Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-03-26


them, In imagination she saw the 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 dimplod chin on her shapely hand,
''Are men exactly the same as thou and
II Or have they another form and other
thoughtss"
"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 1.-Two among them.
'Nevertheless / 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 tho gnomes We see. He had black
curly hair, no beard on his chin and
wore a rich purple mantle. Could that
have been man.
The Baba trembled with fear and re-
piled, eff this stranger should mount
| here again, | will break his neck, and
he shall be seen no more in the valley
! below"
ooh, mother, / beseech thee be not
| so cruel, for he was beautiful
''If thou lettest thy thoughts dwell
on him now, l 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 sid1 Of our noun
tain. Here l see Only sheep, and one
cannot ride on them. .
"What foolish child thou art to
wish for a horsel Dost thou not know
that only at risks Of life and limb can
one mount here ON q horses back? The
grass is so slippery and the abysses so
deep that single false step would cause
one to roll to the bottom a shapeless
mass. p"
Alba asked herself how it was that
the sheep ran about in perfect safety,
while so much danger existed for the
feet of horse, but not daring to ques-
ton her mother further she had to re-
main III 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 a 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 on
a second expedition III the Baba's terri
tory Why did her mother wish to an
initiate him? This was one more prob
lem impossible to solve, though she sat
musing over it for hours.
Some time after the conversation be-
tween the Bahia and her daughter tho
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, kings son, ac-
customed TO his every behest being
obeyed, and who found resistance to his
will-any difficulty, in facr-to possess
all tho charm of novelty for him.
When at his fathers court the sub
iect of marriage was discussed, he used
to say that be should wish to snatch his
bride from dragons claws or rescue
her from the cleft of rock, instead of
going through tho 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 oil
rare pearls and placed an Alpen rose
at ono side Her robe was of soft stuff,
clasped at the waist by golden girdle,
over which fell 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 tho thick velvet, and either her
mirror lied to her or she saw quite the