Pon and Trot had reached place half mile witch's house saw Gloria walking toward them The Princess moved with great dignity and with no show of haste whatever, holding her head high and looking neither to right nor left

Pon rushed forward, holding out his arms to embrace her and calling her sweet names But Gloria gazed upon him coldly and repelled him with haughty gesture the poor gardener's boy sank upon his knees and hid his face arms, weeping bitter tears; but the Princess was not at all moved by his distress Passing him by, she drew her skirts aside, unwilling they should touch him, and then she walked up the path way and hesitated, uncertain where next

Trot was grieved by Pon's sobs and indignant because Gloria treated him so badly But she remembered why

"I guess your heart is frozen, all right," she said Princess Gloria nodded gravely, in reply, and then turned her back little girl "Can't you like even me ? " asked Trot, half pleadingly

"No," said Gloria

"Your voice sounds like refrig'rator," sighed the little girl "I'm awful sorry , 'cause you were sweet an' nice before this happened 't help it, ; but it's dreadful thing, jus' the same "

"My heart is frozen to all mortal loves," announced Gloria, calmly " love even myself "

"That's too bad," said Trot, "for, 't love anybody, 't expect anybody to love you "

" ! " cried Pon " always love her "

"Well, you're just gardener's boy," replied Trot, "and I didn't think you 'mounted to much, first love the old Princess Gloria, with warm heart an' nice manners, but gives me the shivers "

"It's her icy heart, that's all," said Pon

"That's enough," insisted Trot "Seeing her heart isn't big enough to skate on, 't see that she's of any use to anyone part, I'm goin' Button- Bright an' Cap'n Bill "

" go ," decided Pon " evident that Gloria no longer loves me her heart is frozen too stiff to melt it with my own love; therefore your friends "

As Trot started off, Pon cast one more imploring look Princess, who returned it with chilly stare So he followed little girl

As Princess, she hesitated moment and then turned same direction the others had taken, but going far more slowly Soon she heard footsteps pattering behind her, and up came Googly-Goo little out of breath with running

"Stop, Gloria ! " he cried " come you back to my mansion, where married "

She looked at him wonderingly moment, then tossed her head disdainfully and walked on But Googly-Goo kept beside her

"What does this mean ? " he demanded "Haven't you discovered that you no longer love that gardener's boy, who stood in my way ? "

"Yes; discovered it," she replied "My heart is frozen to all mortal loves love you, or Pon, or the cruel King my uncle, or even myself Go your way, Googly-Goo, for wed no one at all "

He stopped in dismay when he heard this, but in another minute he exclaimed angrily:

" wed me, Princess Gloria, whether to or not ! I paid your heart frozen; I also paid the King to permit our marriage now refuse me mean that robbed -- robbed -- robbed precious money and jewels ! "

He almost wept with despair, but she laughed cold, bitter laugh and passed on Googly-Goo caught at her arm, to restrain her, but she whirled and dealt him blow that sent him reeling into ditch beside the path Here he lay , half covered by muddy water, dazed with surprise

Finally the old courtier arose, dripping, and climbed ditch The Princess had gone; so, muttering threats of vengeance upon her, King and upon Blinkie, old Googly-Goo hobbled back mansion the mud removed costly velvet clothes

Chapter Fifteen

Trot Meets the Scarecrow

Trot and Pon covered many leagues of ground, searching through forests, in fields and in little villages of Jinxland, but could find no trace of either Cap'n Bill or Button-Bright Finally they paused beside cornfield and sat upon stile to rest Pon took some apples pocket and gave one to Trot Then he began eating another himself, for their time for luncheon When his apple was finished Pon tossed the core field

"Tchuk-tchuk ! " said strange voice "what by hitting me eye with an apple-core ? "

Then rose up the form Scarecrow, who had hidden himself cornfield while he examined Pon and Trot and decided whether they were worthy helped

"Excuse me," said Pon "I didn't know you were there "

"How did you happen there, anyhow ? " asked Trot

The Scarecrow came forward with awkward steps and stood beside them

"Ah, the gardener's boy," to Pon Then he turned to Trot "And the little girl who came to Jinxland riding on big bird, and who has had the misfortune to lose her friend, Cap'n Bill, and her chum, Button-Bright "

