The band played songs of the kingdom as the royal family stepped onto the platform. King Theo shook hands with the nobility waiting to meet him, and Princess Alice kindly greeted each royal daughter with a smile. Prince Eli waved his hand to everyone, and they got into a waiting chariot.
The crowds dispersed as the royal family drove off. The nobility and wealthy went home to get ready for that evening’s ball as the simpler folk went back to their jobs and daily grind of life.

“I wonder,” Timothy said, “how much time those smirking girls will spend getting ready for this evening’s activities?”

“Probably all afternoon,” James replied, leaning against a fence post, “but my didn’t we want to make an impression on the princess. ‘Oh princess be my best friend.’ ‘Your highness I’m the nicest girl around here.’ ‘Oh, just give me a smile because I have nothing in myself.’” James imitated the various different girls during this statement, and his two siblings shrieked with laughter. Unfortunately, James’ thoughts did lay behind the actions of some of the girls.

“I’m glad we don’t belong to that class,” James remarked as the laughter died down. “I’d hate to constantly have to bend to other people’s whims and desires.”

“Always better to be poor with an honest name and good self-opinion than rich from kissing others,” Esther remarked, “that’s what dad says anyway.” She shrugged at the end of this statement though. Somedays she did not always believe it.

“It’s true,” Timothy said, “You can sleep at night and take delight in everything that happens. I wouldn’t care two cents for what any of them think, but I do want Dad to be proud of me and someone, like say Capt. Lou, to think well of me. He’s a man whose opinion is worth something. He never bows to pressure but always stands up for what is right.”

James stood up, and they started down the road. “He is worth far more than anyone in that welcoming committee,” commented, “and he wouldn’t spend all afternoon priming for some evening’s activity.”

“He’s also not a girl,” Esther observed.

Both boys laughed at that.

“Well, he wouldn’t marry a girl who did,” James said. “And that’s about the same thing.”

“He didn’t,” Timothy said. “His wife thinks it is as little worth as he does. Did you know she started a school down in the slums to teach those girls to sew and maybe give them a chance a decent living?”

“Yeah,” Esther said, “I helped her bast shirts for it all day yesterday. She told me she could not come today because she was baking gingerbread to take down there for them.”

“That is a woman of worth,” James declared, “and the type of girl I hope I can meet. Now, which way shall we go?” They halted at a crossroads. “We can head home, go downtown and see everyone gawking for a sight of royalty, or go most anywhere else.”

Timothy looked around. “I’m not one for gawking crowds,” he remarked, “but I wouldn’t mind going through the center of town just for a quick glance and then head to the pier. It’s a good day to row to the island.”

“Let’s,” Esther said eagerly, “It would be amusing to see everyone crowding around the royal hotel, but the island seems like the best place to be today.”

James laughed, and they headed down toward the center of town. The crowd pressed thick around the hotel. Everyone hoped for a glance at the royals. The carriage was parked in front of a splendid restaurant in town. A rumor swept through the crowd that the royal family would soon leave for the hotel. Timothy felt sorry for them in all this mess.

The three siblings climbed up into one of the tall oaks in the town square. This gave the best view of the whole center of the town and had been their watchtower since they could walk and climb. They perched on the branches and made comments on the various people below, hidden from the sight of most of them.

“Look,” Timothy cried pointing just above the restaurant. A little girl walked down the sidewalk. A rag doll stuck out from under her arm, not much to look at. Her dress was somewhat patched, and her hair was straggly. In her hands, the girl carefully clutched something. Every now and then she opened her fingers and peeped in. “Is that Sarah Armstrong?” He asked.

“Yes,” Esther answered.

“I wonder what she’s doing in town today?” Timothy said, “She shouldn’t be here all alone. Not with this crowd.”

“Likely they didn’t know about the crowd,” Esther remarked. “They don’t take a paper. Finances have been tight with Capt. Armstrong losing his previous shipment and he has not been home in almost a year. Everyone is thinking his ship may have gone down.”

James started to climb down. “We’d better make sure she stays safe,” he said.

The other two moved to follow him. Esther still kept her eyes on Sarah. The crowd suddenly surged forward. The royal party came out of the restaurant, and everyone clambered for them. Soldiers formed a wall and attempted to push the crowd back.

At that moment, a soldier stepped back and knocked into Sarah who, staying close to the buildings had come behind them. He knocked her down. The crowd surged forward, and they heard Sarah scream.
James dropped the remaining eight feet to the ground, rolled over once and raced toward her, fighting his way through the crowd. Esther and Timothy froze.

Princess Alice stopped midway to the carriage and looked around. Prince Eli put his hand on her arm. She gently turned away from him and started moving toward where Sarah sat crying. The soldier stepped away from her and looked flustered.

Sarah cuddled her doll in her arms and wept softly. Princess Alice leaned down by her.

“What is the matter,” She asked softly. Her eyes expressed real concern. Sarah did not answer and kept her eyes down. “Did you get hurt,” Princess Alice asked again.

“Charlotte did,” she said, holding up the rag doll for Princess Alice to see. The dolls head was mostly torn off. Esther saw it and knew that this was a tragedy.

Princess Alice gently took the doll in her hand. “That’s too bad,” she said, “I can get you a new doll if you want.”

Sarah shook her head a decided no. “I don’t want a different doll,” she said, “My papa gave me Charlotte, and now she is broken.” She started crying again.

“I know a doctor,” Princess Alice said, “I think she can fix Charlotte. Can Charlotte go see the doctor?”

