The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1882-02-18

rank.
Tournament followed tournament. He
was always victorious, and was advanced
more and more in the favor of the king
and queen. But the new-felt passion of
| love tormented him. 1t tormented also
the far Maguelonne, who had never felt
1t before. And with fresh and sweet
sincerity, which cannot be too much COM
mended, she sent him word by her maid
OF her state of mind. Themaid arranged
an interview in her apartment in the
palace. The two lovers, whose love was
as pure as snow, vowed never to love or
to marry other man or woman. On her
entreaty he disclosed his name. But
there were political reasons why he could
not ask her hand of her father. 1t is
curious to note, III a story of that age,
that she did not care for rank; birth, she
said, was only an accident, and she
wished she had been simple peasant
girl, only then she would have liked him
to have lived on the next farm, so that
they could have married without leave of
anybody.
Obstacles to their union were many :;
she feared that some day her father
would compel her to accept for a hus-
band dlsagreeable knight whom she
hated. The lovers took the bold resolve
to escape together. Taking her per-
sonal jewels they sailed forth at night
on horseback, with few faithful attend
ants. At dawn they stopped in lonely
wood by the sea-shore to repose. The
tired girl, trusting always the honor of
her pure lover, slept reclining in his
arms. AS she slept, a little wooden box.
which contained the three rings of his
mother that Pierre had given her,
slipped from her pocket a sea-bird,
seeing 1t, swOoped down and carried it
off. Pierre, folding his cloak for Mague-
Tonne to rest her head upon, gently laid
her down and went in pursuit of the
bird, who dropped the box into the sea,
Pierre Jumped into leaky fishing-boat
which had no oars, and pushed out to
recover 1t. A wind blew the boat from
the shore further and further. Pierre
was III despair. The one accomplish
ment he lacked was swimming.
Result. The boat was blown out at
sea. Pierre was picked up by some
Moorish pirates, sold as a slave to the
sultan OF Alexandria, became a great
favorlte with the sultan, assisted him in
council and IN war. The sultan would
make him his son, and give him his
daughter. Pierre said it was not the
manner of his religion to have more than
one wife, and that he was betrOthed al
ready. The sultan thought the more
wives the better. He attempted to con-
vert his slave, but Pierre resisted all the
arguments of the dervshes and all the
Establishments of the seducing Oda-
hsques. At last after eight years of captiv-
witty, the sultan gave Pierre his liberty,
embarked him on vessel bound to Pro
vence, and enriched him with loads of
jewels and fine stuffs, which for security
were placed in fourteen barrels covered
with salt at each end.
The vessel stopped for water at a little
island. Pierre wandered ashore and
was left, while the vessel sailed on and
by chance came to Aigues-Mortes, and
left the barrels OF salt at hospital on a
little island near by, IN charge of the
superior, who stored them away, having
learned that they were the property of a
passenger left behind. And in this pas
senger, for some reason, she took an I'M
common interest. Pierre, after as many
adventures as Ulysses, came at last him
self to Algues-MOrtes, sick and forlorn,
and sought the shelter of the hospital,
over which presided a charming young
superior, who always wore her veil,
whose name was concealed, and who was
only known by her bountiful charity and
her loving, tender spirit to all the I'M
fortunate
The story of Maguelonne, after her
abandonment, is equally romantic. She
dared not go back TO Naples, for fear of
involving her attendants in dire punish
ment. Instead, she made a pilgrimage
TO Rome III company with an honest and
lovely family wkO were going there to
get dispensation from the pope for the
marriage of their daughter to hercousin.
From Rome she sought Provence, the
country of her lover. There she found
that the story of her fight was known.
and from what she heard of the anger
of his parents against her, she did not
dare 20 present herself to them. She
went to the little island near Aigues-
Mortes, and founded hospital for pill
grlms. Her renown soon spread. Among
those who came to see her were Count
Jean and Isabella, his wife. They
learned TO love her for herself: and.
finally, she disclosed to them her name,
and all her faithful love and hope. She
heyed that Pierre had been captured by
the Moslems, and that some day he
would return.
One day a fisherman brought to the
chateau at Cavaillon a fine turbot. and
presented it to the Countess Isabelle.
What was her surprise on opening it to
find within a small wooden box which
contained the three rings she had given
to Pierre. This wasproof to the parents
that Pierre was dead, and they had per
formed funeral services accordingly.
But Maguelonne would not accept this
as proof of his loss, and still waited for
him.
Ia the hospital Pierre, who was very
weak, was tenderly nursed by the yelled
superior, who, however, did not dare to
disclose herself for fear Of the effect of
sudden Joy in his exhausted condition.
He told her his sad story At length
when he was little recovered she told
him that Maguelonne lived, that she
knew her well; and one day she brought
Pierre a letter written In Maguelonne's
own hand, which he recognized. When
she feigned the necessity OF three DAYS
absence, on her return she invited Pierre
TO supper IN her apartments. What was
his establishment to see there his father
and his mother, and Maguelonne herself,
in her radiant sweetness
Does not all the world know that they
were married Immediately, and that they
succeeded to the throne OF Naples. prob
ably the happiest king and queen who
ever sat upon it, or on any throne, and
that their only son united on his head
the crown of Naples and that of the
Comte of Provence? It IS needless Il