The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1879-12-30 00:00:00

- THE LOBT KEY.

BT R.B. —AtrT•01121111 OF " Z[1116./ell GOMM' " ODDIIIIM
Puma," ec

CHAPTER I.

-- -
The Princess o.loline had lost her key, and fairyland
was in • consternation. The princes. wait In an agony of
grief, and only about • key, you think. Yes and eneili •
key as thie deserved en agony of end for It. ; 143°.• 11w..
a golden key, of a very strange shape, given to the
Prince t oJoline by her godimothee. The key boloas•d
to • curious cabinet that contained tansy triseisaree, and
no other key could be got to fit the lock, pa all the beauti-
ful things Inside had to remain there hidden away, so that
none could see their beauty. It was a sad day for the
Princeton. She had always worn the key impended from
her neck by • golden chain • and elm said abs could not
Imagine bow she lost it. She could not eat, eb• could not
sleep; the team were always trickling down her cheeks,
and she was in denser of logien her heauty, and all for the
loos cis key. The king, her father, woe very mammas about
her; he ceueed • proclamation to le toned that to the one
who could mate • key grinder to the one loot should be
Cretin:l'Z manadkerichonw. 8.
e. all the
lationetfatrai
they dared not witch, for It warn encluned in a glass case,
that no one should touch It; for whoa the king had tried
I. ml ck it with ono of his own key. he h&j fallen es
thotmli dead, and had t o be taken away, whoa he enou
recovered. So it bail happened to others who had tried to
unliek ; and only the minces. could try if the many
kis), 'right fitted. But al.• I they did not, and she was
In .I••epsir.
my god-mother &mane, why, 0 why, did you sleet
me curb • 011•0012bIl key to pi line your child m much r
the princess exelainied, ie hen rim had just tiled a number
of keys, MO none wool I fi•.
" Seem.° she loved yin, ' said a voice, and Sinsoline
stood before her. Very sal ehe looked, for else did love
her child, and it grieved her to be r-proached.
"I did not know thet you were there; beat 01 lan. in
such trouble. I have bet my key, and cannot get soother

'
now 41.1 you lees it, my child I" Stmolin• asked
gravely. Ndw there was • little socrat connected with fig
loa% and 0 loling had not told anyone of it, and she
fancied Trout her tonee that the l•dy suspected something
of it. She blushed, and hesitated to answer.
" me, my r 1,11•1," said ih• lady kindly.
8. ()Milne told bow there gas a handsome youth to
whom she had plihtod her troth unknown to her father,
who had bittrotikd her to. neighhout nig Pease.
•• And what Ls the youth's name T Tell me, my child.'
laid ,b• wog. tone' a.wate.
" Z He Is pow. but be is no giod,- sobbed
Oti mime. 'Ho lives down in the wood; and he le as
ciever. He can do anything."
" Hoer did you loge the key r.
"I writ to meet him. When I returned home. I
erstited something for him to ...—it was • carious bo-k.,
that I thought woold heir hair Ideked up the cabinet A
right. And then I to•dt lb. book to • hollow nes uteri
Ite•—eat pot lette-s When lat back the key was gone."
" Was it inside the ho k y-
"0 a•-•, and I did oot toast snyoas." and the miegrable
lady +tot ;distil.
" Have you seen Z Ada since r•
" No, he was going away to seek his fortune, and return
to elaiturue.- . .

Now this lady was Vet/ WWI and clever. and she thought
o liiiine very silly In thinkias s.ttuti,th of Z Ads ; but erten
( .irslanil you cannot put .4.1 It..ads on young shoulders.
Toers is • certain commodity thtt p mule aid not harm as
a gift although tbey may bit entreated to accept it. yet
them Same 1..1k, .dl pay 00,0111101111 MIMS to buy it
" child." she rat& I can pot you in the wey to get
your key again. But you must gat It yourself. It woo
given to you, and von most Mail it. As you know, no one
can touch the ceriatrt but you. To-morrow morning when
the sun Ha... go to the wood, end not eery far from the
olii tree. you will See • little women; ahe will help you.
I give you doe whites. use them well. la any trouble
shut your eye. and Irish formal/one. or anything, and your
vial will he treated."

