The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-10-16

s"~ otstrWay w silver.
The stiffness Of tie moment that
SoIlowed was tense: ehen thickly the
young man answered. something ir.
relevant about clown. q bottle and
loaf; with cap drawn down and half.
evsrtsd face. he lurched a little for
Wero In the darkness. and the senti
nsrs weapon fell. "Oh. that's you, is
~ Hsnrif" he said in q different tone.
stepping back How did you leave
Tie fellow"
Eating the bread and calling for
more!" A he spoke, the other
stopped. swaying uncertainty; above
ths arch. the wick. ill-trimmed, bright.
sned and darkened to the drafts of air
through break and slit Of the old
lamp; and briefly he awaited a favor.
able moment. when the fame blew out
until almost extinguished; then with
hand near sword-hiit. somewhat over
orskiy. but In keeping with the part,
- stepped toward the arch: through
~ and quickly past the sentinel
You seem to have been feastins
anu drinking . little yourself, tonight.
comrader- called out the latter after
him. Il noticed II when you went In,
and But aren't you taking the
wrong way?" As the other. after start.
ing toward the barracks. straightened.
and then abruptly wheeled into the
road. running up the Mount
~Bah!" A moment the young man
passed. Cant q soldier" articulatins
with difnculty. go to see his sweet.
heart Without"
"Eh bieni" Tho sentinel shrugged
Ia shoulders 1T isn't my business.
think. though. know where they'll
put you tomorrow. when they find out
through the guard at the barracks"
To this ominous threat the other
dsigned no response. only. after the
fashion OF q man headstrong In inso-
brfety. 40 well az In Affairs OF gal.
lantry. continued his upward way; at
nrst. speedily; afterward. when be-
yond hearing Of the man below, with
more stealth and as little noise ss DOS.
sible. until the road. taking q sudden
angle. brought him abruptly to au
60 -. - .. tie foot oi . great iiig..t
ot STONE stairs.
Broad. wide. broken by occasional
platforms. these steps. reaching up
ward In gradual ascent, had designed.
~, In days gone by. been made easy
Tor broksn-down monarchs or corpu.
lent abbots. Also they had been
planned to satisfy the discerning eye,
jealous OF every addition OF alteration
at the Mount Ny lord, the ancient
potentate. leisurely ascending In &c.
clesiastical gown, while conscious of
an earthly power reaching even In %
England. could still fancy he was 20
ing up Jacobs ladder into realms su.
pernal Saint Louis. with gaze be-
nignly bent toward the aerial escalier
% dentelle Of the chapel to the left,
might well exclaim no royal road could
compare with this inspiring and holy
way: nor is II difficult to understand
Q sudden enchantment here. or be-
You'd. that drew TO the rock on three
piisrmages that other Louis, more sin.
ner than saint. the eleventh Of his
name TO mount the throne of France.
But those stones. worn In the past
oy the footsteps Of the illustrious and
tho lowly. were deserted now. and. for
the moment. only the moon. which had
escaped from the cloud, exercised
there tho right Of way; looking square
ly down to efface times marks and
pave with silver from top to bottom
the nisAt OF .tairs. II Played, too, on
facades. towers and battlements on
nj a.
disk directly before him-the Black
seigneur. about to leave the dark and
sneItering byway, involuntarily paused.
Angels might walk unseen up and
down In that effulgence. as, indeed,
the old MONKS stoutly averred was
their habit: but mortal intrusion on
the argent way could be fraught only
with visibility.
TO reach the point he had In mind,
however. no choice remained; the
steps had TO be mounted, and. lower
Ing his head and looking down. DELHI
eratsly he started. As he proceeded
his solitary figure seemed to become
more distinct: his presence moro oh.
trusive and his echoing footsteps to
resound louder. No indication he had
been seen or heard. however. reached
him; TO all appearances espionage OF
his movements was wanting, and only
the saint with the sword at the top OF
the steeple--guardlan spirit OF the
rock-iooked down. as IL holding high
q cleaning warning Of n at unwonte6
Intrusion.
Yet. though he knew II not, mortal
eye had long been on him. peering
from window OF the abbot's bridge
spanning the way and Joining certain
long unused chambers. next to tho
Governors palace. with my lady's