"I don't believe there's any cure for chimneys," puffed Grampa, running his finger anxiously down the list so nervous that his hands shook the truth he expected to grow flight of steps or veranda any minute

"Here, let me look," begged Tatters, snatching the bottle from Grampa But though everything green label from ear ache to lumbago, no mention of chimneys or bay windows at all

"But it says 'cure for everything,' " insisted Bill, perching stubbornly on Grampa's shoulder

" worse than battle ! " moaned Grampa, rolling up his eyes "I'm poisoned, that's what "

"Poisoned ! " cried Bill triumphantly "Then find the cure for poison " Hurriedly Tatters consulted the label "For poison of any nature, two drops head," directed the bottle So while Urtha and Bill watched nervously, Tatters uncorked the bottle and let two drops magic liquid fall down Grampa's chimney slight sizzle Tatters rubbed his eyes and Bill gave crow of delight The chimney had melted bay window was gone gallant old soldier quite himself again Urtha was so happy that she danced all the way round the golden bench and Grampa jumped up and ran to look at himself in little pond

"No worse ," mused the old soldier, stroking the top head tenderly and patting his belt with great satisfaction, "but that's the last bite I'll take garden " As Grampa turned , particularly bright little flower bed caught his attention The flowers grew right before his eyes, dropped off their Stems and were immediately succeeded by other ones Even dim lantern light the old soldier were spelling out messages

"Gorba will return garden at twelve o'clock " This announcement bloomed gaily in red tulips, and while the old soldier was still staring at it in astonishment, the tulips faded away and another sentence formed bed:

Who stays all night shall leave here never, He'll be lantern tree forever !

In yellow daffodils, the sentence danced before Grampa's eyes "A life sentence ! " panted the old soldier wildly, and without waiting for more he plunged across the garden

"Tatters ! Bill ! Urtha ! " shouted Grampa, his own voice hoarse with excitement "The wiz-ard's coming back and we've got out garden or be lantern trees forever ! "

"Forever ! " gasped the Prince of Raghad, who had scarcely recovered chimney business As fast as , Grampa told flower messages, and hurried back bed, pansy sentence had already grown there

"Good-night," said the pansies politely, then fluttering off their stems, blew like gay little butterflies across the lawn

"Good night ! " choked Grampa bitterly "It's the worst night I ever heard of I won't be rooted spot, nor tree for any old wizard wizzing Come on ! Company 'tenshun ! "

"Here I come name of Bill," crowed the weather cock, hurling air

"But we coming to ? " panted Tatters, shouldering his red umbrella dutifully, while Urtha kept anxiously beside him

"We're going back stepping stones, puffed Grampa, stumping along determinedly The lanterns winked lower and lower and soon so dark and shadowy they lost the path entirely Smothering his alarm, Grampa marched doggedly on, bumping into benches and trees, but never once pausing

"They ought tb be here some place," wheezed the old soldier and then stopped with grunt, for he had run plump into an iron railing dark

" it ? " whispered Tatters, straining his eyes gathering gloom

"Why, it's flight of steps," cried Grampa next breath Feeling gate, he entered the little enclosure and struck match flickering light, six circular golden steps and top one in jewelled letters were just three words: "Gorba's Winding Stairway " Then the match sputtered and went out

"Winding stairway," puffed the old soldier joyfully "Why, this the way out They wind up, I'll bet gum drop ! Get aboard everybody Hurry ! Here Loveliness ! " Taking Urtha's hand, Grampa guided her up the first step Tatters stood second with Bill shoulder Grampa mounted quickly top and striking another match looked anxiously for directions There were no more inscriptions, but under Gorba's name was tiny gold handle The match was burning lower and lower and just as it went out Grampa seized the handle and turned it sharply left Then-"Great Gollywockers ! " gasped the old soldier, clutching rail "It's winding down ! "

Poor Grampa, hurry, had turned the handle the wrong way, and next instant the brave little company were whirling down the wizard's winding stairway, 'round and 'round, down and down, 'round and down, down and 'round, until they were too dizzy where they were going

"Hold on ! " called Grampa wildly "Hold on ! Hold on ! Hold on ! " And hold on was about all do

CHAPTER 8

Strange Happenings in Perhaps City

same bright morning that Grampa and Tatters started from Ragbad, the Peer of Perhaps City sat cozily breakfasting with Percy Vere Percy was poet and attended to all the guess work in Perhaps City True terribly forgetful poet, but the best and was prime favorite old mountain monarch Perhaps City itself is tall, towered city of gold set high Maybe Mountains of Oz So steep and craggy are its peaks that dwellers city ever descended valleys below Indeed little need of it, for life in Perhaps City, owing jolly nature and good management of old Peer Haps, is so delightfully entertaining people have no desire to leave The Happsies themselves are light-hearted and old-fashioned race of Winkies, who in olden Oz times, settled all the countries East The who ever left the city at all was Abrog, the High Sky prophet realm, and goings and comings no one paid much attention, for queer, silent old man, who spoke but once year and only then to prophesy weather, crops and important events take place town

these events had all been happy and fortunate ones, and sunshiny morning, old Peer Haps, buttering his muffins cozy breakfast room, felt pleased and content lot that he fairly beamed upon Percy Vere

part, Percy Vere always was happy and, beaming back king, he shook his long locks out eye and laughed merrily at old Peer Percy Vere always felt that his patron enjoyed his breakfast particularly if Percy opened the proceedings with verse, so he sang, as breakfast was served, this ditty:

