Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-10-06

up and cry for Vera till the walls re.
echoed as though the lead bones around
had sprung up 20 life and shouted her
name. Then he would cry: 1T is a
dreaml There Is no Veral' But her
image would return TO him SO clearly that
the d~elusion vanished.
Meanwhile Vera, sitting whore she had
fallen, weeping bitterly and in fear.
awaited the return of the ogre. He came
at last, laundering along the passage and
looked into the room.
Princess Vera" he said grimly, you
have broken your promises which you
gave me. Now hear me. Tomorrow at
daybreak you shall go to the Giant OF the
West to wed him. Tomorrow. also at
daybreak, the dainty prince shall die"
So saying, he bolted the door and went
noisily to his room. For a long time Vera
sat weeping, and at last night came.
Through a grated window overhead she
could see darkness coming down. soon
the little stars burst through the sky.
and gradually a growing brightness In
the blue darkness told her the moon was
climbing up her path of light. The soft
moonbeams stole into the room. They
only made Vera more sad, for they re-
minded her that when The moon should
uloaIDtdI iIolI VIC Shy ulld dhJ DIcuh
over the world, her fate would be fulfilled
and her misery complete. SO she only
wept the more. Suddenly the room
seemed brighter, and, looking up, she
saw a large moonbeam floating in at the
window. and carrying III with 1t a beauti-
full little figure, clad in fine green gauze,
and with a crown OF jewels like tiny
needle points in her loose golden hair. In
her right hand she carried q little golden
wand, tipped with a minute gem. Her
feet were encased in delicate green silk
slippers, and her chariot was a sweet bud
of blue bell.
She came forward in the room and said:
"Do not weep, 0 Princess Vera! ! am
the Fairy Voma, "a princess among fairies,
and having seen your woes from my
palace in the moon, | am hear to save you
Open that door, walk out TO the gardeu
where you met the beautiful prince, M
ere the moon goes down to rest your
prince will be with you, and you will be
safe"
But you forget, most kind fairy" said
Vera, half smiling through her tears,
that there are locks and bars, and sen
tries TO be overcome, and | shall try In
vain. Nays my uncle, the ogre, may hear
me and Stay me"
'Ilal hal" laughed the fairy, with q
laugh like the jingleo of silver bells. Take
this blue bell, and no door, though bolted
with all the bolts Of earth, shall refuse to
open, no sentinel presume to wake, and
as for thy uncle, the ogre, leave him to
me-"
But the prince began Vera
Co. said the fairy, and leave him
also to me-"
SO Vera went; and lol every door
turned on its hinges as though no bolt had
ever been there, and she passed on. and
every sentry slept the sounder rs she
passed. On she went. and paused not
till she was safe beyond the walls and at
the spot where she had met the prince,
and there she waited.
The fairy, meanwhile, went TO the
princes cell. and she awoke him from
slumber, saying. Arise. . prince! No
longer Jewelbrand but Lovingheart.
Arise, and 60 forth to meet the princess
who awaits thee where We mctl 10! ] ara
come to help ye both. Arise and go! and.
when ye meet, pause not but fec TO thy
home" And he arose, and 10! every door
turned and let him pass. and the ~sentries
slumbered and heard him not. So he
wen: forth and met Vera and kissed her
in the moonlight; and Vera and he. paus-
ing not, fled away westward, marveling
what Fairy Voma would do to Ogre Ugo.
Now, when Voma entered the oGre's
room, the ogre sat in his chair asleep;
and. as he slept, his long shaggy beard
and mustache waved like banners with
bis heavy breathing. The fairy smiled,
and, taking a jewel from her crown, she
pressed II between her hands and rum
bled it into dust. The moon was nearly
set. Voma took the dust and sprinlIed
1t over the Ogre's mustache II head, and
| then sprang upon a moonbeam, which was
stealing from the chamber, and In n mo-
| ment she was flashed back TO her fairy
sphere.
At the same instant tho ogre. inhaling
a deep breath. drew up his nostrils the
minute fairy lust and emitted a sneeze
like a thousand thunders. Sneeze after
sneeze rolled forth. The castle rocked
and groaned, the roof cracked, and then.
with a crash that woke half the world
from sleep, down fell the whole massive
building and crushed the ogre and his
sentinels into n~othipgness. 30 persisted
Ogre Ugo.
Vera and Prince Lovingheart heard the
crash, and felt the earth shudder at the
shock. They fled the faster and reached
the princes home after many days jour
neying. There Vera and he were married,
and war was carried on against the Giant
of the West-now the last of the giants
and he fell before the princes sword.
And when the old king died the prince be-
came king, and lived to see sons and
grandsons, and daughters and grand.
daughters playing around the royal foot
STOOL. Lauchlan MacLean Watt In
Home Journal