The Portland daily press., 1895-06-03

less she woutd aseribe human forms to
them and invent histories concerning
them. In Imagination she saw tho mis-
fortunes that happened to those brides
who were destined to wear these be.
teela, and she greatly pitied them. but
as she had no knowledge of the world
her stories were each more fantastic
than the other.
Mother" she said one day, resting
her dimpled chin on her shapely hand,
care men exactly the same as thou and
II Or have they another form and other
thoughts?"
"What does it signify to thee how
and what they are? Know, child, that
all men are wicked, and that they would
only bring i'll and woe to thee vert
thou to live among them"
Nevertheless I saw a wonderful
beast come up the side of our mountain
the other day, which was ridden by a
very handsome person, quite different
from the gnomes We see. He had black
curly hair, no beard on his chin and
wore rich purple mantle. Gould that
have been man?'
The Baba trembled with fear and re-
piled, ''If this stranger should mount
here again, [ will break his neck, and
he shall be seen no more in the valley
below
s'Oh, mosher, beseeoh thee, be not
SO cruel, fors he was beautifulp'
eff thou lettest thy thoughts dwell
on him now, will shut thee up in the
cave and Compel thee to weigh gold
night and cay. Of late thou doest moth
ing but sit idle there, asking foolish
questions. Hast thou not everything tiny
heart can desire?"
"Oh, no, mother! long to have just
such beautiful beast to ride on as that
which came up the side Of our noun
tain. Here I see only sheep, and one
cannot ride on them.
"What foolish child thou art to
wish for horse! Dost thou not know
that only at risks Of life and limb can
one mount bera on horse's back? The
grass is so slippery and the abysses SO
deep that single false step would Gauss
one to roll to the bottom a shapeless
mass.
| Alba asked herself how it was that
the sheep rar about in perfect safety,
while so much danger existed for tho
feet of horse, but not daring to ques-
tion her mother further she had to re-
main in ignorance. And now it was that
the gnomes appeared uglier to her eyes
and more repNlsive than they had ever
seemed to her.
She took such disgust, too, for the
heaps of gold that she could not endure
the sight Of them. Her thoughts only
dwelt on the magnificent horse and his
beautiful rider, the youth whose life
would be the forfeit did he venture Oh
a second expedition in the Baba's terri
tory. Why did her mother wish to an
nihilate him? This was one moro prob
lem impossible to solve, though she sat
musing over it for hours.
Some time after the conversation be-
tween the Baba and her daughter the
beautiful youth again rode up the noun
tain side, attracted by his curiosity to
discover who dwelt within this strong
hold, constructed Of such immense
blocks of granite.
This beautiful youth was none other
than the Prince Porfa, a kings son, ac-
custoined to his every behest being
obeyed, and who found resistance to his
will-any difficulty, in faot-to possess
all the charm Of novelty for him.
When at his fathers court the sub
/ ject of marriage was discussed, he used
to say that he should wish to snatch his
bride from dragons claws or rescue
! her from the cleft of rock, instead of
| going through the formal routine Of
sending ambassadors to insure his being
married without his taking any trouble
about it himself.
Alba, having much against her will
sorted gold all morning, was now max
| ing her toilet. She bathed her face and
hands in perfumed waters, combed her
long soft hair with an ivory comb,
bound her brow with a double fillet Of
rare pearls and placed an Alpen rose
at one side. Her robe was of soft stuff,
5lasped at the waist by golden girdle,
over which fell a mantle Of rich green
velvet affixed to the shoulders by chains
of priceless pearls.
Round her snowy throat was string
of emeralds large as pigeons eggs. These
were gifts brought to her by the gnomes.
She could not see the sheen of her beau
tiful yellow tresses glistening on the
pile of the thick velvet, and either her
mirror lied to her or she saw quite the
reverse of reality, for she struck her
face and exclaimed: "How ugly I am |
How terribly ugly Perhaps because of
this my mother hides me from the sight
of men and gives me such handsome
dresses and splendid jewels, which are
only fit for queen to wear. Perhaps
she does this in order to console me for
my want Of beauty
Precisely at this moment came the
sound of horses hoofs along the stony
crags, and her eyes, transfxed with ter
ror, perceived the beautiful stranger
whose life was to be the price Of his
mad venture advancing toward the por-
tails of the citadel
At all risks she must warn him Of his
| danger Snri0oino from rock to rock