The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-05

the people leaving the castle were friends
Of the new arrivals so that in the surprise
| and Measure Of the meeting the Profes 'or
| remained unnoticed.
As soon as the door was opened he
| slipped into the shadow Of the archway
until the excited group had passed him.
| Then issuing from his hiding place, he
| entered upon one OF those exhaustive eX-
| plOrations which was his delight. lie
| chuckled at his cleverness in Guiding the
others. for to race at the tail OF troup
of tourists, headed by a mumbling guile,
over a building that teens with historical
| interest, was 10 destroy all its charms for
him.
After investigating the various rooms,
J he climbed the turret stairs and stepped
out on the roof. The scene which met
T! his view was one to be remembered what
wonder that, with his profound sense OF
| the beautiful in Nature, our Professor
should forget the fight Of time In his
| contemplation Of it!
How long his oblivion might have last
ed it is difficult 10 say. had not his eye
( CHANGED on certain moving objects far
| below on the hillside. a familiar pink
mushroom bobbed in and out among the n
Heavens! 1t was the English people!
| They were almost at the foot OF the hill!'
AS he stumbled hastily down the worn
| steps of the cork-screw staircase he won
dered that he did not hear the cracked
voice of the castelar, calling to him; he
| felt that he deserved a reprimand FOR
| keeping her waiting.
| The reason of the silence was explained
when, on reaching the archwly, he found
! that the portal was shut against him.
| They had either forgotten him or taken
IT Tor granted that he had left the castle
| before them, ii rattered not which He
! was locked in. Now an ordinary person
In such a situation would have at once
| begun to make a row to be released. Not
| so Professor Sonnenschein In the face Of
! dilemma the philosophy of his great
| nature asserted itself. He first tried the
door to make quite sure that It
was locked, and finding that 1t was so,
! ne calmly stroked his moustache. dron
! smile fitting about his features His
| sense Of the ridiculous was touched.
Sound travels far on a still evening.
/ few hard blows against the door with
! his stout stick would be heard in the
adjacent restaurant, which was kept by
| the Old woman.
He was lifting his stick to summon
| her. when a notion entered his whimsical
! head-a notion that savored of romance
| and adventure, and Sonnenschein was
! very Don Quixote in his love Of these
| elements.
Why should he not spend the night
| I'm the CASTER 1t would be n unique ex-
| perience, and interesting from a psyche
| logical point Of view. What would be
| the sensations engendered by such a
| situation; The desire to experience them
| attracted him irresistibly. Though far
| from Indifferent 10 creature comforts.
| he was willing and eager to sacrifice his
| supper and his comfortable bed az proof
! Of the superiority Of mind over matter.
| When, fortified by this heroic resoiu-
ton, he turned and re-entered the grand
| old hall, the subdued light Of declining
! day family illumined it. The dimmed
! and rusted armor on the walls scarcely
reflected its rays Where the shadows
! brOoded. the linked ~suts of mail and
| grotesque vlsors looked like strange
| clinging creatures OF a bygone world.
The ragged banners hung motonless
! from the ceiling, like the pendent wings
! OF sleeping bats.
| Sonnenschein fingered here, taking in
! effects until II grew too dark 10 distin-
guish objects; then he once more mount
/ ed TO the roof.
1t was a relief 10 emerge into the sweet
| pure air. and leave darkness and the
/ dead past behind. TO stand thus alone,
| hich above the haunts OF men, inspired
! tho Professor with a feeling OF eXalta-
! ton. He observed the signs Of cheerful
/ life beneath him; the Rhine steamers
| with their freight of pleasurc-seekers;
| the train putting into Brohl; the main
! road dotted with vehicles and pedes-
! TRANS; the red roofs OF hamlets speaking
| Of peaceful domestieity; and over all.
| lay the warm soft tints from the glowing
| west
= Whit OF broning "bef-stek" ascend
! Ing 10 HIS nostrils from the restaurant
awoke him TO the consciousness OF a
! hungry stomach, lie took out his case
and lit a cigar. beginning slowly TO pace
| the leads as he smoked IT.
Presently his attention was arrested
| by the appearance Of a point OF light
/ that seemed TO hang suspended in the
/ su nmit Of one Of the trees to the left.
| lie could not al first account for IT; then
! Il occurred 10 him that the left wing OF
| the castle was inhabited. and that the
| light must proceed from one Of the up
per windows
! They had told him at the inn that the
wing was occupied by an eccentric 'Edel-
/ frauicin." whom no one ever saw. She
was a poetess.
Sonnenschein smiled now at the recol-
| lection, and there arose IN his imagina-
ton a picture OF the lady
She was Of the large-boned. hard-fea-
tured. strOng-mnded type OF women,
| size ntQ II ROMAN DbSt anu Npit SltN-
taclcs. Her genius, he felt sure, would
find expression in stirring epic. Only
such a woman would elect to dwell alone
| in a gloomy castle haunted by host OF
| ghostly associations Weary at length
| with perambulating the roof, he seated
himself with his hack SUPP orted against
| the projection OF the low doorway.
| In this attitude he must have dozed. for
| Il surprised him 10 hear from near and
| far the clocks chime the hour OF mid
| night
| Meanwhile a light breeze had sprung
| up so that. Notwithstanding the warm
| season. he felt chilled. The locality OF
| q roof makes a somewhat too airy
sleeping place, even In the height OF sum
| mer. He scrambled 20 his feet and took
| few turns to relax his stiffened joints.
| The light he observed still glimmered In
| the tree 20 his left.
"Ahl burning the midnight OIL" he said
aloud with his whimsical smile. mo
MAJ. a. bel faIA tAA lad