen that he does not reach my shoulder.' I scrambled to her platform and gravely perched myself at her side as long as she saw fit to keep me there. Ah!" says Arthur, with a sigh, "I saw something that interested me more than that. I had stopped where a juggler was carrying on his industry; he was in need of a watch for a transformation. I loaned him mine, and I assure you that the trick was a very comical one, but as I was watching his operations a woman passed, wrapped in a camel's-hair shawl. That woman was my unknown; I determined to follow her; she was proceeding along the boulevard in just the same direction that I should have to take to go to my uncle's, but I could not leave my watch in the juggler's hands. I stepped up to him:

My watch'

In one moment, sir.'

I want to go.'

It is only a matter of five minutes.'

I have not one to spare.'

"The ring of spectators murmur and inveigh against me.