The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1899-03-25

a moment like one stunned. unable to COM
prehend the fullness of the disaster. Ste
phen was her only son, the heir of the
castle. and if he were killed the inherit
ance of the family would so to cousin
whose land adjoincd hers, and who was.
perhaps the only person in Provence that
the gentle countess feared and disliked
The ladies on the dais had risen and were
crowdng round her, thinking she was
about to faint, when she caught sight of
her daughter. and, starting violently,
cried out:
"Oh. Blanche, Blanche, and you let him
do it. Why could you not stop him
Oh, my son, my son.
Blanche answered no word to the unde-
served reproof; but honest Peter inter
posed at once, in his bluff manLer, say
ing:
My lady Blanche knew nothing of it
till we met her at the castle. and then it
was too late. The Childe Stephen had
taken the cross. But, surely my lord the
count can forbid his going. 1t is mad
freak to send tender children to fight
Turks, and my lord can stop it if he hath
a mind to-
HIS words seemed to give great comfort
to the distressed lady rs she heard him,
and she said, with a faint hope in her
voice:
lie can. He must. Oh, | will go to
Rome myself, and weary the Holy Father
with layers to give my boy dispensa-
ton from this wild. this wicked VOW 1t
Is impossible that lie can suffer it. Come,
ladies, let us go at once to the count"
And without waiting she hurried off
through the long stone corridors of the
castle to find the count, who was at the
time IN the armory inspecting the wcap-
ons, with Il grizzlcd old soldier, who was
his manager, and whose title in those
days, was "SenCSChal of the Castle"
The sencschaIs name was Hugh Bar
bot. and he was showing the count Il
huge battlcaX as the ladies invaded the
armory, where they were not wont to be
seen, while the countess broke ont into a
hurried and agitatcd story of the way in
which they were like to lose the heir Of
the castle by the crusade if something Z
were not done ut once to stop it.
The count was q stalwart man of mid
die height, with broad shoulders and legs
slightly bowed at the knees from the habit
of constant riding. He had been a famous
knight in his prime with a great reputa-
ton for strength, and had received so
many wounds in his young DAYS that he
moved stiffiy now. His temper was hasty
and fierce, and rs soon as he heard the
story OF the rash VOW into which his son
had entered he began to use very strong
language, and swore that he would 20
after the boy and bring him back by the
hair of the head, if there were no other
way.
hor Shn Il
silly crusades," he said, with great anger;
and it is but n prctense for the monks to
get hold of the estates of those who go.
We have fighting enough at home to do
to keep the robbers from the roads: and
here is the hoy that should be ready TO
take up my sword when am too old to
fight, going off on u wild goose chase after
Turks that never harmed him. Get me
ny horse, and tell the inen to saddle up.
and we will show this Hildebrand that
he cannot rob us OF our children. though
there are fools in France that let him do
it elsewhere"
The old knight showed so much anger
and determination that the countess felt
wonderfully encouraged. and helped him
all she could as he hurried his prcpara
tions to get ready a troop of horse to fol
low the truant boy and bring him back tc
the castle.
Within an hour from the time that Big
Peter had brought in the news of Ste
phcn's flight to aid the ChiI,lren's Cru.
sade Count Stephen de Naux the elder
mounted on his charger. and covered with
armor from head to foot, was riding of
toward Avgnon, determined to bring
back his boy, or know the reason why he
could not get him.
And with him rode the countess and
Blanche. Would they be able to per
suadc the boy to come back?
Go be contiuucd)