The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-23

ldris, trembling lest he should have given
offense. watched her till she out OF
sight and then slowly went back TO Wave
Crest.
Verify NJ was a fortunate fellow, Fresh
from a charming tete-d-tete with one fair
lady he vas now to have the like with a
second: for on passing through the gar
den gate, he saw Beatrice Ravengar read
ing in d low chair beneath the apple trees
Beatrice. the sea-kings daughter. the des-
cenGant OF that very Viking whose bones
rcposed in Ormfell,
Her heart beat more quickly as Idris ap-
preached He, little dvining the color that
played so enchantingly over her cheek.
thought Godfrcy's sister very pretty
maiden indeed. True, she lacked the dark
starry beauty Of LOrelie-Idris's tastes ran
IN favor of brunettes-yet there was
subtle witchery in Beatrice's soft gray
eyes and winsome expression; in her sunny
hair: and in her graceful figure. set off
as Il then was, by a dainty dress of soft
muslin.
MY name being Breakspear." said he.
beside her, you will not be surprised to
learn that | have a lance to break with
you
And what have l done that is amiss?"
asked Beatrice, outwardly smiling but in
wardly uneasy: for some secret feeling
told her that he had just left the presence
OF Mademoiselle Riviere and she feared
lest that lady should have said something
To prejudice her in the eyes of Idris A
fair return, for had not she herself let fall
In ldriss presence words unfriendly TO
Lorelie?
You have committed the sin of omis-
sion In not telling me that the armorial
a silver ring"
coat of arms" said Beatrice, with wide,
wondering eyes, but where is my fault in
not telling you of it? Surely" she added
with 4 sudden intuition as to his meaning
surely you do hot mean to say that there
Is some connection between your runic ring
and the Ravengar device?"
ldris's reply was to repeat the story he
had just heard.
This is all new to me-" said Beatrice
when he had finished, but then / never
was a Ravengar. L am the daughter of
my mother, and have taken little, if any,
interest In the genealogy and family tradi-
tons of my ancestors. the belted earls.''
You should now look with more favor
on the Vikings skull as being that of your
the staircase last night was evidently TO in
troduce himself TO you, his youngest
descendant. But 1 have interrupted your
ask the title Of your book?'
have read it?
very nature. certain to interest me. Will
you read aloud, Miss Rdvengar?''
There Is little Beatrice would not have
done TO please Idris. and accordingly she
began the reading of the poem. Her voice
was clear and silvery, and marked at times
by cadence. piaintive and pretty. Idris
would have Jared i'll had he been required
TO give summary of the poem for he
paid little attention TO the words. find
ing a greater charm in the face and voice
of the reader: More than once the thought
stole over him that If he had not seen
Mademoisele Riviere his love might have
found its resting place in Beatrice
Reading smoothly onward Beatrice came
TO the scene in which the reluctant bride
Gucrun. on her wedding night, draws near
to the couch of Olaf, dagger in hand and
murder in her neart.
What is that King Olaf said,
Cleans bright above thy head?
Wherefore standest thou so white
In pale moonlight?
IT'S the bodkin that I wear
When at night l bind my hair e"
That's not the right word. Ladies don't
fasten their hair with bodkins"
Poets do not speak with the precision
of grammarians. L suppose he should have
said hairpin.Y
Did they use hairpins in those days,
| them"
little hazy on the point. nevertheless
'Gudrun must have worn a very large
| hairpin. If she could liken a dagger to it,
Il suppose it was not very unlike the
StiiettO contrfvances worn by ladies of the
present day. answered Idris.
- IT'S the bodkin that I wear
When at night L bind my hair"
repeated Beatrice. AT night? Did she
wear 1t I'm her hair while sleeping?"
| Il never knew the lady" laughed Idris
so am unable to answer Why shouldn'
| she?''
because during sleep she might turn her
head upon the point and receive an un-
| pleasant stab"
You speak from experienced"
night"
1--WE must leave Gudrun's bodkin sus-
| pended In midair while you tell me how this
happened"
There is really nothing to tell. When
went TO bed / forgot to remove the stillettc
from my hair. Somehow, 1 was unable tc
| sleep last night"
You were thinking of the skull. per-
haps?"
Yes. it must have been that" replied
Beatrice, coloring AT this prevarication, fol
| had she spoken truly. she must have TOLD
| him that he was the cause OF her unrest
! And So" she continued. while | was
/ tossing from side to side, the stietto must
have got loose. and in turning my head or
| the pillow / received a stab from the point
| OF II. Nothing 10 speak of, a mere scalI
| wound"
1T was we'll the point was not forced
into your brain. l have heard of fatal &C.
| cidents resulting from the use of these
stiletto pins. You discarded it at once?'
'Of course"
| Forever"
20. no. Only till the morning." replied
| Beatrice demurey.
What? You have not let it serve as q
warming? o. Miss Ravengar. Miss Raven
| hair at the present moment?'
"A proof of feminine vanity for it is of nc
| real use, being merely ornament
| May / inspect the savage weapon tha
| might have ended your existence and MAY
yet. since you decline TO learn wisdom From
| experience
Beatrice drew forth the hairpin 1t wa.
| shaped like dagger, the steel being slen
| der, rounded and tapering to a point: tn,
hilt of gold set with briiants
| As soon IdriS 1T he stared at i
as If mesmerized the tapering point of tn,
slender steel strangely suggestiv,
of the metal fragment that had fallen from
the Vikings skull. He took it from hi
pocket and held IL out to her.
| Miss RavenSar, what should you sa!
| this is?''
THAT" replied Beatrice THAT is ;
| part of a hairpn. Seei"
She laid IL upon her open palm beside
her own stiletto. The terminal of the latte
| corresponded exactly in form and colo
| with the broken fragment al least, tn,
imperceptible by the naked eye.
1T certainly looks like a hairpin.'
Looks like IL, do you say?" said Beat
rice. with sort of reproach in her tone
1T is she aSseverated firmly.
What reason have you for this opinion
other than mere resemblance" asked 'Idris
little surprised by her air of GERTRUDE
Il do not reason upon il. / know IL is [;
hairpin." she replied. with a peculiar EN-
phasis upon the know"
There a strangeness in her manner
an entire reversal of her former self he
e. 81 k,1l - -.