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


a shrill voice was heard at a distance.
Mercy upon us There is my aunt
returning from massv cried the dam
| sci. "Oh, Senior, do go away at once. If
she sees you here she will scold us
BOTH I do not know what she will
dol Pray 60" Il will not depart, fair
maid" said Ruyz gallantly, until you
give me that rose from your hair"
There, there. take 1t and begone,'
cried the maiden. Hastily did the girl,
whose name, it should be stated, was
Jacinta-a pretty name when pro-
nounced in the Spanish way-undo the
rose and give it into the hand of the
page.
| Ruyz, the rogue, covered the hand
that gave the rose with kisses, but,
the Alhambra. He took his falcon
duenna who watched over this Rose of
| the Olhambra. He took his falcon
upon his wrist and bounded lightly
away before the sour dame arrived
within the wicket of the garden. But
he took away more than the gerfal-
con--he took away with him the heart
of Jacinta. When the aunt came into
the tower she saw at once that there
was an air of confusion in the hall
who has been here? What has hap
pened in my absence?" she asked. "A
falcon pursued his prey into the hail.
said Jacinta demurely Mercy on us
A falcon? Think of falcon flying
into the hall! Did any one ever hear
of such a saucy thing? Why, even the
bird In the cage is not safe"
Ha, ha, old lady, you spoke there
more truly than you knew of. Jacinta
only blushed and cast down her eyes
which proceeding fortunately was
not noticed by her aunt Fredegonda
| This Tia Fredegonda was one of the
most vigilant of danes, but what car
even vigilant duenna do, even one
with such name as Fredegonda
4 against the fate which overtakes all OF
us when the little god makes us an OBJ
ject of his target practice? Fredegonda
had a distrust and horror of what she
| called the opposite SEX" which she
had nursed through long years of sin
gle blessedness, though, as a matter
of fact, as to herself her fears were
groundless, nature having provided hel
with a face which furnished a more
absolute safeguard against the wiles
of man than wisdom. piety or prudence
could have afforded.
Perhaps Fredegonda had come tc
realize her safety. for she had taker
| + ,,Jo In, tIo 10 of
men who secure for themselves, al,
yet unselfish enough to exert three
fold watchfulness over their sister,
whom nature has not SO abundantly
blessed with security. The old lady wa.
Of noble blood and her niece, Jacinta
was the daughter of a brave Officer
who had fallen fighting for the King
In consideration of their rank, ant
their poverty perhaps. that tower o
the Alhambra called the Tower of tn,
Princesses had been allowed them fol
their residence. and there they existed
upon a scanty pension from the roya
purse Jacinta had been educated il
a convent. from which she had recent
ly come TO live under the care of he
aunt.
although Fredegonda kept her nice,
in the strictest seclusion. yet even Ii
that seclusion her loveliness la,
caught the public eye. and, With tn,
poetical turn common to. the people. %
Andalusia. the peasantry of the neigh
borhood had given her the name of TIL.
Rose of the Alhambra. When the cour
came to the Alhambra the good aun
redoubled her watchfulness and flat