The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-05-16
THE WI7CH'S CITADEL.
By CARMEN SYLVIA Queen of Rou-
mania).
Copyright, 1895, by the Author.l

Nevertheless saw wonoollul
beast come up the side of our mountain
the other day, which was ridden by
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. Could that
have been mani"
The Bahia trembled with fear and re-
Piled ''If this stranger should mount
here again, will break his neck, and
he shall DO seen no moro in the valley
below.
ooh, mother, beseech thee, be not
so cruel, for he WAS beautiful
eff thou lettest thy thoughts dwell
on him now, will shut thee up in the
cave and compel thee to weigh gold
night and day. OF late thou doest moth
ing but sit idle there, asking foolish
questions Hast thou not everything thy
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 l see only sheep, and one
cannot ride on them"
''What q foolish child thou art to
wish for horsel Dost thou not know
that only at risks of life and limb can
one mount here on horses back? The
grass is so slippery aud the abysses so
| deep that a single false step would cause
one to roll to the bottom a shapeless
| mass.
Alba asked herself how it was that
the sheep ran about in perfect safety,
while so much danger existed for the
| feet of a horse, but not daring TO ques-
ton her mother further she had to re-
main in ignorance. And now it was that
the gnomes appeared uglier to her eyes
and more repulsive 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
tory Why did her mother wish to an
initiate him? This was one more prob
lem impossible to solve, though she sal
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 t
discover who dwelt within this strong
hold, constructed of such immens,
blocks of granite.
This beautiful youth was none othel
than the Prince Porfia, kings son, ac
customed to his every behest being
obeyed, and who fC and resistance to hi
will-any difficulty, in faot-to posses
all the charm OF novelty for him.
When at his fathers court the sub
ject of marriage was discussed, he useC
to say that he should wish to snatch hi
bride from a dragons claws or rescu
her from the cleft of a rock, instead o
going through the formal routine o
sending ambassadors to insure his beini
married without his taking any troubl
about it himself.
Alba, having much against her viii
sorted gold all morning, was now max
ing her toilet She bathed her face an
hands in perfumed waters, combed he
long soft hair with an ivory comb
e, bound her brow with double fillet G
rare pearls and placed an Alpen ros
at one side. Her robe was of soft stuff
clasped at the waist by golden girdle
over which fell mantle Of rich gree
velvet affixed to the shoulders by chain
of priceless pearls.
Round her snowy throat was strin
of emeralds large as pigeons eggs. Thes
were gifts brought to her by the gnomes
She could not see the sheen of her beau
tiful yellow tresses glistening on tn
pile of the thick velvet, and either he
; mirror lied TO her or she saw quite tn