The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-28

that I ride to Paris upon an affair Of
very great Importance"
He spoke the words very slowly, but
to his astonishment, no one gave any
answer. All together, witches, dwaifs
and demons, they began to repeat his
explanation in a sort of monotone, the
key of which changed note by note un-
til 1t rose to a discordant and unearth-
ly shrek.
"Sirs," they cried, 1--WE have heard
much talk of the Lord Bishop of Blois
and We see plainly that you mistake
us for him. Know then that we are but
simple priests, the cures of Yvette, and
that we ride to Paris upon an affair Of
very great Importance"
The Abbe, deafened by the clamar,
put mis- fingers into his ears and DGgan
to shiver with fear.
"Ciel," he murmured, you are all
mad"
"Ciel." repeated the scarlet company,
1--WE are all mad"
The sally was roared rather than in
toned; and at the end of it, the
whole company bent low in their
saddles, the men doffing their hats
to the terrified Able, the women
blowing kisses to him. Then the
scarlet woman, who appeared to be the
mistress of the throng, raised her fresh
young voice and asked again:
What must be done to the Lord
Bishop of Blois?"
And for the second time, the answer
came:
He must suffer--he must suffer-
a-lolalla-lolalla!"
IL.
The wailing melancholy of the chaunt;
the hideous shapes of the men who rode
at his side; the strange, distorted
whitened faces seemed to him to re-
semble nothing human, nothing known
Minute by minute, the conviction crept
upon him that here was the scarlet
witch of whom the common people
| spoke in their folk-tales. The more he
said to himself, "it is jest" the far
ther was his mind from accepting that
assurance. He shuddered when he re.
membered that he was alone with
| testers so terrible.
"Oh," he moaned, at last, what &c
you want with me? what would you dc
with me?"
"Oh," echoed the crowd with stentor.
ian voice, what do you want with u.s.
what would you do with us?"
"Sirs," walled the Able, "for PHYS
sake have done with it and take mt
where you will. l have but ten crown.
upon me, and these you shall find il
my pouch. Get them, 1 pray you. ant
permit me to go in peace"
| A mocking peal of laughter attended
this simple confession.
what shall be done with the ter
crowns Of the Lord Bishop of Blois?'
asked a great, horned goblin who rode
upon the smallest of the small white
| ponies.
The girl with the crimson hat an
| Swered:
HE shall buy supper at the Hous.
Of the Scarlet Witch"
| The command moved the company t.
| frenZies of turbulent delight. Before
the wretched victim could protest o
answer, strong hands had clutched hi
bride rein to lead his pony through
the woods; other hands had clapped
bandage to his eyes, and knotted it s,
| tightly behind his ears that the who'll
of the strange vision of grotesoue an
grinning figures was shut instantl,
from his view. He knew only that hi
pony was carrying him rapidly through
the forest; that the air became freshe
as he mounted to the higher place
of the park; that he was led it Nigh
have been for the space of ten minute
| before his breast was stopped and h
was lifted gently to the ground. NeVe
once, however. while the procession
moved, did the throng cease their un
earthly monotone. The chaunt ros
ever like a voice of the night-the wal
of spirits wandering or of phantom
at their pleasures. When it stopped a
last with a sudden crash, the Able
pony stopped, too. A strong arm en-
circled his waist; he was lifted iron
the saddle and hidden to walk; h
knew that he was entering some room
in a house--a gentle hand forced hin
into a seat. it removed his bandage
he could see again.
BY this time the unhappy man wa
incapable of surprise. The scene Il
the wood had robbed him of all powe
of reason. When they stripped him o
his bandage and he was able to lool
about him, he neither spoke nor won
dered. Yet the spectacle was strang
enough to have amazed bolder mar
For the Able sat then in a room drape'
in scarlet; and more than that, he sa
in a high chair before a long table Ii
pleasingly by the soft. light of man
wax candles; and so weighed dow
with plate and exquisite cut glass tina
the scarlet drapery below was hardl
to be seen. AS for the company, tina
also was a scarlet company; devils, de
mons, witches; their whitened face
now hidden by crimson masks, thei
very hair appearing to be of the bright
est red. Even the walls We're draped 4
the same glowing colors; while the at
tendants, some in hideous masks, som
garbed like scarlet elves, capped tn
scheme fittingly. Yet this was the GU
rious thing-no word was spoken, n
greeting given. The company sat lik
mutes. The Able shuddered again
he could not altogether suppress tn
thought that he might be supping wit
the risen dead.
Such a hauting suggestion wa