"Oh, muffins mellow light and clear, Fit diet for mountaineer; Oh, muffins pale and yellow ! Oh, muffins sweet to sniff and eat, How you refresh a-a-"

The poet's merry blue eyes grew round and puzzled, always did when he forgot word

"Fellow ! " chuckled the Peer, taking sip of coffee "Percy, my child, ridiculish ! "

" ridiculish, it; young, poor forgetful--er"

"Poet ! " spluttered Peer Haps, with another chuckle

"Thanks old Nutmeg ! " sighed Percy, helping himself to another muffin "You always know what I mean

"Nut Meg ! " roared Peer Haps He never got over being amused at Percy's informal way of addressing him "Nut Meg ! Well, I'll be grated ! " And immediately , for very moment, the folding doors flew open and in rushed Abrog the prophet

"Greater than all other Rulers in Oz, great greatest ! " began the old man, salaaming before Peer Haps, "a great misfortune threatens, approaches, is about place "

"What ? " cried the Peer, choking last bit muffin strange enough Abrog speak at all when not the day for prophecy, but him speak foreboding fashion was simply too terrible

"Speak out ! Speak up ! " cried the Forgetful Poet, leaping feet:

"Speak out, speak up And then get hence, stand this dire-this dire, this dire"

"Suspense," finished Peer Haps automatically "Yes, speak up, fellow ! " he cried anx-iously

"In four days, monster will marry the Princess ! " wailed Abrog, pulling his peaked cap down over his eyes "In four days, four days, four days ! " And having said this, he began to gallop 'round the breakfast table, Peer Haps Forgetful Poet right after him You, yourself, can imagine the effect message merry old Peer of Perhaps City Why, he prized the little Princess above all his possessions, yes, even above his yellow hen who was brick layer and laid gold bricks instead of eggs Indeed, she had done more than anyone else to lay the foundation fortune

"What kind of m-monster ? " stuttered the Forgetful Poet, waving his muffin

"Where is my daughter now ? " demanded Peer Haps, seizing Abrog whiskers, for there seemed no other way of stopping him Abrog waved feebly toward the window and, rushing across the room, the Peer poet stared out garden where the sweetest little Princess in all the countries East was gathering roses She waved gaily two window, and, with shudder, Peer Haps turned back to Abrog

"Let me see the prophecy," he demanded, holding out his hand Abrog produced crumpled parchment and after one glance the old Peer covered his face and sank groaning into his enormous arm chair The Forgetful Poet had read over his shoulder and instantly burst into all the melancholy poems "Oh, hush ! " begged the old monarch at last, "and you," he waved wildly prophet, do nothing but run 'round that table like merry-go-round goat ? "

" marry the Princess myself," rasped Abrog, coming to sudden standstill Peer "If she were already married , monster marry her," he leered triumphantly

" ! " shrieked Percy Vere, crushing his muffin to pulp

"You weazened, wild, old, whiskered dunce, Be off ! Be gone ! Get out, at-at-at-at-"

Percy began hopping about on one foot groaning, "What's the word, what's the word ? "

"Once ! " finished Peer Haps, mopping his forehead and glaring at Abrog, for stunned old man's suggestion "It wouldn't do at all," he muttered gloomily "Why, you're thousand years old 're day, and she's the only daughter I've got "

"Well, you won't have her long," sneered Abrog, gathering his robe about him His black eyes gleamed wickedly from beneath their bushy brows furiously angry, but quickly hiding his feelings he began to move slowly toward the door Halfway there he paused "Since you refuse my first solution difficulty, endeavor of another one I used little magic," he wheezed craftily " retire to my tower "

Peer Haps nodded absently too dazed himself and could only mutter over and over, "A monster ! monster ! My daughter ! monster ! "

"The fellow's fool ! " choked Percy Vere "He's as full of ideas as dish pan Why he's monster himself ! "

"But there's something in what ," groaned the old Peer unhappily " daughter were already married monster came, carry her off it ! Percy, we'll marry the Princess at once, likeliest lad in Perhaps City "

" ! " cried the Forgetful Poet, tossing back his long locks and sticking out his chest complacently

"Well--er," the old monarch looked trifle embarrassed, "you're hardly the man to marry and settle down to humdrum royal existence thinking of young Perix "

"You're right," agreed Percy, mollified at once "Marriage would interfere with my career, O Peer Shall I fetch our pretty little Princess ? "

"Yes, call her at once," begged Peer Haps, clasping and unclasping his hands, "but don't frighten her, Percy my boy, no talk of marriage or monsters ! "

Percy felt that do, under the circumstances, was to lapse into verse

"I go, I go, on heel and toe To fetch the sweetest girl , The Princess of Perhaps City, As sweet as sugar full of tea ! "