Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1853-12-22
VOL. VII.--NO. 6.

that death from which have just with
drawn you p
Zebra bowed her head and gazed long
upon the greensward at her feet. She
trembled with emotion, and Charles saw
tears glisten in the moonbeams as they
fell from her cheeks
slf you leave me now, will you still seek
the grave of the Darro p repeated the
knight
20, sir, cannot live to be the thing
they would make me. cannot live to
feel the affections of my heart withering
up in their bloom, and sinking away into
the cold grave of misery | cannot live
to Bnow my love must freeze inits earli
est flood. [ will die
1t was some moments ere the Christian
knight dared make reply to this Those
were days when knights held it sacred
duty-a duty of knightly honer-to pro-
tect females from the hand of suffering
but this was not taken upon themselves
merely as thing of duty The heart
had much to do with it. Charles of leon
had entered Granada with whole heart
in his bosom; but since the moment when
the Moorish maiden had smiled upon him
in his moment of proud victory he had
given her place in his heart, As he gag
ed upon her now, he knew that the whole
of his heart was hers There was no
thought of expediency in his bosom-no
thought of causes and consequences-but
he acknowledged to himself the whole
truth. Those tears that fell from the
dark lashes of the beautiful girl, spoke
language to his soul more strong than
words, and the keenness of her suffering
appealed to his every sense of human
ity and knightly honor.
Fair maiden he said, at length-and
ne took her unresisting hand as he spoke
this is strange time and place for us
to meet, and the circumstances of the mo-
ment are more strange still. You must
not die-you shall not IT'S a fearful
thought to dwell upon self-murder
Zebra started at the words, and the
tone in which they were uttered, and she
gazed up into the speakers face.
ALAS and is it not fearful thought
to dwell upon life such as that to which
L am doomed 2 she murmured
But are there not those who can save
you from such fate 3
No. Who shall dare to thwart the
kirg2'
"A bold, rue-hearted knight shall do it
Were Mohammed thousand times king,
would dare snatch you from his grasp
You /" uttered Zebra, starting with a
sudden thrill of deep emotion.
'Yes, fair maiden. If you will trust to
me, L swear by the cross of the Savior,
that while [ live you shall not be the
kings
Zebra bowed her head, and Charles of
Leon felt her hand trenble violently
Speak to ne Will you accept my
pledge 2
4 ought not from Christian knight
But you, too, shall be a Christian -
You shall bask under the sunlight of that
religion that makes woman sacred-that
religion that recognizes the love of the
human heart as one of its own highest at
tributes. Many of the Moors are Chris
tians'
Il have often thought So
And may it not be mine to teach you
Tell me-will you accept my pledge 2
The fair maiden turned her gaze upon
the deep sorrow had given place to look
of calmer, heller feeling She thought not
of the knights being almost stranger to
her she only knew that he was kind, and
that he offered her protection. Like the
wayfarer through darkened forest by
night, who halls the sunlight with Joy, did
she bless the heart that had opened its
sympathy for her
4 cannot reject your kind Offer she
said
And you will trust fully 2
Yes
Zebra, if your happiness cannot be Sc
cured in Granada, what theE2'
The maiden pointed to the waters of
the Darro 2
Know you not that there are other pla-
ces besides the Darro p
None for me-
Yes, there are Surely you would not
hesitate to flee this country, if misery
alone awaited you here2'
NO
You would not hesitate to leave even
the roof of your father 2
The maiden started and Withdrew her
hand from the hold where it had been rest
ing. Though she seemed upon the point
of speaking, yet she remained silent.
Did my speech offend you ? asked the
knight.
No, no, sir | only thought how mea-
gre are the ties that bind me to Ben Ha-
med
But he is your father
You said | might trust you
Most implicitly returned Charles.
'Then,' said Zebra, in low tone, L have
reason to believe he is not my father but
he dreams not that hold the suspicion
You would not hold me indeed heartless
could | willingly fly from the parent that
gave me being
fNot if he were cruel
Cruelty, even, may not seperate the
hearts of child and parent. But / feel
that Ben Hamed is not my parent. My
old nurse told me he was not, and | have
reason to believe her words were true
You may be missed said Charles
Let us return
The fair oirl plaead her hand fraolv in