Evening star., 1908-12-12

Gh@o1p truded upon her
special sanctuary
of sorrow. Her half-startled, half-indig
nant look vanished as she recognized
them.
The horse was such little horse. the
rider such a slight w1sp Of boy. The
fact that he bore lance and shield. and
wore a dress doubtless intended to be
warlike. did not awaken special alarm in
the bosom of Miss Seymour, whose veins
bore the blood of kings.
"Oh, it's you, Robin!" she said. gently.
"You almost frightened me-"
The boy lowered his lance and looked
down into the face Of this fair ladye"
who, being alone in those deep forests,
might need true knights protection.
II am not Robin Hood he said. in his
quaint. mature way. mot any more.
am Sir Galahad in search Of the Holy
Grail. ] must conquer many things to
win it, and also redress wrong
Miss Seymour smiled gentle approval.
'Oh. I 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
''Yes. know. did not have the armor
for Galahad, only a shield that mamma
once used In a part she played and
brought with her to hang In my room
She is going to get me a suit Of armor
when we go back to town this autumn
Dick-Mr Calverly, mean-made me the
lance"
Miss Seymours lips frightened the least
BIT
Your mamma and--Mr. Calverly are
very good to you." she said
"Oh. yes, Mamma let's me do just what
want to. She came to the Adirondacks
and brought the pony and ever so many
things. just for me- It's dull for her.
Mamma always has so many friends at
Narragansett and Atlantic City. and they
are always so good to me. Here there is
only Dick-I cali him Dick because mamma
does, and he likes me to-and then he's
the best of them all. He told me about
Galahad and the Grail, and isn't this a
nice lance? I must ride very slowly with
1t through the woods. knights always do,
Dick says. and like being Galahad bet
ter than Robin Hood, because, you see.
Robin Hood wasn't really noble only just
brave. but Sir Galahad was good. and he
out fear and without reproach, and he
went forth to conquer evil and relieve dis
tress. Just love Mr.. Calverly. and so
does mamma. 1 wish he was my papa.
Way don't you love him. too, Miss Sey-
mour? He's SO good and so handsome
When he told me about Sir Galahad and
the Grail, mamma said that with armor
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 Sey-
mour?''
1t had been a curious study-her fine
patrician face-as the girl listened to the
frail little knights quaint childish pratt
tie At one moment hard, almost fierce
at the next tender to the point of tears.
The hidden regions of her heart were as
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
interlacing green and laid patch Of glory
on his silken hair. His eyes burned
brightly. The effort of dismounting had
heightened the bloom on his wasted cheek
So rare and beautiful. he was-so near the
border Of land invisible-withaI so ear
nest IN the part ne played, he might
easily have been a gentle knight Of
dreams. finding adventures in far. dim
regions and along enchanted ways.
The girls heart melted in a wave OF ten
derness and motherly sympathy as she
looked at him. She had been a dreamer
herself-a dweller in the lands of golden
mist Such a little while ago she had
awakened She would forget and dream
again with the little knight. and how