The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-08-04

of purple till the whole heavens were
hung with banners, flags aud rainbows
Of fame Again darkness fell, and it
seemed all the deeper after thf gorgeous
scene which had preceded it. Thorndykc
strained his sight to detect something
moving below, but nothing could be
seen, and no sound came up from the
motionless crowds.
Behind him he heard Il soft footstep
on, the stone thing. 1t drew nearer. A
hand was being carefully slid along the
parapet. The hand reached him and
touched his arm.
/ 1t was the princess. "Ab, / have at
last found your she whispered. IT saw
you in the lightning, but lost you
/ again.
| He put his arm round her and drew
her into his embrace. He tried to speak,
but uttered only an inarticulate sound.
II could not possibly come earlier"
she apologized, Nesting against him
! so closely that he could feel the quick
and excited beating of her heart. My
father kept me with him till only mo-
ment ago. Captain Tradmos will be
here soon.'' ~
when do we start?'' he asked.
''That is the trouble" she replied.
I'VE had couLtcd OH getting away in
the darkness before the display of light
ming, but there is more danger now. IL
our flying machine were noticed, the
searchlights would be turned on rs, and
we would be discovered at cnce. F"
"But even if we get safely away in
the darkness when could we return?'
"Oh, that would be easy!' she re-
Piled "As soon as the fete is over COM
merce will be resumed, and the air will
be filed with airships that have been
delayed in their regular business, and
in the disguises which have for us
| both we could cone back without rous-
ing suspicion. We could alight III Win
ter park and return hcme later
"What is Winter pa1k?''
"You have not seen il? You must do
SO. 1t is cDe CT the wonders CT Alpha.
It is vast park inclCsed with high
walls and covered with lCof of glass.
Inside the snow falls, and we have
sleighing and ocasting and lakes Of ice
for skating. 1t was un invention Of the
king. Tie snow storms there are beauti-
full"
Thorndyke's reply was drowned in
harmonious explosion like that of tuned
cannon. This was followed by the
chimes of great bells which seemed to
swing Lack and forth miles overhead.
''ListenW whispered BerIardino.
''Farher calls it musical thunder, and
he declares that it is produced in 10
other country than this.
ut is not. He is right" And the
heart of tie Englishman was stirred by
deep emotion. He had never dreamed
that anything could so completely chain
his fancy and elevate his imagination
as what he heard. The musical clangor
died down. The strange harmony grew
moro enhancing as it softened. Then
the whole eastern sky began to flush
with rosy, shimmering light.
my father calls this the Ideal Dawn
of Day, >" whispered Bernardino. ..'See
the faint golden halo near the horizon.
That is where tie sun is supposed to
be-"
Glow is it done?" asked the English
man.
Few of our people know. It is Sc
cret held only Ey the king and half i doz-
en- scientists. The whole thing, how
ever, is operated by two men in a room
in the dome ct the palace. The mu-
stefan is young German who was be-
coming the wonder of the musical
world VI hen father induced him TO conc
to rs. I have net linn. He says he has
been tLoloueLly haLpy here. He lives
on music. He showed me the instrl-
ment he used to rlay, little thing he
called violin, and its tones could not
reach beyond the limits CT small rcom.
He laughs at it now and says the instru-
ment that father gave him to play Gil
has strings C1awn frCm tie center Of
the earth TO The stars Of heaven. -
The rose light bad spread over the
horizon and climbed almost to the ze-
NTH, ard with the dying booming and
gentle changer it began to fade till all
was dark again.
Captain IIadmCs ought to be here
now, continued the princess, CHANGING
uneasily toward the stairway. 1--WE
may hce AiASC nO S.SSd az .OpIbltCAlty as
this. -
Ten minutes went by.
Surely something has gene wrong"
" hitx cd Bornaraino. II have never
seen the Ga1Lness last so long IS this.
BesiGcs, can't you hear the mutterirg CT
the Iccple!''
ThcrIdyk Ike acknowledged that he did.
He was about to add something else,
but was prevented by loud blast frcm
tho trumpet III the tower.
Bernardino sLrank from him and fell
to trembling.
What is the natter?' he asked.
Tho trumpet" sEo gasped. Some
thing awful has happened.
I A momcnt Of profound silence. Then
the nlurm uling CT the crowd rose suI-
lenly like tic meaning CT rising stern.
A searchlight flashed up in the glccln
and swept its Ine e1 tain stream flon
point to point, tut it died ont. Another.
and another shone fer ail instant i'll & If
ferent parts Of tie city, but they all
failed.
Something awful has happened, I,
repeated Bernardino as il to herself.
n he lights will not burn. =
Had we not Eerter GO ,icwii:" asked