Los Angeles herald., 1908-12-13

k@RAl19EA thick foliage, parting OF the branches
ENKGS% at her left and Miss Seymour became
RANG9HN aware that a horse and rider had intruded
kz<A upon her special sanctuary of sorry. Her
hafstarted half-ndgnant look vanished
Is she recognized them.
The horse was such little horse, the rider SUCH a
slight wisp of boy. The fact that he bore
lance and shield, and dress doubtless intended
TO be warike, did not awaken special alarm in the
bosom of Miss Seymour, whc-e veins bore the blood
OF kings
"Oh, it's you, Robnp she saio gently "You almost
frightened me"
The boy lowered his lance and looked down into the
face Of this "far ladye' who, being alone in those
deep forests. might need true knights protection.
q am not Robin Hood" he said in his quaint, ma
ture way mot any more. l am Sir Galahad in search
of the Holy Grail I must conquer many things to
win it. and also redress wrong
Miss Seymour smiled gentle approval.
"Oh l beg your pardon-I didn't know. You have
been Robin Hood so long, and you are still wearing
the Lincoln green you see, and
Eyes l know l did not have the armor for Gala
had only shield that mama once used IN part she
PLAYED and brought with her to hang in my room
She is going to get suit of armor when we go
back to town this Autumn Dick-Mr. Calverly'
mean-made the lance"
Miss Seymours lips frightened the least bit.
"Your mama and-Mr Calverly are very good to
YOU she said
ooh yes Mama lets me do just what l want TO-
She came to the Adirondacks and brought the pony
and ever so many things, just for It's dull for
for her Mama always has so many friends at Nara
sansett and Atlantic City, and they always so good
to me- Here there is only Dick-I call him Dick be-
cause mama does, and he likes me to-and then he's
the best of them ali. He told me about Gaahad and
the Grail and isn't this a nice lance? must ride
very slowly with it through the woods. knights al
v,avs do. Dick SAYS and l like being Gaahad better
than Robin Hood, because you see, Robin Hood wasn't
really noble only just brave, but Sir Galahad was
good and he was brave too Dick says he without
fear and without reproach and he went forth to con-
auer evil and relieve distress. I just love Mr. Cal
very and so does mama. I wish he was my papa
Why don't you love him. too, Miss Seymour? He's
so good and so handsome. When he told me about
Sir Galahad and the Grail mama said that with ar
NOR he would look the part exactly. And then he's
so Jolly. Don't you like men who are handsome and
brave and jolly, Miss Seymour"
It had been curious study-her fine patrician face
as the girl listened to the fra little knights quaint
childish prattle At one moment hard, almost fierce
at the next tender to the point OF tears. The hidden
regions of her heart battle ground Her voice
refused to steady itself for reply Sir Galahad slipped
from his horse and stood before her leaning on his
lance The sun filtered through the interacing green
and laid patch of glory his siken hair. His eyes
burned brightly. The effort of dismounting had
heightened the bloom his wasted cheek SO rare
and beautiful he was-so the border OF a land
invsib1e-wthal earnest in the part he played, he
might easily have been gentle knight of dreams,
finding adventures in far, dim regions and along en-
chanted ways,
The girls heart melted in a of tenderness
and motherly sympathy she looked at him. She
had been dreamer hersef-a dweller in the lands of
golden mist Such little while ago she had awak-
ened She would forget and dream again with the
little knight. Sand how did you find your way to
my bower?" she asked.
Here? Oh, I have been here often. Sometimes
when was Robin Hood I gathered my here
Little John, Friar Tuck and all the rest of them.
always sat on that stone where you and we talked
of our adventures"
Something in his manner recalled the woman in
Miss Seymour Il suppose you are like your father"
she said
The boy hesitated
"But mama thinks I am like her too. She says
will make a great actor day. He died, you know,
in California before I can remember" He was
thoughtful moment, then he added 81 wouldn't be
afraid to die Knights are, you know and mama
and Dick said looked like real knight when rode
away"
Unconsciously Miss Seymours hand pressed hard
against her bosom. The picture of the tall, happy
hearted fellow who had her love, standing by the
pretty frivolous woman-the gifted who seemed
to attract all men-the heartess coquette, in whose
life the one spot seemed her fondness for this
little lad who was fading out of it, had made the in
nocent words as an arrow in her heart Yet the BIT
+ terness was gone. In her eyes tears ready to
brim over.
"Oh' she said, you are indeed knight A cheva-
lier without fear and without reproach. But think
you are Parsifa rather than Gaahad for Parsifa was
without knowledge of wrong"
The boy hestated for a moment
"We saw Parsifal at Bayreuth last year" he said.
II did not like it when he killed the swan
"But he killed it nnocently. He was unconscious OF
cruety--as unconscious as you would be-"
sand are you Kundry? When you sit as you do