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


herself.
However, he thought it might do nc
harm to knock even if the chamber was
an enchanted one-but he knocked very
gently not knowing just what would hap
pen What did happen was that a little
window over the door opened and a fair
young face looked down while voice.
sweet as the sound of lutte heard at
midnight in a garden of roses, asked the
| very ordinary question of what it was he
wanted? At first Ruyz thought the cat
had really been changed into princess;
but a glance through the wicket showed
puss to be still there sleeping, so he gath
cred up courage to say that he wanted to
get in to capture a truant falcon. He
looked unutterable things up into the face
of the fair maiden as he said this. and
doffing his cap, made one of his best
bows.
"Oh. but senor," returned the maid,
blushing. ~eI dare not open the door.
My aunt has forbidden me-" Ruyz NUT
tered an imprecation upon the aunt.
whoever she might be, but said aloud in
his finest court speech: II do beseech
you, fair maiden-it is a favorlte falcon
of the Queen and I dare not return to
the palace without It," "Ah, then you
| are one of the cavaliers of the court?"
replied the vision. IT am" answered
Ruyz, throwing out his chest and try
ing to look like a bold. bad knight and
warrior. but T shall lose the Queens
favor and my place at court If do not
recapture that falcon"
Santa Maria" cried the maid, ait is
against you wicked cavaliers of tho
court that my aunt has especially
warned me. and it is against them that
l bar the door" She looked all the
time, though. as if she would like 10
unbar the door. and Ruyz, being, as
has been said, versed beyond his years
| in the ways of womenkind. knew that
| the garrison was wavering and the
| citadel might be carried by a sudden
and bold assault conducted with the
skill of which he was master. "Agais,
wicked cavaliers. have no doubt" re
| piled he with a grave expression, land
| quite right But 1 am but a simple,
harmless page (the young rascalD who
will be ruined and undone if you deny
me this small request"
He heaved a dolorous sigh and looked
so sorrowful. and withal so very, very
pretty in his distress that the little
maid was deeply touched. 1t was
thousand pities that this poor boy
she had called him cavalier but mo-
ment before-this poor boy should be
ruined for want of so trifling a boon
1
and get his runaway, falconl Surely
this could be none of thos court cava-
lierse whom her aunt had described to
her as a species of cannibal ever on
the prowl for thoughtless damsels.
Harm in that modest, pretty boy-ab-
surd! In short the garrison capitu-
lated. the door was unbarred and the
fortress gained just as the sly page
had foreseen.
| If Ruyz had been charmed by the
sight of the damsel's face seen in the
window he was ravished when he saw
the full-length portrait now revealed
to him. Her -Andalusian bodice and
trim basquina set off the round but
delicate symmetry of her form. which
was. as yet. scarcely verging into
womanhood. Her glossy hair was part
| ed over her forehead with scrupulous
exactness and behind her ear was
fresh picked rose AS to her complex
ion it was, of course. dusky as the
| complexion of Andalusian beauties
should be-none of your pink and
white. but rich browns and reds, filled
with the glowing warmth of the south
| M f,1c IN sat Of ha
dark and soulful eyes with their long
lashes which swept the mantling cheek
as she looked down.
Ruyz say all this at a plance and would
| like to just have stood there and admired
for while; but there was the falcon up
on the tower and there was Queen Eliza
BETA. whose anger was no joke. back
there in the palace. Business first; the
| page bowed his thanks and sprang up the
winding stairs as lightly as a mountain
goat.
| Presently he returned with the falcon
safely hooded and jessed. He found the
damsel seated by the fountain winding
silk In the most demure and innocent way
imaginable-why not? But the dear girl
was so agitated by the return of the page
that she-quite by accident-dropped one
| of her reels of silk. Ruyz de Alcaron
sprang and picked 1t up. Then, dropping
upon one knee in the real court manner,
he presented 1t to its owner
As the fair little hand of the maiden
reached out to take the reel what does
that naughty page do but seize the tips
of the fingers and press the hand to his
lips Never had he imprinted on the fair
hand of Elizabetta herself kiss so really
full Of devotion and respect. But the maid
| unused to the ways of courtiers, was
thrown into the great agitation. Santa
Maria!! she exclaimed, blushing and
trembling in confusion and surprise. Ruyz
apologized thousand times for the lib
erty he had taken; but assured her that
it was merely the way they had at court
OF expressing homage and respect. The
anger which the maid had at first seemed
inclined to show vanished at once; but not
so her agitation.
Ruyz saw the impression he had made
and would fain have profted by it, but
the fine speeches of gallantry which he
started to utter died upon his lips. To
his astonishment he felt himself becoming
almost as much agitated as the maiden,
and he, the hero whose effrontery was
equal to any situation in the royal court,
stood there like a country pumpkin,
abashed before a simple damsel of Is
In short, the chldren-for they were
nothing else although in Andalusio a