Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1881-04-29
4 sslfft sturg.
THE LADY MABEL,
A Tale en- the Days sf Chi,.,ry.

ne l.auv MAbie had been Ieft AL
orphan while yet . child, and hence
had never known mothers or a
father love. Brought up alone in her
patsrnai castle her only playmate Dad
oeen page, IN the service ot<he
bold knight who, in her behalf. conf
manded the garrison OF the fortress,
Between thesS two children an sffec-
ton sprang up, which both remember
ed many years .ftsrward, aud which
vas the cause of many tear 10 she
Lady Mabel.
When she WAS in her t-Sh ysar.
and the page in his four the
latter was removed, in ordeiAN ~
= squirs-at-arms, he might learn X
duties Of true knight. TO which sta.
ton he Was destined. Perhaps. too,
the shrewd cid warrior. who acted
as governor of the castle, feared tnas
the poor cadet might become danger
Gus, If allowed to continue. so the
page Roland went to France, TO serve
IN the wars: aud the Lady Mabel vas
left alsne with her hand mxidena
This separation Was the Lady Ma
bells first real sorrow. For neaFty .
week she wept necessarily. But time
At last sofiened her regrets. She
grew up lovely aud accomplished, and
was courted b. all. Aisigh,een ,lsre
wss not lovslier female in all log
land. Her dark and lpstsaax rs
the redundant masses or her raven hair,
aud the mingled grace aud majesty Of
her person. were the admiration OF all
who beheld her.
Al first she heard occasionally OF
Roland, \ wandering minstrel, who
had BEEN IN France. would sometimes
stop ~ the caArle, aud bring news
from the camp; and, on oil such occ.
slons, the name of the young knight,
. squire no longer, was SURE TO os
mentioned with rncomiums
The Lad, Mabel heard how he had
been dubbed knight on field OF bat.
tie for his hsrol.m, by the hand OF
the monarch himself; how he had
been foremost IN the breach a. the
assault OF more than one fort4ksd
tower; how he had served, a noble
countess f.om fate worse than death.
BY rescuing her from some eeboo,er.
at the sack Of city. Singular TO
relate, this last news, so honorable TO
Sir Roland, created pang in the
Lady Mabel's bosom. Was she jea-
Ious OF the countess If so, she did
not continue Jealous long, for suddenly
she heard that Sir Rowland, moved
By the preaching OF II holy monk, had
assumed the cross and sailed for
Palestine.
And now months and wears passed
without at word being heard a, the
castle of the absent page. At the end
OF the third summer. however. a
palaer arrived. who said that, when
he left the HOLY Land, Sir Roland
WAS alive and we'll, and WAS regarded
as one of the bulwarks of Christen-
dom. How the heart OF the Lady
Mabel leaped at this intelligence
But her JOY was soon rudely dissi-
Pa:ed. AS reward of the crown,
according to feudsl customs, her hand
was at the disposal of the king; and
he now announced his intentions to
give it away in speedy marriage.
This intelligence revealed to Lady
Mabel the state Of her heart. In the
near danger of becoming the wiz of
stranger she discovered the secret
Of her interest in Sir Roland. She
loved him. And at first even death
seemed preferable to her threatened
fate.
But soon CLEAN of hope was af-
forded her. The monarch, finding
the applicants for her hand nunsr-
our gave notice that her person and
estates should be the reward Of Il .
best lance, and announced . grand
tournament to be held that day six
months, in which the prize was to be
contested. Such methods of dispos-
ing of q beautiful heiress were not
unfrequent in the age of chivalry.
1t was soon known chat every knight
of any pretensions in the whole king
dom had announced his intention of
being q candidate at the tournament.
Some, in foreign lands, had been sent
for by their friends, in order that they
might contest the prize. A drowning
person., it is said, will catch at .
straw, and the Lady Mabel hoped
that among others Sir Roland would
appear. She knew that most of the
crusaders were returning home, and
with the sangulne hope Of youth she
trusted that he would come back in
time, and prove the eonqusror.