The Portland daily press., 1895-07-05

northern seas!'
1t was then that the lady stretched
forth her white hand and entreated her
lord father to help. to be merciful to
the poor, to allow, to grant but just
this once the mans request-to be mer-
cifull
owe are starving, my lord" the man
said again very quietly, but he bit the
thin, gaunt, restless lip. ''Your gra-
cious permission will give us the right
and the way elsewhere through the
country
1t was then that the lords fist was
brought down with such vehemence on
the table that the fair white hand of his
daughter held out in supplication trem-
bled. He swore 2 heavy oath that the
man should leave his presence; he
swore that no permission should be
granted he swore that the company
should be expelled that night from the
town of H, where they had set up
their lodging, and he swore-
Out of breath from the torrent of
words, his justice stopped.
Again the girls white hand was
stretched imploringly. The same strange
chill swept over her as she looked at
the figure standing SO very still. But it
seemed to move forward. The shiver
shook the long shapely fingers and the
jewels on her hand.
The man drew his cloak around him,
again bit the restless, gnashing lip,
turned and with his gaze fixed the roll
ing eye of my lord mayor. He stretched
out his arm. For moment there was
| silence. Then curse was hurled out
across the darkening tapestried cham
Der, a curse on him and his forever.
Was the man moving across the red
twilight?
No. He had gone.
The light of the dying day smeared
the floor in tide of crimson. The two
listened.
81 heard step, father. 1t is behind
me. - The girl sprang to her feet, her
| face paler than the white waters of the
midnight Rialto. She stretched out her
hand again. The fingers reached across
the red light.
''You are fool, :" his excellence said,
laughing ponderous laugh and slowly
stroking his great beard. ST heard the
rascals move off a good ten minutes
| ago. !"
Father the girl shrek ed, "the
step is up and down behind mel It is
moving" She chung to him with white,
trembling grasp.
''Griselda, we will go to dinner" his
excellence said, land this folly will be
forgotten. Come''
Not the wines on the glittering table,
nor the stout jokes of my lord mayor,
brought tint of color to her pale
cheeks. Her eye was restless and ex.
| pectant. Now and again she glanced
fearfully around as if counting some
thing that was moving nearer. At the
angry glance from the face opposite she
strove to laugh a pallid little laugh ani
| to be herself again.
May it please your excellence
butler stood at the doorway as the two
arose from table-'sthe player that came
into your excellence's presence tonight
was found dead in the canal an hou1
ago.
'May the devil shrive him." his ex
cellence said, with laugh, 'tand assist
him to kindle his footlights. Come
| Griselda"-
'tDid they bury him, father?" The
girl chung to his arm. Did they bury
him?" she repeated, fixing the butler
with strange, glittering look.
eyes, my lady-on the salt meadow. y
''Requiescat in pace" again the
mayor laughed. Come, Griselda.
The girl did not leave his arm.
The next day things had partially re-
sumed their old course. The girl was
again singing to her guitar in the twi
light red. My lord mayor looked up
suddenly from the desk at the farther
end of the room.
"Griselda, two of my choicest pipes
are missing from the rack. Did you re-
move them?"
"Why, no, father" she answered
simply, rising to move toward him, but
stopping with cry that rang out across
the shadows. The mayor turned to see
the white hand reaching forward to-
| ward him.
''The steps, the steps!" she shrieked,
now daring to turn toward the twilight
corners of the room. ''They are behind
me again and are coming onl''
His excellence sprang from his chair
as the girl endeayored to make her way
into his arms. The old mans hand
shook as he caught her. Her face was
as the face of one whose eyes reflect the
| glance of disembodied soul.
He rang the bell violently.
Remain by the Lady Griselda," he
said sternly as the footman appeared.
ST must be gone half hour
please your excellence, his valet
interrupted, stumbling over bis own
words and closing the long portiere with
scared look over his shoulder, "the
maids will not go up stairs. They say
there are footsteps moving across the
dormer window room. We have looked
| In, and nothing is there. l have heard
myself, your excellence. They are walk
ing. They are there. 1t is strange
|