"U thank you dirt godmother, you are so good to your
naughty &AIL"
"D forget Poor child, you have no mother, that
snakes you beirithia. Put you haws brought nth pain.-
" How sorry I cm. I did not know it"
" N.; my child. it is Our way. lei bootlessness on our
mote we bring trouble as ourselves. sad those dear to no.
It I. always going on in ihe world of mortal,. Ono sins,
Ye thinks alone. no one knows it ; but behold a crop of
fool things goring froth the sod plaided... secretly. sad

mines erring _ SR.-. a--
they sting end worry the ineoeeni m well as the guilty ;
and they creep and crawl In the blood, and beckon on the
meatier who is storeys waiting and watching. Hy child,
don't forget that even with the aid of our remoras, you
cannot do wrong by yourself; someone who knows moth.
leg about it will miler too"
You may be very sure that the princess was abroad at
the aisfainted time. She had told her father that AG
must a arch for the key herself. Ile did not like the idea
at first; but on IN it -carom he discovered it was of no use
for her to be married until td.e key wee found, for ell her
Jewels were in the cabinet. She noon reached the tree; it
WM only an old trunk; the inside we. hollow, and In it
she but placed letters for Laid., and found them from
hint. She peered i t n.lde, and fnu• a letter for her. B.e
wee eiout to read it, al en • small voice by her side said
—'0.0.1 morning, lady lair."
She lakal down, and there was • tiny woman with
tartnkling green eyes, errayed in • brown dress that
lookod like the root of a Ire.'. Her cap was made of
maw and set very daintily on her head.
"0 ,orl morning, fair lady, and where are you going so
earl, r
To find my golden key that belong, to my cabinet."
"And what are you going to do fir.t to find it r the
little lady asked with a funny twinkle in her little eyes.
Odoline looked puzzled. Bbe had never thought of any
plan, but hat trusted to chance—a very fickle power, Ind
by any Milani trustworthy. So she said demurely, "I
will read my letter fins."
" But! met watt, and !most show you the way. Real
your letter by..n.blare when you rut. We will jump
indrle that old tree."
Very obediently the princes. f 'Sowed. You see fairy-
land was bee home, and what may surprise us were every-
day matters to her.
"Now tell me what the key was like," geld the little
la iy.
" It wee something like • swan: the beak wee plead in
the lark, and on opening bad to he touched, end then the
look 'timed, and the doors Slew open."
"Well. I know where the key is; I have men it."
"8-ren It " Oil lie, echoed in atonlehment
" Yes ; is •t tlot Indian of n teary ch-st. la • stroog
room, lie large castle, In • valley, on • mountain ; eking
be. it in his keeping, and bis daughter's lover is going to
bring the gabfest for • wedding present."
" 0. dear ' however shall I get it f "
" If you to as you are told, and never forget what you
are looking for, you will find it"
"But how shell! get to the strong room,"
"list to the mountain first, then get to the castle. Go
st p by step."
They went into the hollow tree, end found themselves
at the f"ttoni.
"Whet is f our name!" the priestess asked curiously.
"0, never mind; you me, gill ma the green lady if
yea like. N.'s, you most ktep your tongue quiet, and
your eyes sad ears open. We shag be In 11111 01.11311.111
country. I:e'en and you may Mu of the key ; but who-
ever speaks to you, don't sneerer."
And sow hey found themselves on • greet plain, on
whie.h ewe houses, and clumps of tree. There were
crowds of creatorea The princess n 1 the gram lady
were In the throng,. 8.14 one, "The wedding will soon
take elem. The Stag has only one thing to get, and then
we shall have the nand wedding. Who will end the
cabinet! Will you!' and the *restore 'tweed it. "ne
large eye on Od dine, sal leered in • frightful way ether;
but elle did sot answer. Further on was • lovely meaturia
weeping, to be sure stm bad only one eye, like all the
inhabitant, of the eoutit-y, but it was • vary lovely one,
and romak teas ran out of it for two. "U, good ledie•
dm cried. " I em the most unhappy ma Willi I ism a!!
raw greatest Weems'', and cannot and It astrw . lwam. will
tell PIM whet It is—a beantiffil baby bey.' (Odoline)
looked intended, she thought it wee esimethille simo
nlieve you sees blest Him keir is gales, his arm we
""w• th war hoe. my boy, my boy!' It wee heart-rend-
lee to hear her. 0 lobes wee jest pine '0 WTAlllnthiss with
her: but, happening to glance at her little companion, she
Put her anew to her lips, and Orionis" remembered la time
that she most not speak to anyone, elthoagh it did seem
7.17 cruel—she could not understand it it all--sbe began
be Mel fretful about It. Blse wondered why _Me alone
should lie angled oat to go this journey. She had dread,
forgotten 'bet the ales &tooling hod told Mr that no
used of sin, h0w,,., secretly pleated, but what bears
fruit Sh's rwistled against Mar (ether becalm be wished
her to cowry Ma Pringle 0.10, and =saxm:st the Louth
/add. To he sure Zedda wee very with lovely
red Iles, amid black_ ep05...4 eurh., ask west ingnin•
with Mi delighted toOmit Ile ma pima Time.
she Lost bar key, and now Molest he fad nobs me beer
Wag to beam bat fate-•-bmwght on km by berwli.