The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-07-19
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE: WASHINGTON c. THURSDAY JULY 49,

children with astonishingly abundant tears,
which gushed in jets from her eyes.
as it not absurd ?" laughed Catherine; but
when Ildefonso turned she saw that he was
weeping too. "Surely the statue is not so pa
thetic as to cause the beholder to shed tears ~
she exclaimed, wonderingIy.
may lady, be replied, II wept at my own
grief and not those OF the marble woman
yonder."
What is your grief?" Catherine asked,
kindly.
at is homesickness," he replied, shyly. "I
long for the convent where was lay brother,
where, though performed mental offices, | was
yet regarded as an equal by the monks, and
enjoyed walking in the cioister garden, or
hearing the choir chant in the chapel, or even
gossped with the illuminators in the library,
and found many design for my confectionery
in the arabesques and their missal borders"
"But here suggested Catharine, you are
member of the Kings court"
Better" replied Ildefonso, quoting from
memory from something which he had heard
read in the refectory while the monks took
their meals, is a dinner of herbs where love
is than stalled OK and hatred Herewith"
"You are not polite" said Catherine, with
dignity"
ave are not hidden to be polite to the Evil
One and he has yexed me sore since | came
here"
"How is that?" asked Catherine, euriously.
"He comes into the kitchen nearly every
night and makes havoc with all my prepare
tons for the next day. Sometimes | find the
cnrrants and rasins strewed about the floor
| Sometimes a fire will be kindled under the
ovens, and a good substance placed therein and
and burned TO cinder. If there chance to be
pie in the harder it is invariably broken into
and damaged so that it is no longer fit to be
set upon the Kings table. The jars of confture
are often broken and the paste trampled upon
| in the kneading- troughs Neither bolts nor
| locks, nor charms nor tallsmans, avail against
the plague, and / am an undone and miserable
man."
at is the ghost" said Catherine.
"Yea, l have heard that the great people of
| the house have seen ghost but as for myself
would not look upon it for the world. Spirits
| have the power of the evil-eye and if they look
upon you viii change you to stone. And in
that case there would be two weeping fount-
! aims, a man as well as woman"
| If this ghost could be driven away would
you then be content to bide with us?" Cath
crime asked.
mo longer than the King compels me.
have said that long for my convent. was
not made for Kings kitchen"
"Then why do you satisfy the King so well
| IF your pies were less toothsome he would soon
! give you leave of absence"
"If they were poor would be remanded to
the chambers of tortura or perhaps lose my
head Alas! I fear there is no relief for me,
and pie of mine will never again grace the
board OF the merry monks of Alcobaca."
Catherine sighed. Both gentle and simple
! have their hearts grievances" she said, and
| entered the palace, pensive and troubled
/ The Kings dwarf, a merry little jester, whose
| business it was to keep the court in good hui
NOR, plucked at her sleeve.
GOOD mistress" he said. did 1 not see you
conversing with that saucy knave the cook?"
NauB 10 h.tft hat tlyo
| have you against him?"
Simply that it is he who has raised all this
| fright of ghosts and phantoms TO wreak revenge
| on my royal master. I'll wager that the ghost
is none other than he of the saucepans, and if
his gracious Majesty viii permit me, will lie
in wait for him aud finish him upon his next
| appearance"
Catherine was troubled "Do nothing as
yet she said. II myself will thoroughly sift
| this matter"
She sought her sister, and held a long con-
! ference with her.
Would it not be well," she suggested, " to
! imprison the cook for a time in his own room,
and see whether there is any truth in what the
dwarf says?"
Philippas face only assumed a deeper shade
of gloom,
| ghosts she said, sadly. Would that it were
The evil lies deeper, and has its seat in the
| King himself, though he, poor man, is uncon-
| scious of it. | have twice awakened in the
dead of night, seized with a great trembling,
whose cause knew not. to find the King gone.
| When / left tho room in search of him, and
| wandered up and down the corridors | found
him not, nor dared | awaken my attendants
| or alarm the guards, for | would not have them
| to know how grievonsly their master is plagued.
Once when | returned to my room | found the
| King sleeping peacefully, and when l awakened
| ha hat he had lofr tha
chamber. At the second alarm sat me down,
alone and trembling, to watch what would
| happen, and presently the King entered the
room, but so bewitched that he saw me not,
and answered me strangely when / spoke to
him, and on the morrow he confidently af-
! firned, as before that he had not left his bed
| surely" said Catherine, " the plot thickens,
and l know not what TO think"
She wandered into the library, and selected
an old book on the Black Art. She sat reading
this until late in the night in her sisters bou-
doir. 1t was filed with stories of Moorish
sorcerers, and was enough of itself to frighten
a nervous girl into commissions. Suddenly she
heard step on the tiled floor of the passage
upon which this room opened. With the step
came the Slow solemn sound of the clock strik-
ing midnight. The footballs kept time with
each stroke, and seemed to lie approaching. In
a moment more figure i'll long gown, hold
Ing lamp and sword, passed the open door.
Catherine snrang to her feet.
1t ,Uas not ghost, but the King himself.
Catherine followed him, bravely determined
to solve the mystery. He passed by the room
occupied by the court physician, and Catherine
paused long enough to knock and arouse the
/ learned doctor; but when she turned again the
gliding figure had disappeared. She ran up
one staircase and down another, but she had
completely lost him. The physician joined her
In moment, and they wandered about little
to no purpose. Suddenly the memory of what
lldefonso had said of the havoc which the
ghost made in his pantry came TO her mind,
and exclaiming, Let us go to the kitchen!"
she ran heetly in front of his eminence the
doctor, who was portly man, and somewhat
slow to follow an idea. When she reached the
kitchen strange sight met her eyes. There,
comfortably swinging in one OF the great brass
kettles, which happened to be attached to a
crane, sat King John, with his royal legs dang
ling over the side, and his royal hands engaged
in dissecting pie which he held upon his knees
The sword and the lamp stood upon dresser
table. The former had clearly been used in
carving the pastry upon which he was now
lunching.
Catherine approached him and spoke to him,
but he made no answer
He is asleep" said the court physician; it
would be exceedingly dangerous to awaken
| him now"
But just as he spoke, a small 1.-the figure
which had been concealed III an angle Of the
chimney, sprang to a crank by which the ket-
Ties were lowered and hoisted, and loosening