The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-04-07

INCMrNl ley. glanced from the tile
80 rsofs of the homes of the
peasantry and illumined the lofty
towers Of great manorial chateau.
Into the little town Mt the foot Of
the big house rode shortly before
nightfall the jester and his COMPANION.
Durlng the day the young girl had
seemed dlfhdent and constrained. She
VINO had been all vivacity and life, on
sudden kept silence, or when she did
speak her tongue had lost its sharp.
ness.
Ills hrst greeting that morning Ind
been swift almost questioning, glance
Derore which she had looked away
In her face was the freshness Of dawn.
the grace Of springtide. Overhead
sang lark; at their feet brook wh,s.
Pered; around them solitude. vast, in
mite. lie spoke and she answered.
her reserve became infectious; they ate
their oaten cakes and drank their wine.
each strongly conscious of the presence
or the other. Then he rose, saddled
their horses and assisted her to mount
So they rode. pausing betimcs to rest
and even then she had little TO sov
save once when they stopped at rus
For moment he did " not nH5teann; ans.~.,
then briefly related the story.
"And why did you not tell me this
before!" she asked when he had fin
ished.
! "Would you have credited me thcn?"
. he replied, with 4 smile.
Quickly she looked ut him. Was
there that In her eyes which to him
robbed memory OF it's sting? At their
feet the water leapcd and laughed,
curled around the stones and ran on
with dancing bubbles. Perhaps he re-
turned her glance too readily; perhaps
the recollection of the ride the night
before required overvividly to her, for
she gaZed suddenly away, and he Won
dered in what direction her thoughts
tended, when she said with some re-
| serve:
"Shall we go on?"
They had not long left the brook and
the bridge when from afar they caught
sight Of the regal chateau and the
clustering progeny Of red rooted houses
at its base. At once they drew rein.
"Shall we enter the town. or avoid it
ny ruling oNcE tlc IueItu' Salu tue
PLEASANT.
What danger would there be in 60
ing on?" she asked Whom might
we mcetT'
Thoughtfully he regarded the slim
ing towers of the royal residence "No
one, think" he at length replied, and
they went on.
Around the town ran great wall
with watchtowers and n deep moat
but no person questioned their right to
the freedom Of the place, n sleepy sol
dier at the gate merely glancing indif.
ferently at them as they passed be.
meath the heavy archway. Gabled
houses with tendency to incline
from the perpendicular overlooked the
winding street; dull, round panes of
glass stared at them fraught with
mystery and the possibility Of spying
eyes behind, but the thoroughfare In
that vicinity appeared deserted save
for an old woman seated in doorway
Before this grandam, whose lacklus
ter eyes were fastened steadfastly be
fore her, the fool paused and asked
the direction Of the inn.
Follow your nose, II nature gave
you straight one" cried jeerini
voice from the other side of the thor
oughfare. "If 1t be crooked, blinC
man and dog were q better guide"
The speaker, a squat, misshapen fig
ure, had emerged from passage turn
ing into the street and now stood
twirling FOOLS head on q stick an,
gazing impudently at the newcomers.
"Ha, ha" laughed the oddity VIII
had volunteered this nalapert respons
to the testers inquiry. "Yonder sign
3 post" pointing to the aged dame "ha
lost its fingers, or, rather, its ears. Bet
ter trust to your nose"
"Triboulet" exclaimed Jacqueline.
"Is it you. ladybird" said the sur
prised dwarf, recognizing In turn tn
maid. And with the plaisant," star
ing hard at the fool. Then a cunnin
look gradually replaced the .wopder. d.