“I have to go on an errand for my mother,” Sarah said seriously taking the doll back, “She told me to hurry. And she told me not to talk to strangers, so I don’t think Charlotte can see the doctor.”

James finally pushed is way through the crowd. The solder held him back from coming close to them.
Sarah looked around at all the strangers around her and shrank back. Her eyes met James. “Look,” she said holding up her doll, the tears welled up in her eyes, “Papa is going to say I was not faithful to my trust.”

Princess Alice glanced up surprised at this phrase from a small girl and looked toward James.

He leaned down toward her. “Your father would say that it was not your fault and that you sailed your little ship quite well, but the wind was against you.”

“Do you know her,” Alice asked him.

James nodded yes. Alice made a motion to the soldier, and he let James through. James knelt down by Sarah. “Let’s look at Charlotte,” he said holding out his hand for the doll.

“Look at that,” Timothy remarked. “He goes in there cool as anything and never even bows to the Princess.”

“She might have him jailed for it later,” Esther teased.

“If she does I’ll never care for the royal family,” Timothy replied.

Esther laughed, “It would show them to be tyrants like old man Pete is always saying they are. But I don’t believe she would. She would never have walked over to Sarah if she was that type of a person.”
James carefully looked at the doll and told Sarah he thought she could be mended.

“That’s what I said,” Princess Alice said. “I know a doctor who could fix her up. I was going to take Sarah there, but she wasn’t sure she should go.”

“It’s kind of you to offer, but I’m afraid it would take too much time,” James replied.

Princess Alice laughed, “I have plenty of time for this.”

James looked down at Sarah, “Should we go see the doctor?”

Sarah nodded, “But I have to go the store for Mama,” she said. “She told me to be careful, and I was trying to. Now, what will she say.” She looked up at James in concern.

“I’ll tell her all about it,” James said. “How about you tell me what you need from the store, and we will get that while Charlotte sees the doctor? Does that sound good.”

Sarah nodded seriously. James helped her up. Her dress was torn and dirty. Sarah looked at it woefully, but Princess Alice said it was a little thing. She took Sarah by the hand. They headed toward the carriage. “The doctor is over at our hotel,” she remarked to James.

“Perhaps,” he said, “it would be better for us to walk over there.”

“Not at all,” Princess Alice said. “There is room in the carriage, and no one will mind your coming.”

Had James been somewhere else he likely would have whistled in surprise. Instead, he followed them over to the carriage. He made one motion with his hand toward the hotel which the two waiting in the tree caught.

“Man,” Timothy said, “I wished I’d been the first one down.”

Esther laughed, “Isn’t that grand of her to take them with her. James deserves something like that.”

Timothy readily agreed with this one as they climbed down and headed through the backstreets and cross lots to the hotel. They got there just before the carriage and leaned against the brick building.
The crowds gathered around here as well. The soldiers were busy enough with other people not to bother them. The carriage pulled up, and they watched as Princess Alice, Sarah, and James got out with the rest of people. James quickly gave Timothy and Esther a shopping list and the few cents Sarah had carefully been holding.

As the royal party disappeared into the hotel, Timothy and Esther headed to the store. It did not take them long to complete the purchases, and they leaned against a tree across from the hotel waiting.
Meanwhile, Princess Alice had taken Sarah and James up to their apartments. She called one of the servants who was an expert with a needle and explained Charlotte’s dilemma. The maid’s eyes light up, “She shall go into surgery at once and come out none the worse for wear,” she said seriously to Sarah.

Sarah nodded and asked her to be very careful with her because she was scared of strangers.

The maid assured her that she would be and stepped out of the room. Princess Alice left James in the waiting area and took Sarah into her own chambers to clean her up. She washed Sarah’s face and hands and helped another maid mend her dress. It looked much better when they rejoined James.
Princess Alice rang and asked for some ice cream to be brought up. Prince Eli wandered into the room. They both set about trying to make James and Sarah feel comfortable. Sarah warmed up with them around and told them little things about her life. James mostly listened and did his best to stay in the background. He answered when directly address but did not push himself on them. There was no way he would be one who chases the favor of royalty. A little over an hour later Sarah and James emerged from the hotel. James held Sarah’s hand. She skipped happily along.

Timothy and Esther walked to meet them. Sarah let go of James’ hand and raced up to Esther, “Look,” she said holding up Charlotte, “My doll had to see the doctor. She gave her a nice new dress.”

“It’s lovely,” Esther said admiring it. The dress was made of pink silk. “And the doll looks like it she is quite well now.”

“She is,” Sarah answered.

James picked Sarah up and placed her on his shoulders as they walked through the crowded streets out of town. They climbed the hill that led toward the shore and walked down along the shore road past the little point and lighthouse, past their house, and up to a weather-beaten house set back from the road.

Mrs. Armstrong opened the door even before they made it up. “Is Sarah okay,” she asked. “I’ve been worried about her. It was so long since she left. I would not have let her go but Johnny has been so sick, and I could not go.”

“She’s alright,” James said letting her down from his shoulders.

“But Charlotte was not,” Sarah said holding her up, “But the doctor made her all better.”

Mrs. Armstrong looked confused. James filled her in on the events that had happened. Mrs. Armstrong looked worried and relieved in turn. She had not known the royal family was coming that day or would never have let Sarah go to town. She thanked them profusely.

All three of them were glad to turn away from the door. It had been the most natural thing in the world to do. After all, the Armstrong’s were practically family. It was late when they rowed to the island that evening, but they did not mind. James told them all about the royal family and declared that he liked them and thought living like that was worth something. And so it is.