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


| laden with grief, and leaning her head
uron the edge of the fountain, she let
her tears trickle into the water, drop by
drop BY degrees the crystal water be-
came agitaied, and the attention of
Jacinta was attracted to the phenomen-
on. ACKNOWLEDGMENT bubble, the
water boiled up and was tossed about in
a shower of spray in the midst of which
appeared a lady passing fair and richly
lressed n Moorish costume. Jacinta
was so frightened that she did not stop
even to say "Iow do you do?' but ran
as fast as her little feet would carry her
to her chamber jumped into bed and
pulled the bedclothes over her head.
The next morning she told her aunt
what had happened. Tut said Tia Ere
degonda .'ycu have been thinking OF the
story of the Moorish princesses and IL
has entered into thy dreams" What
story?" asked Jacinta. II heard no story
of any Moorish princesses." Perhaps
not" replied Fredegonda, for you have
been well brought up. But I may tell you
| the tale, as we live in the tower which
is called after them. The three prin-
cesses Zayda, Zorayda and Zorahayda,
were confined in this tower by their
| ia Their, the King, in order that they might
escape the perils which come from asso-
citation with the opposite sex. But as
sometimes happens-as we both know TO
| our sorrow, my dear child-the prin-
cesses even with their fathers precau-
lions, did not escape the snae of the
| fowler Two of them, Zayda and 70
| rayda, eloped with two Christian cava-
liers The third princess Zorahayda,
failed In her resolution, and stayed be-
hind in spite of the entreaties of her
lover. the third of the cavaliers. She
died in this very tower"
ON" said Jacinta, 81 believe that when
I was a little child heard the story. and
remember to have wept over the fate of
| the gentle Zorahayda." well might you
weep" rejoined the old lady sternly, FOR
the lover of Zorahayda was your ancestor.
He long bemoaned his Moorish love, but
| time cured his grief and he married
Spanish lady, from whom thou art de-
scended.'
| All that day Jacinta ruminated over the
| story Had she dre6med, or had the gen.
| tie Zorahayda really appeared to her from
| the mists of the fountain? The more she
thought about it the more she was in
clined to--think that she really had seen
the princess. II will watch beside the
fountain tonight" she thought, land II 1t
be really the genuine Zorahayda who, l
have heard. fingers about these waters
and haunts this tower-why, ] will speak
to her if she comes again OF what should
| l be afraid?''
So toward midnight, when every
thing was still, Jacinta took her post
beside the alabaster fountain and
wa tched Suddenly. with clangor the
bell in the clock tower of the Alham-
bra struck the midnight hour. Az just
that moment the fountain began to
be agitated again, and bubble-bubble-
bubble the spray and foam reared IT.
self up again from the basin, and there
stood within the Moorish maiden. As
the waters subsidized from around her
and left her exposed to the view of
Jacinta, the girl saw that she was
young and exceedingly beautiful. Her
dress was rich with jewels and in her
4 hand she held silver lutte.
Jacinta thought she would not be
scared, but she was, and trembled not
a little until treasured by the sweet
expression of the pale and melancholy
countenance Of the vision and her soft
and plaintive voice. Daughter of NOR
ta1ity," said the princess, what ails
thee? Why do thy tears trouble my
fountain? and thy signs and plant dis
turb the quiet watches of the night?'
"I weep, fair princess" replied Ja-
} cinta. because Of the unfaithfulness OF
man. 1 bemoan my solitary and for
saken state"
Take comfort" replied the appari-
tom ''thy SORROWS may yet have an
end. In me you behold a Moorish prin-
cess who was, like thee, unhappy III
love. A Christian knight, thy ancestor
won my love and would have. borne
me to his country and his home. In
my heart was a convert to his church
but 1 lacked courage equal to my fate
and fingered here untis II was too late.
For this evil genii are permitted to
have power over me and I remain en-
chanted in this tower until some pure
Cristian will deign to break the magic
SPELL Wilt thou undertake the task?"
II will" replied Jacinta, trembling but
u resolved 'aThen come hither." said the
/, apparition, land dip they hand in the
fountain; baptize me after the man
, ner of thy faith" Jacinta advanced
with faltering steps, and, collecting wa
!, ter in the palm of her hand, sprinkled
: 1T over the face of the Moorish prin-
/, cess The vision smiled with ineffable
2 benignity and dropped the silver Lutte
which she held in her hands at the
/, feet of Jacinta. Then she crossed her
: white arms upon her bosom and matted
I from sight. Jacinta left the hall in awe
and wonder. That night she slept but
, little.
| But when the light of rosy dawn
began to struggle through her lattice
, the Rose of Alhambra, who had at last
: fallen into gentle sleep. aroused her.
self and thought that, after all, she
had but dreamed. But when the girl
, descended into the hall the first thing
that caught her eye was the silver Lutte
lying where the phantom princess had
dropped it. Then 1t was no dream--
Zorahayda had really appeared to her
5 and, recalling the words of the phan
tom, she felt that. perhaps after all
her love was not hopeless. Jacinta
, ran with the Lutte to her aunt and told
I all that had happened to her, showing
a her the lutte as evidence. Fredegonda
. NOS a. fret incredulous but when the