The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-14
THE FLIGHT or The PRINCESS.

lne cries ana Oud lOOlng OF the mon drew
the doomed palace; the rush like the rush of
airy; the sound OF shaterng lamps tinged above the
rest; and OVertOWerlng all, she heard her name
banded among the shouters. A bugle sounded at the
door OF the guard-room; gun was fired; and then
with the yell Of hundreds, Mitwalden Palace was car
ried at rush.
Sped by these dire sounds and voices, the Princess
scaled the long garden skmming like bird the starlit
starWays; crossed the Park, which in that place
narrow and plunged upon the farther side into the
rude shelter of the forest So at bound she left the
discretion and the cheerful lamps Of Palace evenings;
ceased utterly to be sovereign LADY, and falling from
the whole height Of civilization forth into the
woods, ragged Cinderella.
She went direct before her through an open tract of
the forest, full Of brush and brches and where the
starlight guided her. and beVond that again must
thread the coumned backness Of pine grove joining
overhead the thatch of its long branches. At that
hour, the place breahless a horror Of night like
presence occupied that dungeon OF the wood and she
went glOpng knocking against the bOleS-her ear, be-
tWeenWhlles, strained to aching and yes unrewarded.
But the slope of the ground was upward, and encour
aged her. and presently she issued on rocky hill that
stood forth above the Of forest. All around wef
other htops, big and little sable wales of forest be-
tween: overhead the open heaven and the biancy of
countless stars; and along the western sky the dim
forms OF mountains. The glory OF the great night
laid hold upon her. her eyes shone with stars; she dip
ped her sight into the cooness and brightness of the
sky, she might have dipped her wrist into a spring,
and saT heart at hat ethereal shock, began to move
more soberly The san that sails overhead poughng
signal to mans myTiads has word apart for man
the individual; and the moon, like VIOLIN only praises
and aments private destiny The stars alone, cheer
full Whisperers confer quietly with each of us like
friends they give ear to our sorrows smingly like
wise old men, rich in tolerance; and by their double
scale, small to the eye vast 10 the imagination,
they keep before the mind the double character of
mans nature and Fate
There safe the Princess, beautifully looking upon
beauty, in council with these glad advisers Bright
like pictures clear like voice IN the porches of her
ear, memory reenacted the tumut Of the evening" The
Countess and the dancing fam the big baron on his
knees, the blood on the polished floor the knocking,
the swing of the litter down the avenue of lamps the
messenger the cries of the charging mob: and yet all
were far away and phantasma, and she was still heal
ingy conscious of the peace and glory of the night.
She looked towards Mttwald; and above the hilltop,
which already hid it from her view throbbing redness
hnted of fire. Better so better So that she should fall
with tragic greatness, lit by blazing palace. She felt
not trace of pity for Gondremark of for
Glunewad that part Of her life closed for ever
wrench of wounded vanity alone surviving. She had
but one clear idea: to fee;-and another obscure and
hafreected although still obeysd to flee in the direc
ton of the Felsenburg. She had duty to perform,
she must free Ottoso her mind said very codly; but
her heart embraced the notion of that duty with
ardor and her hands began to yean for the grasp OF
kindness.
She rose, with a start of recollection and plunged
down the slope into the covert The woods receVed
and closed upon her. Once more, she wandered and
hased in blot uncheered unploted. Here and there,
indeed, through rents in the wood-foof, glimmer at
tracted her, here and there, tree stood out among its
neighbours by force of outline here and there
burshing among the leaves, notable backness, dim
shone relieved only to eXaggerate the solid oppression
of the night and silence And betweenwhlleS, the
featured darkness would redouble and the whole of
night appear to be gloatng on her Steps. Now she
would stand STILL and the silence would grow and grow,
till it weighed upon her breathing; and then she would
address herself again to run, stumbling falling sand
still bunying the more And presently the whole wood
rocked and began to along with her: Bhe noise of
her oen mad passage through the silence spread and
her. panic from the trees reached forth with cucthng
branches; the darkness was lit up and peopled with
strange forms aud faces. She stranglsd and fled be-
fore her fears And yet in the last fortress reason,
blown upon by these gusts of terror still shown with
troubled light She knew, yet could not act upon her
knowledge; she knew that she must stop and yet she
still ran