The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-12-23

and beauCiiul lauleS WaNihB eWuroAu-
cred scarfs from the narrow windows.
| Another wing OF the palace was again
entirely different; it was gloomy man
sion, with dark, sad colored walls, which
looked weird in the moonlight. No
music resounded from the dark, dreary
windows; all was silent as death. The
lcourt yard in front was deserted, and
El0ng, rank grass had grown up between
| the irregular stones which served as
pavement. But as Mary watched, a light
appeared in one of the upper windows.
| The shadowy figure OF a woman was dis
cerned holding a light In one hand,
whilst the other pointed with skeleton
| fingers at broad cash in her neck, from
which the blood dripped to the floor. a
| wild shrek rang out into the midnight
air. the candle went out with splut-.
ter, and all was again dark and still as
death.
| Mary turned with shudder to her
companion, who, himself somewhat over--
come, murmured something about
"haunted" and ''murdered," and, as il
to call her attention to more pleasant
subject, pointed to another angle of the
building; there little cottage, over
grown with ivy, nestled among the,
trees. Between the parted red curtains,
from. which a soft light shone out on. 10
tuG HGdb RIdVCI Wdths tuO lHbCllVt Vi INV
of the rooms might be seen. The fire in
the open CRATE was burning brightly anG'
the Kettle was kissing on the hob. On
the rug in front of the hearth large cat,
curled up, lay purring eontentedly. On
the table, covered with a snowy ,damask
cloth, stood the tea things.
The master OF the cottage had just
entered, for pretty woman, apparently
his wife, stood by his aide holding his
wrapper, whilst she hung tenderly on
his arm as he bent fondly over cradle,
lovely" cried Mary. ayes" said Prince
Romance, swell enough; but awfully
hackneyedw There we're many other
parls of this immense building which
Mary could only discern dimIy. All
lseemed different, some lay entirely in
lruins, whilst others were again very,
Itresh and modern. She could desery
Iloyely gardens and parks, dark forests
and lonely lanes, canals and rivers, ver-
dant slopes reflected In peaceful lakes,
arid deserts. But what seemed most won-
Ideriul of all to her, was that in whatever
Idirection she looked she Immediately
seemed to be lowering over the very spot
ON which she had fixed her eyes. And
| then she would see some tragic deed
performed, some piece OF heroism, or
| here murder, there lover climbing to
/ a Iady's window, in another place des-
perate battle was raging and hun dred
and one other incidents passed before
her eyes until she was quite bewildered.
Then Prince Romance took her by the
hand and conducted her up the broad,
steps which aseended towards the chief
entrance. When she reached it she was
very much surprised to find that she was
Joined by great many more girls of her
own age, each of whom was accempan-
led by a gentleman, who lookeds0 much
like the Prince Romance by her side
| that Mary could not tell the difference.
The girls looked very tired and hag-
gard, as il they had been wandering
| long, long time In the palace and gar
dens OF King rinseL. Some were crying
bitterly. whilst others were silly, and
some were raying about all sorts- of I'M
possible things. But they walked on. in
. great crowd through galleries. hung
with pictures, which looked like family
paintings, until they came to great
banqueting ball, in which there was a
long table covered with delicious-looking
fruits. And q loud voice proclaimed
that all present We're invited by the
great X a., Tinsel 10 partake oEthe prod-
uce of has Kingdom. SO they eat down,
and as poor Mary was both hungry and
thirsty she did not wait to be asked, and
helped herself to q large, rosy apple.
But sue was terribly disappointed,
when, on placing u to her lips, it crum-
bled into tine dust, which flew away
Then Mary could not help feeling very
vexed ana angry, and thought she would
take no more Of the King IinsePs least.
30 she sat and watched the other girls,
and she discovered that While some
were as angry as she, others were
willing to take the sham Tor the real,
and continued in persesering efforts to
eat some OF the irult. A great many OF
the girls seemed MI and dying, when
suddenly the loud voice proclaimed,
that His Majesty King Tinsel would
now appear in person. With tnis, there
were about to iall in, the walls shook,
and the air seemed filled with famas
Tie thunder rolled, the firing Of can
non could be heard, the sound OF
trumpets, the cries OF men and women,
the neighipg OF horses, and the
tramp Of armed men. The din
was tremend0usi Suddenly all Was
still as death, Tue banqneting hall be.
came pitch dark, when tiny lumin GUS
soaI-0ubble came floating over their
heads, lowered ior a moment in mid-air
ground under their feet opened, and
Mary felt herself falling, falling, failing
to q great depth, when she heard the
voice Of her father long way OF, calling
"Mary, Mary" and the voice came near.
er and nearer, calling .'Mary, Maiy.p
Then Mary wanted to spring into, heI
| fatner's arms, but she was gently re-
, tanned. She struggled to tree herself
but all at once she found herself lying on
the rock by the sea, near her little cot
tage. The moon had disappeared, anC
there was Q streak OF light IN the far, fal
East. But over her were leaning hel
father and youths from the village will
t pale, anxious faces. "Ob, Mary, Maryp
lost; now could you 60 to sleep here?'
III Mary looked round, from one 70 ths
other, and as she rose, she said, "Only
: dream alter all"
III 10 tcld etl 4 dor la4 IA