He's mine,
Dorothy; I found him first."
"I thought you had appropriated the Lieutenant?"
"What are lieutenants to me? The proud daughter of a captain (retired)
cannot stoop to a mere lieutenant."
"You wouldn't have to stoop far, Kate, with so tall a man as Mr.
Drummond."
"You are beginning to take notice, aren't you, Dot? But I bestow the
Lieutenant freely upon you, because I'm going to dance with the
Prince, even if I have to ask him myself.
She'll toddle away, as all aver,
With the Lord High Executioner.
Ah, here they come. Isn't he perfectly splendid? Look at his beard!
Just the color of a brand-new twenty-dollar gold piece. See that broad
ribbon diagonally across him. I wonder what it means. And gaze at
those scintillating orders on his breast. Good gracious me, isn't he
splendid?"
"Yes, for a blacksmith. I wonder if he beat those stars out on his
anvil. He isn't nearly so tall as Lieutenant Drummond."
"Dorothy, I'll not allow you to disparage my Prince. How can you be so
disagreeable? I thought from the very first that the Lieutenant was
too tall. If the Prince expects me to call him 'your Highness,' he'll
be disappointed."
"You are quite right, Kate. The term would suit the Lieutenant
better."
"Dorothy, I believe you're jealous."
"Oh, no, I'm not," said Dorothy, shaking her head and laughing, and
then "Hush!" she added, as Katherine was about to speak again.
Pages:
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63