St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-28


reSenting the palace of Queen Nab,
gallery as far as the eye could reach,
sustained by fluted columns in mala-
chite and lapiS-lazuli, with bronze capt.
tails, alabaSter statues and mammoth
chandeliers carved from solid crystals.
One of those sumptuOuS caverns paved
with precious stones that Sinbad the
Sailor, or the Count of Monte Cristo
saw, perhaps, in their distant wander
ings. They could not otherwise have
lodged fairy.
The hall of the Porte Montmartre was
gorged with spectators; not a seat was
vacant save Chair No. SIS, which Loredan
Montagnac had only just quilted to take
up his station in the couliSSeS. And
there it was that he presently found
himself, leaning against a section of I'M
used scenery, receiving on his barred
head the fiery glow from triangle of
flaring gas jets. He had even dis
pensed an amende of some twenty-odd
francs to the machiniStS and shutters,
his prosecutors, for having inadVert-
antly called ropes that which these ex-
cellent people, better advised, desig-
mated lends"
The orchestra executed with fury
and fracas a grand triumphal march;
the violins shrieked, the hautboys
groaned, the contre BASES ratified out
sordlneS and sordets, the tromhones
roared, the drums and cYmbals thumb
cred, the flageolet whiStled, and all in
fashion TO tickle the ear of a Chinese
bOnZe.
The animated flowers" defiled across
the stage, the purple Dahlia, the white
Camellla, the Anemone. Mimosa. Pink,
Peony and all the way down through
the lexicon of blossoms to the Royal
BelladonDa, with its scarlet bells.
Then began the ballet before the gen.
tie Queen Nab. stretched upon the cush-
ions of her throne, relating to the cham
berlains how she had run all the day
along the wood of Meudon In company
with young lord by the name of Raoul.
Behind the canvas at the back they
were maneuvering the iron cage where
bounded. maddened by the crashing of
the instruments, the lions and pantherS
of the Englishman, which Englishman.
by the way, having put drop too much
in his grog and drunk drop too much
of the self-same grog, was enjoying
somnolent beautitude while awaiting
the call to visit his beasts under the
safeguard of white-heated iron.
All at once hiieous roaring made
Itself heard above the blare of the
trumpets. Theh cry of anguish and
deSpairing clamor rising from thou
sand threats. Coryphees and danseuses,
wild with terror, precipitated them
selves from stage to corridor; women
swooned with lamentable means, stri-
dent laughter and hySterical sObs; men
ran away.
The lioness IA sleek, vicious deviD had
made her escape from the cage, leaped
to the front. felled with blow of her
powerful paw poor little marcher;
then, terrified by the calcium glare, the
fame of the footlights. scraping vioilns
and sonOrouS vibrations of the big bass
drum, had suddenly stopped short in
her bound, and stood immovabe. But
only for second. With tail flashing
her TANKS like an angered cat, the cruel
fangs cleaning white between the
suarling jaws, she simply waited to Sc
iect her victim.
The red eyes blazed ferociously, the
formidable claws scratched and raked
the planks, tearing to tatters the tulle
scraps, the flowery garlands and ban
neTs of the poor little figurantes. left
behind in their mad fight for safety.
What should be doue? Seek arms!
Brain her where she standsi Send
shot to her heart! A hundred voices
commanded; nobody obeyed. Howl
ings, calls. the decks cleared for COM
bat, but an inSensate disorder; bodies
barring all the issues, torrent of
struggling beings pouring from the eX-
its; doors and ratings cracking like
straw under the pressure of the mad
dened crowd.
Never a more terrifying scene had
distracted Paris.
Maopr,f,;lo Ji++Io n,,oo- NFot> $3.50,
Lucie Bell. fascinated by the basiliSk
gaze of the beast, groaned inert and
painting on her heap of cushions. a
livid pallOr had suddenly changed that
radiant visage to mask of wax, and
her blue eyes drowned In tears were
closed in resigned StupOr.
The lioneSS watched her. One Sec
ond more and the child would be the
beasts helpless preyl
Loredan Montagnac did not stop to re-
fleet. In his hand he held his cane, a
light, supple stick, a flexible wand,
rather. topped with gold ball. He
flung himself forward, blind to every
thing but the fact of Lucie Bells peril :;
the cane descended once, twice, thrice.
"a ge and fury in the rain of blows and
the muscles of good right arm.
At the sight of that man in the dress
coat of Partisan society, fighting fol a
life, and literally Offering himself as a
substitute to the teeth and claws of the
terrible animal, the clamOr redoubled,
but only to still as quickly to solemn
silence. as if to do homage to him who
was going to die!
But Loredan Montagnac did not die,
Th force of his will was such that the
un conscious will of the beast gave away
to mans, mind dominated matter. Lore
dan willed to save LucIe Bell; he tel
IN him unknown strength for the mo-
ment superhuman, ineXhaustible and
scornful of all other strength.
Fast and furious the little wand
leaped and played about the lioness'
muzZle, the twitching ears, the narrow
skull, the long. crooked fangs. Lore
dams gaze, charged with hate, plunged
deep into the ferociouS eyes of his en-
envy. And-how was it done? that en-
envy was vanquished. In minute? In
century? No one could tell which,
Then the Englishman, Weakened by
the uproar from his doltish sleep, ar
rived with his net and his white-heated
iron, and sooner than l can give details
the beast was fast in the cage again.
and Lucie Belle, Queen Nab no longer.
but reSuScitated and loving woman,
clinging TO the neck of her preserver
and murmuring in voice warm with
tenderness:
sit was You, then, that loved me-"
For that evening, at least, the Specta-
tors received more than their moneys
worth. and Loredan the promise later
on of petite and charming wife, whom
he still calls, in moments of affectionata
intimacy, his Little Queen Mab."
RY THE MORNING HIGHT