The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-20

a creature as he saw now. She looked at him earnestly with her great blue | eyes-earnestly and with an immense ten 1 derness and sadness. for she could not speak.
 He bent to her and took her little hand. She arose. At once it was as the witch had foretold. Each step she made was as if she were treading on the piercing points of dreadful knives and fercely sharp swords Each step she made sent
 pang as of death through her. But she
 held the hand of the Prince and she did not vince.
 Holding the hand of the Prince she
 walked, lightly as a bubble, until he and
 all his people were enchanted by that graceful motion.
 They brought silks and costly stuffs for her and when she was dressed in them everybody marveled at her more than ever, fer she was the most beau- tiful of all the maidens there. But she was dumb and could not speak or sing And there were many lovely fe- male slaves who came in dresses of silk and gold and sank before the Prince and
 his royal parents. And the Prince was charmed and delighted by the songs, so
 that he could not repress his joy One
 there was who sang more beautifully than the others so that he clapped his hands ioyously and smiled at her. Then the little mermaid became very, very sad. "Oh," thought she, If he could only know that I have given away my voice forever to be near him!'' The slaves began to dance--airy dances that seemed to be like the motion of wind-touched leaves. The mermaid saw that these, too, pleased the Prince beyond measure. She lifted her lovely white arms, raised herself on the tips of her toes and gilded over the floor, dancing as no one else had danced. At each movement, her beauty seemed to grow and her sea-eyes spoke so deeply to the heart that the beauty of the slave-girls was quite forgotten by all who looked at her. The Prince showed his delight, and called her his little founding. At these words the mermaid danced more and more, although each time her feet touched the ground her body quivered with cruel pain.
 The Prince said that she should re- main with him always, and she was all lowed to sleep on a velvet cushion out side of his door. He had his work people make male costume for her, so that she could accompany him on ous forests where the fresh green brush ed their shoulders lovingly and the little birds sang as if their hearts would break with happiness and love.
 She climbed the lofty mountains with the Prince. Her tender feet bled and always she suffered agony that almost made her scream: but always she smiled
 bravely when he looked at her. Bravely she followed him, high and higher, till they could see the clouds floating below them as if they were flock of birds flying away to foreign lands. But in the still and lonely nights, when
 everybody slept in the palace. the little mermaid would steal down the broad
 marble steps and stand in the bright sea
 water to cool her burning feet; and standing there, she would think and think of all who were dear to her down there in the green and beautiful deep. One night as she stood thus her sis ters came floating along the ocean, arm
 wound around arm, and singing with
 mournfulness passionate to hear She beckoned to them and they drew near
 and they drew near and told her how
 everybody and everything below grieved for her.
 After that they visited her every night.
 One night she saw, but far away her old grandmother, who had not been near the surface for many years, and with her