E34: Make-Believe

“There’s such a crowd that I can hardly
tell you. The streets are full; at every
window there are people waving handker-
chiefs, and even the housetops are crowded.
The soldiers go by more quickly, and,
though the crowd hides a good deal, I can
see their plumes and feathers, and I know
that they are closer packed. And that—
T don’t think I need to tell you, for you
can hear the fife and drum. But a regi-
ment of boys is going by, quite lost in the
crowd. Yet the Queen can see them, and
they, too, make her proud. They’ve gone
by now, and the plumes and feathers pass
as they did before. They hurry past, for
they all want to get a look at the Queen,
and now Why, they’ve all gone by,
and there’s only a concert platform, decor-
ated with flowers and green palms.”

The music ceased, and presently this
march of heroes was followed by other
music. Doris listened for a while, but it
was plain she was no longer interested.