Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-05-01
A ROMANCE BY B. L. FARJEoN.

"'We shall see.'
:" 1 had no thought of defiance. 1t was
/ only that l would not tamely submit to
slavery.
"' Where are the men now?' I asked.
They have gone in the direction of a
beautiful house which the old lord built
when he was young. 1t has not been
inhabited for years. Come, will show it
to you
sit was a dark night, and followed her
to my old haunt. 1t was ablaze with
light. Sounds of loud laughter and sing
ing foated through the air.
They are enjoying themselves, Rant.
&c Yes the new reign has commenced
we'll
GO The cellars are filled with rich wine
Why did you not tell me before. We
would have feasted on it.
GO L dared not speak of the place, Rant !;
dared not go near it, lived there when
was girl
8" And that made you afraid of it.
"' Strange things were done there. The
old lord was wild and reckless, headstrong
bloody
"' Headstrong and bloody enough for
murder?'
"' Speak low. A young lady was
brought there against her will. The old
lord had taken a fancy to her, and he stole
her from her friends. She went mad, and
onemorningwas found dead in the grounds.
I" Did she die a natural death ?
&C. No one knew.
GO You are mistaken, mother. Even |
know, who never heard the tale before
The Mauvains must be a brave race of
men.
SIS You are right, Ranf they are as
brave as lions and as fearless
"We had approached close to the house,
and were seen. Half-a-dozen drunken
roysterers rushed towards my mother and
seized her. She cried for help, and in a
moment l was engaged in desperate
struggle. Truly found my strength pro-
digious, and my veins thrilled with exulta-
ton as l flung the men from me and
stamped upon them. Their shouts brought
others out, and they came with torches,
and some stood about and laughed at the
| fight. | have the scene before me now,
Leontine; a patch of light, with torches
waving deep darkness beyond and 1 and
I twenty men struggling like demons. My
mother had escaped in the confusion, and
/, taking advantage of the opportunity,
found favorable moment to leap into the
| darkness.
"'It is an imp of hell, heard the men
cry, as 1 escaped.
81 overlook my mother she was in an
agony of fear.
"'There is an end of us, she whim-
pered; 1 wish you had died at your
birth
est might have been as well, said
If you did not want help you should not
have called for it..
'They will come tomorrow and whip
you
"' 1t will cost them something. owe
them gratitude but for them might not
have known how glorious it is to be
strong
"My mother spoke truth. In the morn
ing the men came to our hut and, being
now sober, conquered me more easily than
1 had expected. There were plenty of
them, and l gave them marks to show for
their pains; but my resistance was useless
| was bound with ropes, set astride a
horse, and led towards the house of which
l had been master for so many years. My
enemies were free of their words, and
Knocked my deformity, and tainted me in
brutal fashion for my ugliness and crook
edness. They had monkey with them,
and they strapped it on to my hump, and
jeered at and fouted the pair of us, saying
we were brothers, and that one mother
bore us. When 1 shut my eyes in the en-
deavor to forget them, they spat in my
face. These were men, Leontine. Would
beasts have behaved so?
81 could not learn what they intended
to do with me. They threatened SO many
things to burn me, to drown me, to hang
me, to whip me to death. Could | have
invoked humiliation at any moment during
that humiliating ride, 1 should not have
hesitated.
"We arrived at the house 1 was lifted
from the horse, and, with the monkey
still fastened to my shoulders, was set on
a hight. My tormentors formed them
selves into mock court of justice was
tried, found guilty, and sentenced to be
thrown upon stack of damp straw, which
was to be fred at every point if
escaped suffocation by smoke was to be
tried again. Now, while the straw was
being collected and piled up in an oper
space at some distance from the house
an unexpected incident in the drama oc
Cured. A company of gentleman OF
horseback suddenly made their appear
ance. They were handsomely dressed
and in gay spirits. They reined up in
front of me.
81 was seized with desire to mock my
fate and make light of it, not doubling
that their mood would fall in with that o.
my prosecutors.
My lords and gentlemen, said, en-
deavoring to incline my head toward:
them, you have arrived in time for the
confagration man is about to be burnt
1t is sight worth paying for. and yor
shall witness it for nothing.
They inquired my meaning.
"' Ask your equals, said, pointing tc
the men who were approaching me for the
purpose of executing their threat.