Connecticut western news., 1895-08-01
CANAAN CONN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 1 1895
his sword.


 But the counselors were wise men. They could see his black heart and read his evil mind, and they spurned him with scorn. They would have driven him from the court. The vassal chief held ill his hand wand, sharp pointed like knife, by which he worked his magic art.
 When the queen appeared, he looked at her and turned pale. Azul's eyes pierced her. but his magic was not strong enough to make her love him. Until then she knew not fear, but now the evil spell was upon her. All of Azul's power was exerted to subdue her gentle heart.
 When she went to walk, wolf sprang up ill her path, sharp stones cut through the deerskin and wounded her feet.
 Near by was spring of healing wa ter, but when Maxtella went to drink of 1t a foul odor of poisonous gases arose.
 She sought her couch, but Azul had driven sleep away. When she was alone, the black hearted vassal chief would suddenly appear and with thongs of the deer would beat her white body until his savage lashes drew drops of blood
 All things could he make Maxtella do but love him. False words she spoke to her counselors and did unholy deeds that made her courtiers bow their heads ill shame No more was Maxtella just or merciful. Cruelty, pitiless cruelty, turned her love of her subjects to hate.
 Of her attendants who remained faith ful none was more so than little page, a boy of not more than . score of years. These two sat one eve within the pal ace. The dusky shadows were gathering without, bat the night could only bring added wretchedness to Maxtella. The boy sang to her, and as his song died away a black shape entered the room. It was Azul
 "Thy song is sad,'' he said to the page. "Why do you not weep, Max tella?''
 The rivers of Maxtella's eyes were dried up
 "Now will teach you how to weep" and he struck her with his cruel thong. Maxtella turned upon him her timid, pleading eyes. With a mighty bound the youth leaped toward the chief and seized the magic wand. Its possession gave him the strength of many men. He struck the wretch blow and pinned him to the floor. Azul writhed in pain, and the blood dyed his dress of feathers crimson, None but wizard might ever loose him With the blow the spell he had wrought on Maxtella was broken, and all her gentleness and purity re- turned. It was this that caused her to pity the bleeding wretch, squirming in agony, yet furious with rage. She reached down her delicate hand to with draw the wand if it were possible, when Azul seized her by the arm and buried his sharp, gleaming teeth into the hand extended in mercy.
 Maxtella, unable to release herself, shrieked in pain, for the bite of the sor- cerer was as deadly as the poison of the snake with the castanets in his tail
 ''Now is thy blood mingled with mine,'' missed Azul, land of thy own free will! Now are we one forever. By my living hate and the ming gling of our blood have supremest power over thee. Coward thou hast ever been; coward thou shalt ever be. Thy spirit shall pass from thee in the form of the creature thou most resemblest-a doe, timid of heart, fleet of foot and spotlessly white. None may slay thee, yet thou wilt ever | long for the dart that would release the spell. Thy speed shall shame the feet est of the herd, and thy nlatchless beau | ty shall ever lure the hunter to his | death. '
 And with these words milk white doe darted from the palace walls, trem- bling with fright. It hides ill brakes and canyons and fees when no hunter is nigh.
 | Hundreds have seen it, and many have been lured to pursue it. The fallen rocks from canyon walls hide the course of many a hunter who sought to slay the milk white doe. None has ever re- turned to tell the story of those chases. And those who escaped the canyon s dangers-their bones lie bleaching ill eternal snow.-Chicago Times-Herald