The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1909-07-17

now. that stone with the and vines on it. and
all vines around you, you like Kundry in her
car-n the second part. know. And she was oeau-
tful like you"
Inyoluntarily she caught him to her bosom.
mo! oh, no! am not Kundry. Oh, my little lad"
He rested upon her shoulder He was not robust
knight.
But you arc acting her part. Kundry put her arms
around Parsifal and kissed him. What makes you
cry?"
She laid her cheek to the little knights and smoothed
his shining hair. Always herself lonely child,
dweler in books and fantasies high-strung and emo
tiona she had impulse to hold fast to the thin
little hand that lay hers and follow with him across
the purple hills ito the island valley of Avalon.
where falls not hail, rain, any snow.
What makes you cry?" he asked again.
She laid her face his shoulder that he made firm
and manly for her sake.
Perhaps it is because l happy" she faltered,
"in finding so pure knight You shall be my cham
pon and do battle for There is something that
besets me-something am afraid Of 1t is demon
monster with green 1t was here just before
you came. You have driven him away, but he may
come back. You Shall be my knight, my Galahad, to
slay him. You shall wear my color upon your sleeve
as you ride through the enchanted wood She drew
gay ribbon from her neck and tied about his arm
The lad regarded it proudly and caught up the fallen
lance
Don't you think ought to wait for him here?' he
asked
NO. but you may again if you don't find him.
You must ride A canter on such beautiful day
will make you strong for conquest 1t is only little
way through to the road
The boys eyes shone with happiness. Miss Seymour,
remembering her own strange childhood, wondered
how much of this play real to the ill., imaginative
lad.
"I have two errands now," he said proudly-'two
TO do hefO [
you and one for Dick
"You have one for-Mr. Calverly?"
The little knight had leaned his lance against the
pony's saddle and preparing to mount.
"Yes, one for Dick. I to kill giant for him
the giant Despair" flush reddened Miss seymour's
face, followed by slight palor.
did Dick say that"
Eyes, Mama said it first, though, and laughed But
Dick didn't, so know he meant it, just you do
about the dragon Your dragon won't die natural
death, will it,"
"1-no, I'm afraid not Why do you ask that?"
"Wel mama asked Dick if he didn't think his giant
might and said I'd better make haste to find it"
The sunlight of and the warmth of tender
ness had fed from the girls heart and left it cold
She hardly noticed her fragile knight as he mounted
his pony and headed toward the woodland road.
"Good-by," he waved, the gay ribbon futtering on
his arm Il am going down beyond the bridge May
be l shall find the giant and the dragon there Good
by, fair ladye!" he added quantity.
She rose as by sudden impulse, and, seizing his
hand drew his face down until his lips lay against her
check
"Good-by, true knight" she answered, and added a
word of caution about carrying his lance to avoid
the trees But the note in her voice that only mo-
rnent before had made him valiant was no longer
there. He rode away without looking behind, and a
later she had dropped back the messy stone
seat the old human bitterness. and grief and resent
ment, all that go to make womans jealousy rank
ling in her heart.
The light breeze lifted the leaves, and moved the
long, slender branches above her. The sun, nnottlng
at her feet changed and rppled Little vistas opened
here and there before her. showing the stately trees
or the fallen giants of long ago, manted now with
emerald moss tangle of vine and bloom. She had
loved these woods-this wonderful mountain forest its
prmeval glory its leaping brooks, its lofty submits,
Tahawus and Algonquin with their marvel of shifting
lights and changing hues. Seen through the glamour
of youth and romance, it had been to her veritable
enchanted land, wherein true knights in shining armor
might ride to perilous adventure.
In the early days of her coming she had dreamed
these things. Then when he had come, she, who had
never been moved by any human being before had all
at once looked into his face and loved him, and
freely as the Maid of Astolat had his image for
in her heart. Tall he was and handsome and
strong, a man of the world, with light and merr,
speech yet with soul that had seemed full of sym
pathy and tenderness, and truth, and understanding
OF course, she had dealized him. Leading him through
the haunts and glens she had found, and looking Al
his manly figure and into his handsome face she hat
seen him as true and brave knight who was to de
valiant battle for her with the world of unknd things
What romantic fool she had been! Her kngh
had proven Lancelot, indeed. Her love-dream hae
been as the simmer of sunlight upon the leaves Sh
had wakened suddenly find it gone Her ideal hat
become myth. Her only knight was little dyinl
boy. riding through land of makebeeve to the quie
gates of dusk
She reviewed, she had done hundred times be
fore, the matter of her estrsngement with Richard,
Dick, he had taught her to call him. She set her
self individual apart and went unsparingiy owe