The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-10-09

cloth well represented by granting
the wood, quite lifesize, and on low
pedestal, like the figures Of a wax
work show t was all painted up in
natural colors. He had a bow and
4 string of wire in his hands, and
teamed tribe forward on it with a
sort of hooking smile. and as he
laughed at the idea of his ever being
captured. I have seen the same ex-
preston on many a superior rogue
do not know that 1 examined the
statue more particularly than the
others, because / was studying their
faces and those of the butler and an
other servant who had come along to
open the door. / fancied that Mr..
Butler gave a slight start when his
master babe him prepare this room,
not for the persons of quality who
were of the party, but for plain Mr.
Grograin, as 1 was announced to be-
Mr. Butler was very assiduous toward
me at dinner, if not personally, by
ordering the footmen not to neglect
me, and, if I had not been on my dig
nifty, saw that he would have liked
me to have shared bottle with him
in his own room.
However. I lay down that night in
the huge room to reflect over the
legend, and whether, as 1 had the
impression from the start, it was not
related to the thefts of the present
time The big bed was very com
fortab bic, and cajoled one off to sleep
as if he had been given a soothing
syrup Still l had time to reflect on
the legend told me.
In the days of the foresters Of
Sherwood, the owner of Leebing
IL
the greenwood rovers, from his cher
ishing his deer as private property.
was informed by warden that a man
in the hateful green of the venison
stealers had been prowling around
all the morning and was suspected by
the sentinel of having climbed in at
a window Ny lord had his own
opinion of the object of his visitors
call. and when he saw his young and
beautiful daughter confused at his
question, he had simply fel1ed her to
the ground-brute that he was-and
rushed, foaming at the mouth and
with sword and dagger drawn, all
over the castle, crying out: Flame
and faggot for the deer stealersl'
But the follower of the free wood
men was not to be found, and what
made the sting of defeat far keen err.
when the lord returned to torture his
daughter into a revelation she had
vanished like a spectre. Then. only
then, he re mem bered that the monks
had talked of a secret cell, where
their prior had hidde IN from an ances-
tor of his. He ordered close guard
without and within and rode over to
the priory- But the monks pretended
to ignorance. and he went home more
furious than ever For days he lived
like hermit in the room where he
had last seen his child, sleeping with
drawn sword between two wolf dogs,
but his watch resulted in nothing.
Isabel and the young forester were
never seen more.
Dreaming is something / am not
given to unless I have not had nv reg
ular ego" at tobacco. certainly had
smoked a couple of cigars-very fine
but 1 longed for pipe. That made
me restless, and I had the dullest
serving up of my thoughts = faces
that had not seen for twenty years,
and those of the last day-a jumbl
SO that l hardly knew where / was
spending the night 1 daresay / was
tired, too. Anyhow, RENE m Der just
as 1 had reasoned out that. as the
house walls were identical with those
of the old castle. there might still ex-
ist the secret hole, / heard a twang
like bow string let go after lusty
pull. / arm not sure / woke, but fancy
/ recalled a kind Of human figure in
light colors cross the room and re-
turn with a companion. There was
a jingle, as of coin, and 1 went off to
sleep again, sound as a stone. So
thought. But 1 woke up with a start,
cold as if 1 had been plunged in ics
water, and then 1 was out Of the
clothes, standing beside Robin Hood.
/ rubbed my eyes. for the scoundrel
seemed to be nodding to me for a mo
ment and grinning, and [ could
swear the bowstrlng was vibrating,
but of course, the moment I
put my finger and thumb to it that
stopped the thrill 1 walked all
around il in the dark Then I lit the
candle. and made a thorough search
Of the room. But the wainscoBing hal
been painted and vanished in these
five years. and there was not a crack
that I could decide to be a panel
lost my temper at being so baffied
when 1 was confident of being on the
right track, and stamped my foot.
The good old oaken plank yielded not
a lot to my rage, but heard some
thing like the clash of metal in the
direction of the statue. I ran over to
it and gave it a shake. I might as
we'll have worked with the giant oak
it was hewn from Nothing gave
way, though I believed there was an
echo of the metallic sound, within or
below. knocked on the wood IN all
parts with the massive extinguisher
Of the candlesticx, but it did not seem
hollow
1 sat down on the table, swinging
nv legs as 1 reflected, wrapped up in