er father had said. "That's very nice, I'm sure!" she said. And
she turned to Everychild with a blissful smile.

It seemed the king did not mean that any time should be lost. He
turned majestically to the sergeant of the guard. "Go," said he, "and
bid the trumpeter summon all within hearing to assemble in the chapel."
Then, to those who were assembled in the room, "The wedding shall take
place without delay. Let us to the chapel."

The sergeant disappeared, and almost immediately there was the sound of
a bugle blowing on the castle wall.

The king and queen went out, followed by their train-bearers, pages and
others.

Everychild hesitated; but the Sleeping Beauty, with a reassuring nod,
took his hand, and they followed.

There was a moment's confusion among Everychild's companions; but they
speedily got themselves into line. Will o'Dreams led them; and there
followed Hansel and Grettel, Little Bo-Peep and Little Boy Blue, Prince
Arthur and Tom Hubbard, the children of the Old Woman who lived in a
shoe, and last of all the little black dog.

Only Cinderella, with a certain strange quiet upon her, remained in her
place, while the Masked Lady and Mr. Literal stood regarding her.

Words broke from her tremulously: "And so it is to be the Sleeping
Beauty! I had hoped . . . there was to be one who would find my
crystal slipper and come for me . . ."

She had scarcely uttered the words when the Masked Lady stepped forward
and touched her face with gentle fingers and kissed her brow.

A happy transformation occurred in Cinderella's face. She stood gazing
into vacancy a moment, her eyes shining. An instant later she dashed
from the room, to be present at the wedding ceremony. Already, in the
distance, the strains of the Lohengrin march could be heard.

The Masked Lady would have gone into the chapel then, but she was
detained by Mr. Literal, who said irritably: "That march--you know it's
really quite modern. Wagner, isn't it?"

The Masked Lady replied with a certain repression: "Beautiful things
are never modern--yet always modern. They have existed always, from
the dawn of time, waiting for the proper occasion for their use. Come,
I must be present at the wedding of Everychild."

"Still," said Mr. Literal drily, "I should say there have been many
weddings at which you were not present."

But she was not listening. She had gone; and he smilingly followed.

The sound of music gradually died away. T