New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-04
seem to the involuntary prisoner awful

/ adven ture, she laughed softly to herself.
| was not an echo Of her subdued giggle tia
| emote upon her ear. She was sure sh
heard breathing. sigh. There. she hear
| it once more, and this time it seemed t
| come from behind the crusaders tomt
| Pshaw' it was the wind breathing throug
| the broken window. But the nigh: wa
still, and the glewsome silence Of this vas
| cavern was unbrOken by any disturbanc
| from without.
AS she looked and wondered a: her ow
tinldity, tremor ran over the figure @
the sleeping knight. Was it a culver O
| moonlight There it was again: L, cam
! and went as if some wave hat stirred be
| meath the marble surface. Aud as she gaze,
| with speeches. wonder, Sir Thomas d
| COmeyn actually drew up one o: his stor,
legs. let it fall again. and sighed like on
| awakening from a heavy sleep. There wa
no installing the movement this time
| Poor Patty telt ripple of cold glide dowI
her spine. and she involuntariiy put up he
hand to see if her back hair were actual,
rising ON her head, as it seemed. With an
other sigh, which Miss Patty thought yer,
| much like grunt, the knight drew up botl
knees; nnclasped his praying hands. and le
his stony gauntlets fall with a rude ciatte!
by lis side. Miss Patty restrained shrek
and furtively pinched herself to see if she
were really awake. Painfully assured O.
this, she sat rooted to the spot. \ me
ment's reflection gave her back all her wits
and she said to herself with wild bravado
Come, now. this is getting interesting"
Thomas de Comeyn, Norman knight
having contemplated his aristOcratic knees
for several minutes, lifted his head stiffiy
drew his arms up with a grating sound
elevated Ills shoulders. detached his fee.
from the slab where they had lain for So
many centuries, and painfully swung him.
self round az on pivot, letting his
greaved legs drop over the edge of the
monument. His arlnored hands fell on MS
knees with g. sullen clash and the KIN ht
gave a little grOan. which. az before, re.
sembled gIunt.
HE has the rheumatism" thought Miss
Patty, recalling Rip Van Wrinkle awak!ng
from his sheep of years.
The awful apparitlon had come over her
so by degrees that she was already becom-
ing familiar with it. Ii the crusader had
bolted from his tomb when she first awoke,
she would have probably screamed and
tainted on the pavement. 1t was too late
nov. 1t is the suddenness tina. kills.
With somewhat battered face, which
even a warm reflection from the figure of
ST. Thomas in the painted window failed to
endow with much intelligence, the crusader
looked down upon the young lady from
Oshkosh. He rested his iron clad heel in
the sculpture OF the tomb, and grumly said:
well, young woman"
Patty was well-bred, and with a Sigh:
quaver in her voice, she answered:
well, sir!'
The knights politeness was little rusty.
perhaps, for he made no more talk for a
but stony grin irradlated his
marble jaws. Finally, he said:
sel!''
What castle. may i. Please you, sir
knight" made answer tho young lady,
Walter Scott and Broissart.
castle Lincoln, had in mind, please
you. 1t was there III; lord lodged las.
night
The crusader was recovering bis good
manners, but he had lost his reckoning.
Last night" was centuries away. Who
vas his lord! Might she ask! How should
ne break the news of the death OF the earl
n whatever he might be! She parcied the
litficulty by saying:
''fou have been --''
She would have said ''asleep." but the
conscience of this nice girl was tender. and
he knew this would no. De true.
"Dead-dead," the knight added cheer.
bout it. There is no need for soft words.
God lady. Bat who is at the castle nowl'
I'll really don't know. haven: been
here'
Where is your home. if l may rudely :sk
o gentle maidv'
Il live in Oshkosh"
Gosh" The crusader looked perp,exe;i'
nd said: SIS Osh-, this place you sDake
f, in Wessex"
"Oh, no. sill! It's in Wisconsin,
"And Wisconsin, ROW think ne, is n |
"Oh, no. my lord. Wisconsin is one of the |
aited States Of America. Oh, forgot; |
merca was Lot discovered when YOU
ent to Sleep"
"Died, fair damsel. Died is the word. No.
never heard tidings Of the land YOU call |
merica. Is it a Christian country"
Well, not exactly said poo. Miss Patty,
little doubtfully.
What. Not heather Saracen, trust,"
I'd the knight invOluntarily gripped the !
lt OF the great sword that lay by his side. !
at is, not all of it"-.or Miss Patty sud
,nly remembered Utah, and hesitated.
lit must be fair and Christian country
ON which so well-favored maid as YOU
ay come.' said the knight. CALAMITY.
Thank you very much" the maiden
AIDE reply. 1--WE Americans are very
oud of our country"
'Oh no." quoth he. ''Then your people
e called Americans Now | bethink me.
was an American who broke off my toe
d took it away with him. And the
light looked down ruefully at his wounded |
Miss Patty blushed little, and thought
at she had small reason to be proud of
r countrymen, however they might feel
ward their country. There was an awk.
rd pause for moment; Miss Patty felt
It tbs crusaders manned foot was on
licate ground, and che was little hurt
st the knight should have spoken SO !
but this was middle age man.
DO you often wake up this way g she
led, with some timidity.
Nay, not often; only four or five times
ce my going TO sleep. as you call it, e
And you never met anybody to have
conversation with in all these centu. t
Centuries ~ replied the knight, with a K
ny air of astonishment. il
Yes; this is IN the year of our Lord
re the knight crossed himsell eighteen a
ldred and sixty three"
Oh, don't bother. What are years and d
turtles to me am immortal. The
I'D knows all about my exploits in
nee and the Holy Land. Did not take II
opoli by escalado! and was no. my -
cor of Naumur the means of recovering CT
of the fairest of our French provinces
'uce to your centuries and centurions, "
maid. The world will not soon forget b
What an insuferable cOxcomb" thought g,
young girl. THE world forgot him Sc
ago. But" che said. "who is your lord sd
HON you spoke just now!' al
1y lord the king" replied Sir Thomas NJ
Comeyn, proudly. Miss Patty was 10
r than before. Kings did not last long Sc
ng the troubled times in which Sir 81
mas lived.
,ou must have seen grea. many bat st,
in your time, sir knight
NJ he said, with sigh much like that | ca