The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-09-18

hold the stirrup for Gunther In Iceland
when the Burgundian monarch had come
10 WOO and had heard him call himself
the liegeman of Gunther. So she did not
believe and thought her sister-in-la law
gave herself too many airs. She was anx-
lous to let her know her place and the
passing years did not lessen this desire
So one day she begged Gunther to in
vite Siegfried and Kriemhilde to pay a
visit to the court of Worms by the
Rhine. Nothing loath to see his sister
and his friend again, Gunther sent the
| invitation and 1t was accepted.
| Now, strange as it may appear, Sleg-
| fried had one fault-he talked too much.
On the night when he had striven with
Brunhilde on behalf of Gunther he had,
| before her left the royal chamber, taken
from the vanquished queen her girdle-
the same with which she had tied up
Gunther the preceding highland ring
which came off her hand in the strug-
gle. These he had carried away as tro-
plies. The Incompatible youth could not
resist the temptation Of boasting to some
one of his exploit and chose his wife
to boast to, showing her the ring and the
girdle; In fact, handing them over to her
as. things he valued lightly. So Kriem-
hide had her own opinion of Brunhilde.
But when the two queens met at Worms
nothing could have been more touching
than the way in which they kissed and
"my-deared" each other and walked to-
tgether. with their arms about each 9TH
afetg W. ali 10. h1
longed to scratch each others eyes out
doing the same thing. But they could
not keep the peace long.
One day. as they sat at window
watching the tournament, Kriemhilde be-
gan to boast Of her husband, and Brun-
hide replied that however lordly and
stalwart Seigfried might be yet there was
no man or king like her husband, Gum
Their. "Oh, believe me. Brunhilde,' retort-
ed Kriemhilde in her sweetest manner,
my husband is fully the equal of yours
lis in fact the superior"
Brunhilde replied In her softest and
most winning voice: Hardly that, my
good girl. You must not take 1t Ill of
me; but I myself have heard your hus-
band say he was Gunther's liegeman
and we have always counted him our
vassal' "My dearest Brunhilde, pray
leave such words unspoken for the fr-
ture If you really love me-" said Kriem-
hide. II would like to, but cannot and
never WILL" replied Brunhilde; I'VE cam
not renounce our right to every knight
whose sword is pledged to our service"
you will have to renounce your right to
one, at any rate" said Kriemhilde sharp
ly. "But enough of this; I am tired Of
your overbearing manner" you forget
yourselif this very day will I show
you, in the presence of all the people.
who is the greater. you or t. cried Brin-
hide "And l." retorted Kriemhilde, twill
let you see that your liegewoman, as you
call her, will walk before you in the pres
ence of al burgundy"
So the queens parted In anger. At
vesper time they met face to face with
their trains before the door OF the
great minister "Stand aside,' said
Brunhilde; ut Is not meet that liege-
woman sh ould pass before a queen
IA queen! Ha, hav' laughed Kriemhilde
scornfully. Can she be queen who
has been a mans leemanT' what do
YOU mean?" IL mean," cried Kriem-
hide in a fury, "Siegfried, my hus-
band. it was, and not Gunther. who