Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-10

| 4
The Legend Of the Princess.
amongst the barley stubble. 1t was on
| Thanksgiving Eve when / first spoke of
| love outright to Moa. We were in the
kitchen together, where the brown onions
! hung in ropes from the smoke-stalned beams
of the ceiling, and the old marriage plates
of nv fathers family hung on the wall.
! The fire burned low on the wide hearth;
great tree root Law beside it that had rolled
up from the beach for fuel. 1t was cracked
by sun, and strove, instead of using the
hatchet, to widen a long split with my
fingers and wrench piece away. She
Knocked me and said / could not do it. Her
eyes cleaned at me in the freight provok-
ingly, and the power of her womanhood
struck me like blow. 1 seized the great
root by two jagged horns of itand rived it in
halt, but still she Knocked at me. 1 stepped
across to her, took her roughly round the
waist and kissed her till she kissed me back
again and vowed before God to be my faith
full wife. Then I sought my mother and
told her the news.
"You are my son, and the house and farm
are yours" she said. And Moa has grown
up in the house, it is not to be denied. The
good God give you a true wife in herI'
She shook her head and twirled her distaff
till she broke the thread. / wentout vexed,
but soon forgot my grievance in the light OF
Moa's smile.
Henry Mercer heard the news next day.
1t had gone round the village. He smiled
and said that was likely fellow to have
gone so quietly about securing the hand
soonest girl in Hoosac He said, too, that
he grieved that he should not be able to
witness our marriage and salute the bride,
as the time had now come when he must re-
turn to New York. The evening came-the
last he was to spend among us-and he ate
and drank with us and told us stories.
He called Tor wine, and drank
| health to our betrothal.
| Phis isn't much of an inn, and it hasn't
| wine cellar, but he brought bottle of Ma
deira from the village. The glasses were
few, and he offered Moa his. The wine ac-
| quired richer flavor from the touch of her
| lips, he whispered in her ear. 1 heard him,
and passed it over as an idle compliment,
though I saw the red color burn across her
| cheeks and throat. An instant only, and it
was gone. But she took the glass and drank
10 him, and he to her. We told tales, and
sang, and he Joined us. And, last of all,
nothing would do but Moa must tell the
| story of the Witch Princess. He had al
ways praised her elocution whenever she
had recited anything, and told her that she
had the making of a fine actress.
Next morning he left us. He had bought
the old discarded spinning wheel in the
garnet, and my mother rejoiced in lapful
of silver coin. He had given me his meer-
schaum pipe with the silver setting. Every
body had a gift but Moa. I was secretly
vexed that she should be neglected SO.
! Christmas was not far off lad to go to
| Petersburg to buy extra provisions for the
holidays, and made up my mind to pur-
| chase something by way OF a gift for my
| girl. Night had fallen when l returned,
| and the door of the home stood open; but
there was no cherry freight to welcome me.
The table was bare. There were no prepara-
tions for supper. Beside the black hearth
my mother sat with her head bent upon her
knees A roughly scrawled letter lay be-
side her. stopped and picked it up. She
motioned me to read it. We both learned
what one of us had guessed before, Moa
was traitress to me.
Mercer had lured her away-she who was
only too ready to believe his fulsome praises
to trust his lying promises. She had it
in her to become a great actress, he had told
her-a woman who should rule the world
ere long bv the combined power of her
beauty and her genius. She promised to
make us all rich by and by. She babe me
| look elsewhere for a wife and forget her.
! She-I folded the letter, and raised nv
mother up, bidding her weep no more.
"What are you going to do?" she asked in
fear.
1 suppose looked wild and terrible
| enough.
'T am going to seek her out,"I said
''She says that she is to marry this man.
want to know that it is so.'
Then went upstairs, changed my clothes,
| put all the money l had into my pocket,
| and packed handbag for my Journey. 1
heard my mother moving below, lighting
the fire and getting the meal ready, for
whether a woman had broken her sons
heart or no, he should not starve-of that
| she was determined Before went down
| 1 laid the shawl that had bought for Moa
carefully away in the chest in which kept
my treasures, and as smoothed the folds a
great sob rose in my breast, and passion of
tears overlook me. But composed myself
soon and rose and went downstairs.
Early the next day was on my journey.
| l had something else in nv breast besides
my money! 1t was the gold chain with the
coral locket attached to it that had given
to Moa. 1 found it in hollow near the
threshold, where it had lain all night. The
chain was broken, as if she had torn it
roughly from her neck and cast it from her
! in breaking the last link of the fetter that
| had bound her to me. Although nv first
| impulse was to set my heel upon it and
! grind it to powder, it ended in my taking 1t
with me. Try as would, could not hate
| her all at once.
In New York first spent two days in
learning that there was no theatrical man
| ager named Mercer. Not even the smallest
variety show was conducted by such man.
| Of Moa l could get no trace. l frequented
the theaters, l searched in public bathrooms,
in the concert halls, in lower places still. 1
never rested, seeking night and day for
months. And at last 1 found her, one night
in the streets. She was poorly dressed, and
as the yellow gaslight fell full upon her
face, something in its look made me tremble.
L followed her, blindly, a long way it
seemed. Strangers spoke to her once or
twice, but she only turned her face upon
them for an instant, and glided on, like a
| ghost, thought. Resentment seemed dead
| in me. kept my revenge for Mercer. Only
a great wide pity filed my heart for the
woman who had betrayed me. We
went on and on, through the
! gaslit streets. 1t seemed not long
after that we were In the BoWery, and then,
still following closely behind her, we were
upon the wonderful bridge that crosses the
East river, with the long lines of lamps
stretching away before US till they seemed
to meet in point of fire at the Brooklyn
end. The black sky of midnight was over
head. The stars were few and pale. Be-
meath our feet the great river ebbed far be-
low the enormous span of the suspended
bridge. Moa leaned on the railing and
peered down through the network of iron
into the dark water. Suddenly she leaped
upon the balustrade. seized her before
she could take the leap. She fought like a
wildcat, but I would not let her 90. At
last, when dragged her back, and the light
shOne full upon my face, she Cried 'Al-