Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1910-08-06
THE SOUL OF A SERF
A Romance OF Love And VaIOr
The Angles And SaxOns
A STALWART HERO
Who Dreams OF Freedom And Fortune
Awaiting Him Over The Scar

Saxons by j. breckenridge Ellis, rs
an intensely dramatic story, recount
ing the valorous deeds and impassion-
ed love of Usfrey, a stalwart young
Saxon hero, who though but
"eeorl' or serf, had dreams of free
dom, fame and fortune awaiting him
over the sea in the great western is
land of Britain.
The Opening of the story presents
the hero deeply in love with Cuth-
berga, the beautiful ward of the lord
iy Lila, the corldorman" chieftain
of his tribe of Saxons UsfreY's
love for Cuthberga was without her
consent or even a knowledge of his
existence. But that fact did not in
the least dampen the ardor of the
optimistic young Saxon, who be-
lieved that fate had destined him for
some great purpose in life. His i'm
mediate ambition is to win Cuthberga
for his wife, and voyage with her to
Britain, that western land of glory.
Fate seemed to favor his purpose.
A feast was to be given by Lila in
honor of the Anglican chief Eumer
and his followers, at which arrange.
ments were to be made for trans
porting all the freemen and their
wives to Britain. To this public
feast Usfrey determined to go and
seek the permission of Lila to
accompany the voyagers to this land
of his dreams. While the young
Saxon ceorl was vending his way to
the feast-hall, strange doings were
taking place at the feast Revelry
had grown into riot, and Eumer,
the Anglican chief, who was deeply
in love with Lilla's ward, Cuth-
berga. proposes that Lila shall
throw dice with him to determine
if he shall have her hand in mar
riage. Il stake myself. he cries out
to Lila, to be yours forever, to be
treated as your basest slave. if you
throw the highest dice. And you
must stake Cuthberga. >
Lila finally yields consent to the
proposal on condition that Cuthberga
shall also consent Thereupon she is
conducted into the presence of the
chiefs and by Lila informed of the
proposal made by Eumer. She is
stunned by the announcement and
seems not to understand. Then look
ing Lila bravely in the face, she
asks: do you consent?" Lila
replies roughly 81 do. At this re-
ply Cuthberga's face becomes flush
ed, and she feels that before all
men her love has been despised, for
she loved Lila with love more
than that of ward for guardian.
The line of pain into which her
mouth had settled becomes a curve
of scorn. Pointing her finger at the
kneeling sutton, she cries out hard
and clear: Il will marry the first
ceorl found in the village paths
before wed that traitor kneeling at
your feet "
$50 be it, then" says Lila, and
turning to the high priest, he COM
mands him to go forth and bring in
the first ceorl he finds in the village
paths The priest departs and soon
returns with Usfrey. Behold, o
Lila" he says, here is some base
youth who stood near at hand in the
patti, or to be more exact, was even
coming hither as went forth. U.s.
frey had not questioned the high
priest as to his motive in taking him
to Lila, and failed to no tice Cuth-
berga's presence until Lila calls her
name. "Cuthberga, says Lila to
his ward, there is this base ceorl.
See him; an unweaponed man, crea-
ture of the soil, who knows neither
battle nor the chase. nor the delight
of the mead hall. And yonder stands
the great chieftain, Eumer the Ang-
lian, bold and strong, rich and free.
One of these you shall marry this
hour. Which shall it be?'''
81 will marry the ceorl, cries
Cuthberga. "Oh gladly will | marry
the ceorl.
At this reply of Cuthberga, Usfrey
is thrilled as if a draught of fairy
wine had passed his lips. But he
feels slight dread. The prize that
comes too easily cannot be high
above the reach of other men. What
could it mean? Hold her to her
word" cries Eumer and Lila with
hesitation turns to the high priest and
says: do your Office. !" And then
and there through a few formal
words spoken by the priest Usfrey's
dream of life comes true. Cuth-
bberga is his wife-but wife in name
only.
To Cuthberga be is but the base
creature whom she used TO humiliate
Lila and to torture Eumer And
here begins the thrilling story of
how Usfrey b, daring deeds and
unselfish devotion compelled the re-
sppect and won the love of the wo-
man who despised him. Maddened
by the defeat of his scheme to OBJ
tain possession of Cuthberga Eumer
plans the massacre off Lila and the
abduction of his beautiful ward
who had Inundated and scorned
him. But in this he is thwarted
by the almost superhuman acts of
Usfrey. The scene of the story
now shifts to Britain, where a
number of very dramatic and interest
ing events take place in the wonder
full walled cities that were built and
abandoned by the Romans. The
manners and customs of the Early
Britains are presented with vividness.
and lifelike reality, and the charac-7
tiers Of the story are so clearly drawn
and marked by such real pathos and
humor as to win the interest and
sympathy of the reader, and the story
sf-a1c Sc 60 nh1ryvasrn1u told that If