The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-03-12


They were going, not along the broad
smooth highway she knew so well, bu
over rough, rutted road, that led up
high, stony mountain, so steep and will,
looking she grew deadly afraid.
"You have lost the way. You ha'
better give me the reins 4 you can do m
better than this" she called loftily t,
the coachman. Finding that he did no
answer nor heed her tugs upon the checl
string, she thrust her head out of tn,
window and screamed to him: "Stop
Turn aroundi I will tell madam if you
don'tl''
! 'H-ha, hal She talks of ifs here OF
the mountain If, she heard hoars,
voice cry, and, for all her fright, she
noted that the coachman was in deeI
sleep and that big, black raven sal
grimacing and jeering at his elbow
When she tried to open the carriage
door, the bird flew against it and seemed
to hold it fast. "Cone ON. to the very
Top; you mustW she heard it say. Then
it seemed to her she, too, fell into ar
enchanted sleep.
She could neither move nor cry out,
though she saw and heard more plainly
than ever. AS the carriage climbed uI
and up every jar and jolt Of it rar
through her like q knife. BY and by,
when she had been carried to a great
height, the motion stopped. Everything
melted away. She was alone in crystal
prison, just outside and beneath which
she saw the most enhancing things
now magnificent garden, now house
finer than castle, now fruits and flow
ers, now jewels, laces, pictures. But
they did not rouse her to covetousness
like the toys and games and the milk
white pony, with shining, new capari-
son, that came in their wake. "Oh, oh,
I must have them; will! There is the
doll have always wanted. Her name
shall be Lady Hildegard, and the pony
is white as a May blossom. OF course
shall call it after the flowers. There is
the frock I want, too, and the ring for
my birthday. Madam must care great
deal for me to be at such trouble to
please me all unawares. !"
$50 you like what you see?'' the
hoarse voice demanded. Though Matilda
could not sec the raven, she was con.
scious of black, fleeting shadow along
the crystal. Eyes, like it all more
than can say" she answered, quite
forgetting her terrors in the eager JOY
Of possession.
'Then why don't you take it all? Try
it." the voice again cried. Matilda
reached out her arms Next minute she
gave scream. Her hands had struck
against the hard, cold crystal. All she
had ever wished for, all she cared for,
was ON the other side of it, and she
could touch nothing. Defiantly she rails
ed her foot and kicked with all her
might against the wall, It stood I'M
shivered, clear as the air itself, but
proof against all her puny efforts.
''Where am I? Why will you not give
me what Iwant?" she called breathless-
", and all about her she heard trills of
elfin laughter.
"You are on the mountain If We
told you that at first" the voice cried,
and this time Matilda fancied there
were many fine notes under it. "The
IT," it went on. "Know, lit
tie girl, that is the mountain which
really stands between you mortals and
destruction. You think otherwise. It
seems to you to guard the portals of
paradise. There is no way. around nor
over it, but the truly brave can pass
straight through it"
"Tell me how" Matilda cried eager
ly, her eyes on the milk white pony,
which whinnied in friendly fashion and
clicked its new saddle with its long sill
yer tail as though inviting her to
The laughing had ceased. The
voice, too, had lost some of its mockery
when it went on, "You must pass the
If through the door of En-
deavor."
"Why, I believe the child has fallen
asleepl" Nine Jansen said when the
coachman had opened the carriage door.
was smiling to herself as though
in high good humor. She was slight
Did lady, with keen eyes and a beak
nose, who, some folk said, had dealings
with black magic. But as she was so
rich and grand they said it in o whis-
per. Besides she was never known to do
harm to any one, although her proteges
throve amazingly. She was dressed all
in black, as shiny and glossy as any
ravens new coat, and she dangled
beautiful gold ring, wrought in forget
from her finger and led by
new checkrein exactly such white
pony as Matilda had seen upon the 9TH
or side of the crystal wall.
Come, wake upl My carriage must
be well cushioned to let You sleep so
madame repeated, pinching
Matilda's cheek. Matilda was by this
time very WIDE awake. she scrambled
out in the most childish fashion, quite
all the dignified young lady
airs she had meant to assume, flung her
arms first about godmamma's neck, then
about the white pony's and said as she
stroked its soft ears, "Was it truly a
dream, godmamma, or arc you, after
all, witch?"
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