"Of course I am," said Nimmie Amee; "I'm the mistress
of all I survey -- the queen of my little domain."
"Wouldn't you like to be the Empress of the Winkies?"
asked the Tin Woodman.
"Mercy, no," she answered. "That would be a lot of
bother. I don't care for society, or pomp, or posing.
All I ask is to be left alone and not to be annoyed by
visitors."
The Scarecrow nudged Woot the Wanderer.
"That sounds to me like a hint," he said.
"Looks as if we'd had our journey for nothing,"
remarked Woot, who was a little ashamed and
disappointed because he had proposed the journey.
"I am glad, however," said the Tin Woodman, "that I
have found Nimmie Amee, and discovered that she is
already married and happy. It will relieve me of any
further anxiety concerning her."
"For my part," said the Tin Soldier, "I am not sorry
to be free. The only thing that really annoys me is
finding my head upon Chopfyt's body."
"As for that, I'm pretty sure it is my body, or a
part of it, anyway," remarked the Emperor of the
Winkies. "But never mind, friend Soldier; let us be
willing to donate our cast-off members to insure the
happiness of Nimmie Amee, and be thankful it is not our
fate to hoe cabbages and draw water --and be chided --
in the place of this creature Chopfyt."
"Yes," agreed the Soldier, "we have much to be
thankful for."
Polychrome, who had wandered outside, now poked her
pretty head through an open window and exclaimed in a
pleased voice:
"It's getting cloudy.
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