The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-28
THE FLIGHT OF THE PRINCESS.


the seZng freshness of the dew But here and there
above this field of shadow, the head of great out
spread pine already glorious with day; and here
and there through the breaches of the hills, the
beams made great and luminous entry. Here Sera-
phna hastened along forest paths. She had lost sight
of the pilot smoke, which blew another way and
Quoted herself in that great wilderness by the direction
OF the sun, But presently fresh signs bespoke the
neighbourhoOd of man; felled trunks, white slivers
from the axe bundles of green bOughs and stacks of
frewood. These guided her forward; until she came
forth at last upon the clearing whence the smoke
hut stood in the clear shadow hard by brook which
made series of incOnslderabe falls and on the hres
hold, the Princess sun burnt and manufactured
wOodman standing with his hands behind his back and
gazing skyward.
She went to him directly; beautiful bright-eyed
and haggard vision spendidy arrayed and pitifully
tattered the diamond eardrOps still gtterng in her
ears and with the movement of her coming, one small
breast showing and hiding among the ragged covert of
the laces. At that ambiguous hour, and coming as
she did from the great silence of the forest the
drew back from the Princess from something en.
i am cold,' she said, and weary Let rest be-
side your fire.
The woodman was visiby commoved but answered
nothing.
Twill pay she said, and then repented of the words.
catching perhaps spark of terror from his frightened
eyes But, usual he courage rekinded brighter for
the check. She put him from the door and entered;
and he followed her in supersttious wsnder.
Within the hut rough and dark; but on the stone
that served as hearth twigs and few dry branches
burned with the brisk sounds and all the variable
beauty of fire. The very sight of it composed her, she
crOuched hard by the floor and Shvered in the glow
and looked upon the heating blaze with admiration.
The woodman was still staring at his guest; at the
wreck Of the rich dress the bare arms the bedragged
laces and the gems. He founH no word to utter.
Give me food, said she, here, by the fire
He sat down pitcher of coarse wine, bread riece
Of cheese, and a handful of onions The bread
Lard and sour the cheese like leather; even the
onion, which ranks with The trIhe and the nectarne
the chief place of honor of eaItnS fruit is not per-
han, Tor atp If
not with appetite, with acc; and when she had
eaten did not il ain tho pltc.e-. In al her life be
Sic had rot tasted Of gs5- g3 trunk after
another: but brave for more readily accepts
a charge Of circumstances than I've hrivest All
that while tie woodman continued to observe her
furtively many low thought I~ar and greed con
tending in hs eyes She recd n clearly, and she
knew she must begone
Presently she iose and offe.e- lin lolir
VIII that repay your she aSke
But here the man found his ~. Ce. i must have
more than that, said he.
1T is all have to give yOu she returned, and passed
him BY sereney.
Yet her heat trembed f@ sic saw his hard
stretched forth if to arrest he, and his urseady
eyes wandering to his A hccten path led west
ward from tie clearing and She swiftly followed il.
She Cid not glance behind her. Dut as soon Il e
least turning Of the path had cealed her from the
woodlands eye she slipped m5ng the trees and ran
till she deemed herself in safety.
By this time the strong sunshine 9.erced in thous-
and places the pnethatch of the forest fired the red
bCleS rIadaed the cool asles OF shadow, and buried
in Jewels on the grass The gum OF these trees was
dearer to the than the gums Of Araby each pine
in the lusty morning sunlight. Duned its wood
incerse; and and thoI blCoze would rise and toss
these rooted censes, and send sh~c and sun-gem fit
tirg swift as swallows. thick IS hoes: and wake a
brushing hustle of Sounds that mUrrured and went by.
On she passed, and up and down. in sun and shadow
aoft the bare ridge among tie rocks and birches.
with the lizards and the snakes: and in the deep
grove among sunless pillars Nov 3 { followed wand
erng wOed-pathS in the maze Cf valleys: and again,
from hilltop. beheld the distant mountains and the
great birds crcing under the s1v She would see afar
off nesting ha Met and go roun to yoi it. Below,
she traced the of the foam cf noun ain torrents.
Nearer had, she how the tender springs weed up
in silence, oozed in green moss orr the more favour
ed hoows whole family of infant rivers would
bine and tnkle in the stones and lie in pools to be
bathng-pace for sparrow or fall from the sheer rock