"'You see me now, darlings, as no mortal eye has ever beheld me. Amid the common walks of life, when gathering wintergreen, spices, and herbs on the mountain, with which to flavor the candy for Santa Claus, I am awkward and ugly, fat, and ungainly, and I care not; for the rarest of womanly beauty on earth lies not in the looks, but the heart. But here, in this haven of blissful repose, you now behold me as I truly am;—not Aunt Twaddles, the herb woman, but _Twaddles, the Queen of the Dolls_, and the ruler who reigns over the Village of Hide and Seek.' Illustration: _"All the odd, ill-fitting garments were changed into raiments of gold."_ "Awed beyond measure and wrapt in admiring silence, the poor children stood trembling in the presence of the queen. Nor could they reconcile themselves to the sudden change, for 'Aunt Twaddles,' the herb woman, had always been so good and kind to them. "Little Maud suddenly sank to her knees on the throne, and cried aloud in a pitiful voice: "'Oh, dear queen, how beautiful you are! But please be your dear self again, for I love the Aunt Twaddles who has always been so good to me.' "Before she could finish her heart-rending plea, the beautiful Doll Queen folded her to her bosom and covered the face of the child with sweet, motherly caresses. "'Come! come!' she said softly, at last. 'We will make a tour of Beauty Valley, or, as the dolls of the village all love to call it, 'The Land of Santa Claus.' And she unclasped Maud from her arms. "The Queen touched a bell on a silver stand and at the faint sound a beautiful white-winged dove, with a pale blue ribbon about its snowy neck, came flying from a near-by olive tree and lit upon the edge of the throne before them. "The children, much interested in the unusual sight, drew back toward the opposite side of the throne as if fearing they might frighten the bird away; but the Queen, smiling so sweetly that they felt like falling to their knees and worshipping her, turned to them as she exclaimed: "'Have no fear, my darlings, for you cannot frighten it away. This bird is my private messenger that always finds Kimbo when I want him.' "The Queen waved her hands with a graceful, easy motion, and the dove rose in the air on its snowy wings. Three times it circled above the throne, and then took its course toward the buildings of Santa Claus and passed out of sight. The Queen stepped lightly beside them and said: "'Let us wait now, my darlings, for the arrival of Kimbo.' "And now while we leave the beautiful Queen standing with the children upon the golden throne and waiting for Kimbo, whoever he is, I will wait here by the side of this little queen, seated upon God's Throne, the green grass, until some of the boys bring us more water; for the day is sultry and warm and Miss Lady, so sweet at my side, must be kept like a fresh cut flower, shaded and cool." The Vagabond ceased with that part of his story.