Page:The Princess of Cozytown.pdf/73

 a loud whistle which had no sooner died away than a hundred feet clattered in the hall-way. Next minute in hurried a company of Lords and Ladies, an attendant in green rushed up and wrapped an ermine cloak about Jerry's shoulders and another set a crown upon his head. "His Majesty, King Cedric of Torrens," announced a page in gold lace.

At the excitement all the Courtiers of Nevermindwhere came flocking back. "What's this? Who's that? What's it all about?" they whispered in agitated voices, then all grew quiet, for the new King and their old tailor was speaking. "Your Majesty," said Jerry with a low bow to the King, "three years ago I entered your Kingdom with the intention of marrying your daughter. Expecting to spend some months in Nevermindwhere, I brought my tailor along and had no sooner arrived than I inquired for a shop suitable for the fellow. Your reception and your insolent treatment of one whom you believed to be a tailor decided my course of action. I determined to see that justice was done all tailors and, having some knowledge of cutting and with the valuable assistance of my own tailor, succeeded as you well know. The Princess alone was able to rise above prejudice and, in consenting to marry the unknown tailor of Nevermindwhere, has made me the happiest man alive."

"But King Cedric!" gasped the Lord Chief Justice. The King was too stupefied to utter a syllable. "My brother Roland," explained Jerry. Of course from time to time I communicated to him the results of my experiment, and he, also, believing that clothes were naught, swore he could pick out a real Princess no matter how she were clad, and as to that, what a joke I have played upon him!"

Well, well, did one ever hear the like? The news spread from one end of the town to the other and soon the court was crowded with Jerry's old friends and neighbors. The blacksmith strode right into the court-room and smote him a resounding thwack between the shoulders—then raising his lusty voice roared—