“H’m!” sneered the Lord High Adjudicator, “I don’t think you will stand much chance if I put up for the post, as I certainly intend to do.” “Well, don’t let’s waste time wrangling,” suggested the Busybody Extraordinary; “let’s decide when the election is to take place.” “Oh, to-morrow, of course,” was the cry; “the sooner the better.” So a notice was drawn up as follows, and the Advertiser General was instructed to have it printed and posted on all the walls some time that night, however late it might be. NOTICE! |Wereas His Majesty, King Robert the Twenty-first, has mysteriously disappeared and there is no successor to the throne, an ```ELECTION ````OF A ```SUITABLE KING will take place to-morrow at the House of Words. Each person to have one vote. Polling papers can be had of the Town Clerk and must be filled up and returned by two o’clock in the afternoon, when the Poll will be closed. ``By Order, ```JOSHUA DOBBS, ````Lord High Adjudicator. And as soon as this business was concluded the meeting broke up, and every one hurried away to try and secure votes for himself. The news spread like wild fire, and as he went back to the Palace, Boy could see excited groups of people, and even animals, discussing the matter, and on opening his window when he reached his apartments he disturbed a large black cat who had just finished writing a placard on which Boy could discern the words:-- VOTE FOR MR. THOMAS CAT, A SICK WIFE AND SEVEN SMALL KITTENS. [Illustration: 0153] Boy shut the window and went to bed. CHAPTER IX.--THE ELECTION. [Illustration: 9154] OY was awakened very early the next morning by Caesar Maximilian Augustus Claudius Smith (called Thomas for short), who remarked with a haughty air while setting the breakfast things,-- “I don’t suppose you will have me to wait upon you to-morrow morning, sir.” “Why not?” inquired Boy. “I shall very likely have been made King by that time,” remarked the footman with his nose in the air. “You can still stay at the Palace, though, if you like.” “Really!” exclaimed Boy. “Have you been elected then?” he asked, forgetting that the Election did not take place till two o’clock in the afternoon. “Not yet,” admitted the footman, “but I’m pretty sure to be, because of my name, you know.” “Smith?” inquired Boy. “No, the others,” said the footman impatiently. “Cæsar was a king, I’ve heard, and so was Augustus, so was Maximilian, and so was Claudius, I believe.” “No, they were all emperors,” corrected Boy. “Cæsar, Augustus, and Claudius, were emperors of Rome, and Maximilian was Emperor of Germany. We heard all about them in our History class last term.” “Are you sure, sir?” asked the footman mournfully. “Yes, quite!” replied Boy decidedly.