"Why, how did all that ? " she inquired

" lot of things," replied the Scarecrow, winking at her comically "My brains are the Carefully- Assorted, Double-Distilled, High-Efficiency sort Wizard of Oz makes He admits, himself, that my brains are the best he ever manufactured "

" I've heard of you," said Trot slowly, as she looked the Scarecrow over with much interest; "but you used to live Land of Oz "

"Oh, now," he replied cheerfully "I've just come over the mountains Quadling Country if of any help "

"Who, me ? " asked Pon

"No, the strangers big world It seems they need looking after "

"I'm doing that myself," said Pon, little ungraciously " pardon me for saying so, I don't see how Scarecrow with painted eyes can look after anyone "

" don't see that, more blind Scarecrow," asserted Trot "He's fairy man, Pon, and comes fairyland of Oz, so do 'most anything ," she added, turning Scarecrow, " find Cap'n Bill "

" try, anyhow," he promised "But who old woman running toward us and shaking her stick at us ? "

Trot and Pon turned around and both uttered an exclamation of fear The next instant they took heels and ran fast up the path For old Blinkie, the Wicked Witch, who had at last traced them place Her anger was so great that she was determined not to abandon the chase of Pon and Trot until she had caught and punished them The Scarecrow understood at once old woman meant harm new friends, so as she drew near he stepped before her His appearance was so sudden and unexpected that Blinkie ran into him and toppled him over, but she tripped straw body and went rolling path beside him

The Scarecrow sat up and said: "I beg your pardon ! " but she whacked him with her stick and knocked him flat again Then, furious with rage, the old witch sprang upon her victim and began pulling the straw out body The poor Scarecrow was helpless to resist and in all that was left of him was an empty suit of clothes and heap of straw beside it Fortunately, Blinkie harm his head, rolled into little hollow and escaped her notice Fearing that Pon and Trot would escape her, she quickly resumed the chase and disappeared over the brow of hill, following the direction she had seen them go

Only short time elapsed before gray grasshopper with wooden leg came hopping along and lit directly upturned face Scarecrow's head

"Pardon me, but resting yourself upon my nose," remarked the Scarecrow

"Oh ! alive ? " asked the grasshopper

" question never been able to decide," said the Scarecrow's head "When my body is properly stuffed animation and can move around as any live person The brains head now occupying as throne, are of very superior quality and do lot of very clever thinking But whether being alive, or not, prove ; who lives is liable to death, while only liable to destruction "

"Seems ," said the grasshopper, rubbing his nose front legs, "that in your case it doesn't matter -- unless you're destroyed already "

" not; all is re-stuffing," declared the Scarecrow; "and if Pon and Trot escape the witch, and come back here, do me that favor "

"Tell me ! Are Trot and Pon around here ? " inquired the grasshopper, its small voice trembling with excitement

The Scarecrow answer at once, for both his eyes were staring straight upward at beautiful face that was slightly bent over his head , indeed, Princess Gloria, who had wandered spot, surprised when she heard the Scarecrow's head talk tiny gray grasshopper answer it

"This," said the Scarecrow, still staring at her, " the Princess who loves Pon, the gardener's boy "

"Oh, indeed ! " exclaimed the grasshopper -- who was Cap'n Bill -- as he examined the young lady curiously

"No," said Gloria frigidly, " love Pon, or anyone else, Wicked Witch has frozen my heart "

"What shame ! " cried the Scarecrow "One so lovely able to love But would you mind, my dear, stuffing that straw into my body again ? "

The dainty Princess glanced straw and well-worn blue Munchkin clothes and shrank back in disdain But she was spared from refusing the Scarecrow's request appearance of Trot and Pon, who had hidden in some bushes just over the brow hill and waited until old Blinkie had passed them by Their hiding place was same side witch's blind eye, and she rushed on chase girl youth without being aware had tricked her

Trot was shocked Scarecrow's sad condition and at once began putting the straw back into his body Pon, at sight of Gloria, again appealed to her pity on him, but the frozen-hearted Princess turned coldly away and with sigh the gardener's boy began to assist Trot