The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1911-02-05

ordeal of secret love affair she was in
a measure treasured and told herself
that Jacintas preservation from the
wiles of The Opposite Sex was due en-
tirely to the sound maxims and the
long lectures on the proprieties with
which she had favored her. Anyway,
thank heaven. the court was gone with
all its nonsense-and so there was an
end of that.
Life in the tower now resumed its
former round. but to Jacinta life was
not the same She tried at first to keep
herself cheerful by treasuring up the
oft-repeated vows of fidelity which the
page had made and looked forward
longingly to the time when he would
come again, as he had promised, to
claim her as his bride. But ah, the love
of restless man! 1t Is but vagrant
stream that dallies for time with
each flower upon its bank. then passes
on and leaves them all in tears.
The days grew out to weeks, the
weeks to months. The pomegranate
ripened; the vine yielded its fruit; the
autumnal rains descended from the
mountains in torrents the Sierra Ne
vada became covered with a snowy
mantle and the winter blast howled
dismally through the deserted courts
of the Alhambra. And there was no
word of Ruyz de Alarcon. The winter
passed away. AMI once more the genial
breath of spring breathed over all the
land, calling 1t back to life and lowell
ness with song and blossom and balmy
| zephyrs. The SHOWS melted upon the
mountains until only the topmost peak S
of the Sierras shone white and glisten-
ing. The heats of summer came down
over Andalusa. Still no word of Ruyz
de Alarcon.
The forsalSen Jacinta grew pale and
thoughtful; the Rose of the Alhambra
dropped and faded. Her former occupa-
tions were neglected; the silk lay unreeied
and the guitar unstrung beside the ala
baster fountain. Even the flowers in her
garden were neglected and the bird in its
gilded cage unheeded of its song, which
now had no power to cheer the heart of
its mistress
"Ah, silly child" her aunt would saw
when she surprised the, girl in one of her
Respondent moods, Ibid not say that all
| were
| true? What, In any event, could you
have expected from one of that proud
and naughty family-I know them well,
the house of Alarcon-you the child of an
ancient but impoverished line? Be as
srred that if it is not his own unfaithful-
ness (which keeps him silent and absent
it is the will of his naughty father, the
Marquis, one of the greatest mobiles about
the court who would surely forbid the
marriage of his son with such DOVER
less maiden as thou. Pluck up thy reso-
luton and drive thoughts of thy faithless
| lover from thy heart"
1t was easy for Fredegonda to preach.
but. alas! it was impossible for Jacinta
to practice-though there is no doubt that
the good aunt spoke wisely. In short the
lectures Of her aunt upon what she ought
crease the gloom and dependency OF
Jacinta. The forsaken girl took to mus
ing alone in the neglected garden, or be-
side the alabaster fountain, after her
aunt had gone to bed. On one of these
nights she sat at late hour beside the
| fountain and thought that it was here
that the page had first pressed his lips
to her hand; had first knelt before her!
There was no sound but now and then
the cry of some night-bird in the woods
below, or. heard afar off, the tinking
of some guitar or the catch of some
song as belated troubadour wended
homeward from serenadIng his love.
The poor little damsels heart was over