, 1877-03-31

acceptance Of tlsA n.fyi'c. fe Orcyctl tic door
w wns forced; md Ghnntcte with n select nunbcr
ii The ilrtt night Of tic spectacle that met
their eyes, all drew hack in n'nazoment. Thuro
on tic outside Of tho bctl lay woman. drcstrtl
robc. On l,tr wrists were bracelets Of go'd, set
with priceless jewea. and her No :klncc seemed
entirely mntlc 81 precious stas,cs. slle worc
l'csit'tess q simple bn. rcl, con.t.ustIon aud
facc, rested ahore her head. The sight. even
from distance, was 80 dazzling that thoac wi'o
had entered the room stool still III specGhlcss
nst0nlshmcrt. But 1ftcr Il moment thry drew
near snd lookel upon her face. Il was ravlsl,-
ingly beautiful; hut tho checks retained no trace
of color, the s'ehtly;,partc!l lips wcrc n,oslon-
less. !hc high fotclicn1 waa 4" esd anil white As
death was nut long a nystcry: In her right hand
evidently tlrf1 poison.
almost Us pale as tic corpse. Jaclncs WIS tho
tlrst to spcak. "Wlas can this mean, ncigt'-
AZ shook tleir heals in silence. There was
It suddenly occurred to then, to survey tho
n,urn. On thc l,,treau they discovered n large
nursc, fIlctt with gold pieces, and beside Il was
note written Ia pencil,
"My goh friends: when yon rcatl this shall
he M more. Seck mt to know who Tasi tho
story would hut rrn]cr you unhappy. AIl nsk
II that yo'i Will a,tir5 mic Just ~ ! am. In tho
purse you will find money, whtel' will pay for
my innsra; Ic rest keep and may ii bring
: Two days after sl,ia was cele'ratc,l thu great
cst funeral TINT The little town Ind evor kin,wn.
Tho "irinccss," a. they callo.l Tho unknown
ono, md many wcrc tho tears shed by tic sim
pic pcppto for tic totrowiul ctltt Of the beauli-
fnl lady. Over ilcr they PLACED simple stone,
raised on four snppOrtA: and 1n IL &hHr c-
i. S.1kfs 7. s'0'' A''A 'D' e''''A'A'' 'e''''''
II.
Twelve years llnve gono by since tho tlny that
saw tho burial OF tho myAtcrlous "priuccss,"
ycars that have wrought little more change II.
tho outward appearance of the village thnn dill
tho preceding twelve; what alteration there Is
is chiefly IN tho direction Ut decay. Among tic
Inhabitants tho cllangc is. OF course, moro ap-
prcciable; many arc dcad, many hayo been
burn, md tl,,so who wcro, children thon nre mon
and women nov; hut tho ncw generation is, fiji
all essentials. ono with tho old; they havc tho
satno bellcfs and llsbcltois, tho same manners,
the same topics Of convcrsattnn.
In community 80 seldom disturbed by cx-
traorllnarY events It Ia NATURAL that, when by
chnree sncsi n ono docs occur, its memory
will long continue frcsh; aud when,
by tho ultimate satisfaction or wcarlncss
Of human curiosity it ceases to possess tho
cllar,l Of novelty, It will yet hold It's p'aco as
ono Of those traditions handed down u hctr-
looms from gtncsation to generation. So It WIS
Will. tic mystcry ot tic beautiful lady. Thu
village wscarrva had long ago taxe.l their ut
most ingenuity in tho attempt to solve the rid
die, but In vain; aul now It rcmans as story
to bo told to wondering groups Of children, md
n ncvrr.!ailtng kourto OF sclf-sAttsfartton and
Importance to those who, like ouF friend jacques
IN A]x
the q Prlncuss."
Tho grass is green and fresh in the little
battle-ground. and the 1caly, spreading
branches Of the old trees make cool
nud pleasant shade, where, III tho cur-
ncr lcast occupied by graves, number
Of children arc spending In noisy Play tho long
1ours Of the summer afternoon. Not far from
thctn, on ono Of tho low stones that nrn plnccd
OH either sldc OF tho wooden gate which leads
out Into tho road, ats q young woman, now
bending her head over some knitting TINT lies III
her Imp, now dropping her -hanlo to ga1o fur q
moment with q pleased look at thy group OF
children. Shc Is tho daughter Of jacques, tho
a tnuther, she well remembers tho morning
| when her father sent her up-atairs to Knock ut
| tho door OF tic Indy who was found tlcndt aud
ehc + fond Of telling nbont hcrchlldish fright to
tho little ones who arc always realY to ruin tE
| from tho nelghbors' houses to talk about
| Nanelte, as they call her. Seated Oil thu grass
IN tho midst Of tho children who arc at pny -
Nanettc's own lItt1o girl, not years old; SUD.
| denly putting down her work by her sldc tho
mothcr callA to ono nf the noisy crowd:
"E!sse, dear, take nE baby ! and bring her to
Elise obeys, and taking .thc,lttt1e child in her
ar,1ls comes up and seats II n Its mothcr'A lap.
just ~ size has given the chlll a carcss and Ia
turning to 90 back to her naymatca, the ,ittlc
Ills figure Is tall ind uprtghtt md there Is Moth
Ing nbout hlm 10 lead on0 to suppose tint hc ia
old except Ills face. That, however, 10 wrlnklcl
and worn. and tho short beard Ia thickly strcwn
with gray hairs. Ills oyes too, hare nn an1-
ious, tired look, and glance rcstlessy from one
stdU to the other. On Ills back he carries
small wallet. and has stick in hls hand, though
seemingly not for tic sake Of support.
Nnncfto and Elise watched tile man as lc
walked along tho path leading Acr0ss tho grave
yard. When he had rot short DISTANCE from
them lie turned 9tl on to th9 Krass n'll down,
stood on iGur % supports then tosk I'll his waist,
opcueu II, and began TO cut Bonlo bread that
he took from It., lie had probably cllosen this
STONE for = seat hccauso 1t was perfectly clcan;
Or overgrown with grass; THU. however. though
evidently oil, seemed well cared for BY some
ono and kept in good order, He had hardly be.
gun to cut when tho group Of Children noticed
hin, and suddenly leaving of their game ran
:" Nal.ctte, Nancttc,n thoy cried ali together,
Il Lookl The old man ID sitting on the frnccss'
grave. Nl9ntn't VIC lell HIN u GoAWayl NO ono
must sit there,h
Nnuctte seemed to be iu doubt for moment.
Well, childrcn,n she satd ut last, "you
mustn't be rude to him, but, Elsie, Will you 60
grave to bo uacsi TO sit On, and that we should
| DO glad IL be- WOULD move on TO anothurl"
Eiisc ran oil to tlo her bidding. Sns stood
before tho man, md, In soIncHllat tlnltd yuico,
afraid at first us llc looked at her with hIa sad
| oyrs, but her fear soon vanished when she saw
| tho s.nlio which played about Ais lips when ahe
| had flnlshod.
"And why don't they wtAh any one TO sit
| hcrc, my cisillf" Ao asked.
Ellso was silent. The man rose from tho
stone Hnl locked OH Il for tho inscription. lie
saw nothing but cross md tho letters Il. l. +.
"Who Ia buried hereif
The child scuined unwilling to answor.
ar il long story" 4bo said, after minutes
| silence. Como To- Nanettc; ahs kuows all
| about Il; sfe will tell your
Al ihHsa words fbe Al rancrta el1rtnsikY Arrm-