The champion. (Arcadia, Fla.) 1895-1911, 1906-05-03

N N'u hiibut LOOK counsel lnuRhpd
at his forebodings. None OF them bo.
lieyed that saladin or his emlssaries
would stir IN this business before tbs
spring or more probably until another
year had passed. still they always set
guards at night and, besides them.
selves, kept twenty men sleeping AZ
the hall; also they arranged thai on
the lighting OF signal Are upon the
tower Of steeple church their neighbors
should come to succor them.
so the time went on toward Christ.
mas, before which the weather changed
and became calm, with sharp frost
II was on the shortest day that PRIOR
John rode up to the hall and told them
that he was going to southmlnster 10
buy some wine for the Christmas
feast Sir Andrew asked what wine
there was at southmInster. The prlor
answered that he had heard that
ship laden, among other things, with
wine Of Cyprus Of wonderful quality
had come into the river Crouch with
Der rudder broken. He added that az
no shipwrights could be found In Lon
don to repair It till after Christmas
the chapman, a Cypriote, who was in
charge Of the wine, was selling as
much as he could In Southmlnster and
to the houses about at a cheap rate
and delivering It by means OF a vain
that he had hired.
Sir Andrew replied that this seemed
a fair chance to get fine liquor, which
was hard to come by in Essex In those
times. The end Of 1t was that he
Dade Wulf, whose taste IN strong drink
was nice, to ride with the prior Into
southmlnster and II he liked the stuff
to buy few casks Of It for them to
make merry with at Christmas, al
though he himself, because Of his all
ments, now drank only water
So Wulf went, nothing loath In this
dark season of the year when there
was no fishing 1t grew very dull lolter-
ing about the ball, and since he did
not read much, like Goodwin, sitting for
long hours by the fire at night watch
ing Rosamund going to and fro upon
her tasks, but not speaking with her
overmuch for Notwithstanding all their
pretense Of forgetfulness some sort of
veil had fallen between the brethren |
and Rosamund, and their intercourse |
was not so open and familiar as of old,
Moreover, as has been said, dread
sat upon that rooftree like croalklng
raven, nor could they escape from the
shadow OF its wing Far away In the
east mighty monarch had turned his
thoughts toward this English home and
the maid of HIS royal blood who dwelt
there and who was mingled with his
visions of conquest and of the triumph
Of his faith
So away Wulf rode up Steeple hill
with the prior, laughing as he used to
do before Rosamund led him to gather
flowers at st. Peter's-on-the-Wall
Asking where the foreign merchant
dwelt who had wine to sell, they were
directed to an Inn near the minister
Here IN a back room they found a
short stout man, wearing red cloth
cap, who was seated on pillow be
tween two kegs.
"Clean cups" he said, speaking Ia
bad French, to the drawer who stood
beside him "Clean cups, for here
some holy man and gallant knight
Who wish TO taste my liquor Nay, fell
ow, oil them up, Cor the top Of Mount
IN winter Is not so cold as
hts cursed place, to say nothing Of its
lamp, which is that Of dungeon"
And he shivered, drawing his costly
Ihawl closer round him.
"slr Abbot which will you taste
lrst- the red wine or the Yellow The
ed is the stronger, but the yellow is
he more costly and drink for saints
n paradise and abbots upon earth
The yellow from Kyrenia2 Well you
re wise. They say II was my patron
T. Helena's favorite vintage when she
listed Cyprus. bringing with her Dis
la's CROSS"
"Are you a Christian then2" asked
le prior. II took you for Paynim."
Were I not a Christian would
islt this foggy land Of yours to trade
, wine, liquor forbidden to the Mos
sms?" answered the man, drawing a
side the folds of his shawl and reveal !
ig a silver crucihx upon his broad
reast II am merchant Of Fama- ,
usta, in Cyprus, Georgios by name,
nd Of the Greek church which you
yesterpers hold to be heretical But
that do you think Of that wine, holy !
bbotT
In reply the prior smacked his lips
"And you. Sir Knight, what say you !
the black stuff 'Mavro,' we call 1t I
not the common, but that which has