Evening star., 1898-10-15

| eyes. A ""h Aei
| AS As they rode on together through the
iicA t"inght DUSK the young man Observed
| her narrowly often as he could
I hef sknl was fair with dazzling clear.
SO Soo ShiCh even the gathering gloom only
SAuSed 10 Shine with a more perfect bril-
| nance. as If halo of light dwell Marina
! nentIy beneath its surface Faint rasnon
| slVe roses bloDmed on either cheek and ca ST
, snaooW or their color down her graceful
n Hech: lark eyes shone above, fresh and
dewy VITA love and youth and smiled unon
| the youth with ancient witcheries ana al
lufements in their depths Her 1.-The Sian
aer pody was simply clad in a fair white
ctoth CT some foreign fabric. and her waist,
or perfect symmetry, was c!nctureI hI a
pfoad ring of solid silver which IN tho
young man looked as if he could have
cIasped 1t about with his hands
30 tney rode on, through the woods
II ostly, until they reached a region which
to the earl seemed unfamiliar The eIadas
We're grcener and denser. The trees seemed
more primeval. The foliage thicker over
darker and less frequent.
In what place nay your comDanv ba nc
sembied?' he asked. Strange it is that T
Know not this place. Yet ! should recog-
ME each tree by coming it, and OF every
rlVulet | should be able 10 tell its name
Yet with shame do L confess that / know
not where ! am
All said the girl, he1 face growing Iu-
nhhous through the gloom, you called ME
a witch and now yoG shall see | waye
my hands so-and you are 10 more in Cat
ioway You are 81 the land of faery. I
blow you kiss, so-and 10. you are no
more William VI, Ear! of Douglas and
proXlmate Duke of TOuraine. but Won are
even as true Thomas. the beloved of the
queen of the fairies, and the slave OF her
spell! "
am well content to be Thomas Rhy-
1ner' he answered, submitting himself 10
the woofng glamor of her eyes so be that
you are the Lady Titania"
A courtier, indeed" she laughed, won
need not seek your answer You make
poor girl afraid. But See. yonder are tho
lights of my pavilion. VIII it please Won
10 aiight and enter? The supper w;u he
spread. and though you must not expacf
any TO entertain you save only your Titan
Ia there she made him little bowl vet
tflnk you will not be i'll content They do
not say that Thomas of Ercildoura bad
any cause of complaint. Do you know,
she conilnued' with a fresh gayety in her
voice. 1t was in this very wood that t.e
was lost?" ~
But William Douglas sat silent with The
wonder of what he saw Their horses ha6
come out on hilltop The sequestered
boskage of the trees gradually thipned
finally dwartng into p green drift of fern
and birchen foliage, which rose no higher
than Black Darnaway's chest and through
which his riders laced boots brushed till
the Spanish leather of their gold embossed
frontlets was jetted with drops of dew.
Before him was a great drift of solemn
pine trees, the like of which for size he had
never seen in all his domain. Or SO, at
least it seemed in that hour of glamour.
For behind them the evening sky had
dulled to a deep and solemn wash of blood
led across which lay one lonely bar of
black cloud solid spilled ink on a monk
ish page. But under the trees themselves
blazing with lights and breathing an odor
of all grace and daintiness, stood payil-
ion of rose-colored silk, anchored to the
ground with ropes of sendal of the richest
crimson hue.
Let your horse go free or tether him TO
a pine; he will not wander" said the girl.
Il fear my fellows have gone OFF to Law in
provision, We have taken a day or two
more on the way than we had counted on
so that tonight's feast makes an end of our
store. But still there is enough for two.
bid you welcome, Earl William, to a wan
derer'S tent.