Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1904-05-19

stak' your pleasure while you may is
guild sayin'."
So thereupon he sent for the abbot,
and reprimanded him before the whole
court.
'sWhat is this we hear, Lord Ahhot?"
he inquired. us it our wedding or
thine that We. must needs turn the
guests away from us?"
''Sire,' answered the abbot, making
his obeisance with sour visage,
dancing is lure of the Evil One, and
it BELTS not these poor people to be led
astray by such device"
sBy st. Andrews bones, Lord Alb
bot! cried the king, there is no harm
in dancing and ye did wrong to gain
say me in this. Hearken now," he
continued, ''to what here ordain. Let
all the waukers, and wabsters and SOU
tars, and merchants, and millers and
cedgers frae the kintra round that are
so minded set to at once and dance
reel to celebrate our waddin'. And
every landward lassie that so likes can
come the nicht-the bonnie lassie fresh
frae puin' lint III be as well received
| by us as ony naughty barOn's dochtar.
And tax tent that nae monk inter-
| feres."
"Naught good can come of displeas-
| ing Holy Church." said the abbot,
turning away with long lip; and the
courtiers were reminded of his words
later on that night.
| So the town-crier belied the king s
proclamation through the town, and
the whole of the populace, from the
| town-foot to the abbey, were soon gone
dancing mad-all dancing to the we'll
being of the king.
! The scene at the marriage feast that
| night was something the burghers did
not forget in hurry. The tables
stretched from one end of the hall
straight out into the caller air, and
grOaned beneath the generous fare pro-
i vided from the private stores of loyal
urgesses-bannocks and cheese, hag-
gis and tripe. apples and pears, fish
and flesh. and every other dainty usu'
ally provided for a royal marriage,
with drink to match. Then when they
they had feasted to their hearts con-
tent, like a hailstorm through the for
est. the dance began; and lords and
ladies, with laughing eyes vowed, tired
or not, to keep it going till morning
The fiddles went. and harpers played
while guitars twanged accompaniment
to song from throats of bonnie lassies
All took part in the entertainment
and even bow-legged Tam the Tin
man, who could neither dance no1
play nor sing, contributed to the din
if not the music, by shouting at the
pitch of his leathern lungs, "Ho Jed
darts herev' the burg rallying cry.
When. 10! Il change came DER the
scene. and dancers broke off, awe
stricken. musicians ceased their play
ing. and singing girls became dumb
A spell hung DER them all. but still
the patter of a pair of brogues coulC
be heard carrying on the broken-of
dance. though no one could be seen
while the wall of an invisible bagpip'
playing the accompaniment was plain
ly audible. The lad with the lang bas
soon tainted, the kettle-drummers ant
, fifers followed suit. while the harper
glowered quaking with terror through
the strings of their silent instruments
and shut their eyes-on such a sigh
that now appeared.
It was no human being, yet there
| was, dancing through the hall, cuttin
!, such capers and performing such ar
5 tics that it nearly tumbled over tn
Provost. worthy man, who stood in it
q way. Then it linked in the kings d
e rection, and even jostled him with it
e elbows, to the no small dismay Of tn
g maskers of both sexes, who fe
Y screaming to the other end of the hal
/ 1t had a plume of feathers on it
/ head. as if it had been a DarOn, Will
= it's attenuated form was attired in
7, kilt all embroidered with gold br'
(, cade, with a dainty doublet adorne
= with silver lacing to match. But ye
It as have said, it was only thing
e bones-an atomy, skeleton, s1g1
alike grotesque and ludicrous-a gho
d in kits! 1t lightly trod an airy minue
- cracking it's fieshless thumbs, and pr
e tending to link with unseen partner
2 down the floor. It danced that nig]
d, as surely never before had COUNT
ID dance been danced, grinning and boy
q, ing at the same time to the Quee
IN and her ladies on the dais, who we
&c speechless with terror; and then, s
O. lent as it had come, it fitted from Il
i'd palace, and the spell was broken. The
N by degrees came courage back to II
IN hearts of those assembled there
is Such is the legend of the ghost tn
danced at Jeddart, legend that
~ historically true.-Glasgow Herald.
ne ----
t. Napo1eon's Bed For Sale.
lp The bed on which Napoleon died
MT ST Helena is being offered for sale