The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-17

| A Wlo noise interrupted him. The two men sprang to the door and saw the stream racing beyond it's banks and growing before their eyes. Great l trees and even rocks were moving along in It's mighty whirlpools and rapids A gale had awakened with 1t. High over head the tree crowns roared as If to echo the water that roared dine" cried the knight. rushing forth 1 blindly.
 He reached the edge of the spray ing stream to find that 1t had cut It. self so great bed that the peninsula was an island. At the thought that Undine might be in the weird. terrible forest. cut on from them, he seized a tree branch and waded into the torrent. | although he could barely maintain a | footing in it's turmoil. Trust not, trust not the streamv' a sweet voice sounded in his ear. He is treacherous. the old brook" l Where are you. Undine?" he called l aloud. Dear. Dear Undinei"
 Look. look. foolish. darling youth, look!" sounded Undine's voice. and led his glance to tiny islet. With a mighty effort the young knight parted the food and reached her. She encir- cled his neck with her arms and drew him down to her. DO not so back" she whispered. Let us go into the for- l estr'
 NO. we must go back" said the knight.
 Her blue eyes full of wonder. look ed into his. If you say so." she re- piled. 1t Is well. Everythins is right that you will" He lifted her in his arms and bore her back to shore. where the old people embraced and fondled her. quite forgetting the fright she had caused them.
 Dawn appeared before they returned to the hut. The gale ceased suddenly as 1t had begun. Birds were singing, thunder of the stream remained of the terror of the night. Undine. sitting at the knights feet again. demanded once more that he tell her what had brought him into the forest.
 | About a week ago." said the knight. T entered tournament In the city beyond the wood. was fortu- nate enough to conquer several ep- ponents. As stopped to rest with my helmet off, saw q most beautiful girl looking at me. It was Bertalda. the foster daughter of one of our great | with double vigor and, to make q long story short, found favor in her eyes"
 A sharp pain made him stop Un. dine. looking moody and angry, had set her little teeth into his hand. She glanced up at him. Tears started to her eyes, ana Sne nlu her race, Wnl&~ pering: Tt is your faultr'
 Mustered and thoughtful. Huld- brand continued: This Bertalda is a curious. naughty maid. On the second day she did not attract me nearly so much as on the first. and on the third day liked her still less. Still. had been selected as her knight, and when she demanded that bring her news of what really goes on in this ill.famed forest. could not choose but ride into
 "of the strange things that saw I will not speak. will tell you only how came here. Whenever thought that I was on a path that would lead back to the city a white. vague face | with ever-changing features peered at me from the thicket. No matter how I turned aside 1t appeared in front of me. Angrily I spurred my horse st 1t. At once white foam and water spouted at us so that we had to turn back. Thus I was forced step by step from every path that Hessayed till I turned in this direction. Then the white face, l that seemed sometimes to be on a great | white body and sometimes to be on | letting fountain, nodded to me and hIndered me no more"
 Thank you, dear brook" whispered 'Undine. Then she began to laugh. 1 You cannot return to your Bertaida," she cried, clapping her hands. "The stream is too wild to ford; and fla ther boat is too small and old to take | you home by way of the lake!
 The old fisherman nodded his head after an inspection of the stream and | told the knight that he would have to make up his mind to stay till the tor rent receded. Huldbrand did not feel the least impatience with his lot. In- deed as the days passed he felt cu- | rious pleasure when he visited the stream each morning only to find that 1t was wider and wilder than ever.
 His grazing warhorse. the knightly devices that gleamed from his armor | and trappings. even his great sword. failed to awaken him to his old desire | for adventure. Undine scolded him and | petted him and he began to feel more | and more as if the world beyond the forest were a mere dream and tiis still. peaceful. simple existence were the on- | ly real life.
 One night a great storm ragged again. when there came a knock at the | door. What human creature could possibly come here?' muttered the fish erman. fearfully. The knight grasped his sword but Undine ran boldly to the door and cried:
 If you are q mischievous earth spirit Cool-fount shall teach you bet l ter manners"
 The others looked at her. wondering But feeble voice answered: T am l no evil Splrf, put a poor pr1eSL Wn On | the sea has thrown ashore" Undine 1 opened the door and held out her hand to A venerable old man wh ose long white hair was dripping with water. l Hastily the fisherman and the knight 1 took him into chamber. rubbed him dry and gave him warm clothes. When he sat before the hre quite restored he | told them that there had been wonder full. great floods everywhere and that he had tried to go to his monastery by sea because the roads were impossible, when he was caught in the storm. His boat had been capsized and his boat man drowned. while he himself had | heen seized most miraculously by great white wave and cast ashore. sPerhaps." concluded he, i've may new CT see other human beings again. It Is said that the elements are so angry that they will not make peace Tor a long time to come. You may be cut off forever from the rest of the world
 Then you would remain with us! You would remain with us? whispered Undine and pressed closely to Huld- brands side.
 The knight stared into the fire and pondered The far world withdrew It. self further and further and became dim. Within his soul there seemed the laughter of the green islet and the glow of the wild rose that he had found there. An emotion that he could not resist flooded his being. He turned to the old priest and said:
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