Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1901-02-15
CHAPTER VIII.

which had been laid that afternoon l'y
an 0dorous summer rain. the principal
;hing which struck my eyes was the
uuaintness and unqueStiOned age Of
the old inn Ii was q relic of thu days
when feudal lords still warred with
one another and the united kingdom
was undreamed Of Ii looked to be-
800 years old and might have been
more From time 10 time il had va
dergone various repairs. as shown 10y
the new stone aud signs of modern
masonry. the slate peeping out anoag
the moss covered tiles. IL sat back
from the highway and was surround d
by thick rows of mtrimmed hedges
and was partly concealed from view
by oaks and cheStnutS. The gardens
were full of roses all in bloom. and
their perfume hung heavy on the
moist air. And within n stones throw
of the rear the Danube noiselessly slid
along its green banks. All | knew
about the inn was that II had been 10y
within of nature the birthplace If
that beautiful. erratic and irrcspunSi-
bile young person. her serene highness
the Princess IIildegarde. 1t was here
/ thought to find Hillars, though II was
idle curiosity as much as anything
which led me to the place.
The village was five miles below. I
could see the tuIretS of the castle
which belonged to the princess. She
was very wealthy and owned aS many
as three strOngholds in the petty prin-
cipality of Hohenphalia. CapriciOus
indeed must have been the woman who
was ready to relinquSh them for free
dom.
The innkeeper was a pleasant. ruddy
checked old man who had seen serv-
ice. He greeted me with some sur
prise Tourists. he said, seldom made
this forgotten. out of the way village
an objective point. received room
which commanded fine view of the
river and stretch of the broad high
way. | was the only guest. This very
loneliness pleased me. My travel stain
ed suit exchanged for knickerbockers
and bclted jacket. | went down to
supper. 1t was a simple affair, and |
dining room | caught momentary
flash of white skirts in the barroom.
"Ah' thought, "a barmaid. If she
is pretty, it will be a DIVERSION
In the course of my wanderings |
had seen few harmaids worth looking
at twice When the table was cleared,
] lit a cigar and Strolled into the gar
dens. The evening air was delicious
with the smell of flowers still wet with
rain. The spirit of the breeze softly
whispered among the branches above
me. Far up in the darkening blues q
hawk circled. The west was a thread
Of yellow flame; the moon rose over
the hills in the east: Diana on the heels
of Apollo. And the river. 1t was as
though nature had suddenly become
lavish in her bounty and had sent a
stream of melting silver trailing over
all the land. There is nothing more
beautiful to see than placid water as il
reflects a summers twilight. The blue
Danube. Who has heard that magic
name without the remembrance of q
face close to your own, an arm. bare
white dazzling, resting and cleaning
like marble on your broadcloth sleeve
and. above all, the dreamy, swinging
strains of Strauss? There was u face
once which had rested near mine
Heigho! | fingered with my cigar ant
watched the night reveal itself.
And then, right in the midst of my
dreams, a small foot planted itself.
turned my head and saw a woman
On seeing the bright end of my cigar
she stopped. She stood so that the
light of the moon fell full upon hel
face. My cigar trembled and fell.
phyllis" | cried, springing to my
feet, almost dumfounded. my hear
nigh sufrocating me in its desire t.
leap forth. "Phyllis!-and here? VIVA
does this mean?'
The woman looked at me with {
puzzled frown. but did not answer
Then as l started toward her with out
stretched arms she turned and fec
into the shadows. leaving with IN,
nothing but the echo of her laughter
the sOftest, sweetest laughter! l mad
no effort to follow her. because | wa
not quite sure that | had seen any
thing.
Moonlight" l laughed dscordantly
Phyllis in this deserted place?
saw how impossible that was | ha,
been dreaming. The spirit of SOM
wood nymph had visited me and for
brief space had borrowed the feature
of the woman l loved In vain
searched the grove The vision wa
nowhere to be found. | went back t.
the inn somewhat shaken up. Severa
old veterans were seated in the bar
room, smoking bad tobacco and drink
ing a final bout. Their jargon wa
unintellgible to me.
where's your barmaidT' | asked o
the innkeeper.
His faded blue eyes scanned m
sharply. | read question in them ant
wondered. "She went into the gardel
to get breath of fresh air." he said
"She does not like the smoke"
1t annoyed me. | had seen som
one, then. What would Phyllis, prou,
Phyllis, say unused, when she hear,
that barmaid was her prototype
This thought had scarcely left m
when the door in the rear of the ba
opened and in came the barmaid heI
self. No, it was not Phyllis, but tn
resemblance was so startling that
caught my breath and stared at he
with persistency which bordered o.
rudeness. The barmaid was blond
whereas Phyllis was neither blon,
nor brunette, but stood between til
extremes, ana there was Il u1nv,efit