Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-06-01
FRcS""u NDER TIT ROOE"ETc,l

herlted holiday finery. Where think
you we can get sous for gewgaws?"
"Or full stomachs with empty
pockets?" said another. The foul
fiend take your Portugals!"
The nomadic merchants replied and
a rough alteration seemed impend-
ing, when, pushing through the crowd,
the girl hurried on.
Down, down, she continued; to the
base Of the rock where the sands shin
ing surface had attracted and yet
held many of the people. Thlther
they still continued to come-in
bands; professions; little streams
that, trucking in, mingled with and
augmented the rabble. An encamp-
ment for the hour-until the petite
tide should break it up, ana drive it
piecemeal to the shore or up the
sides of the Mount spread out and
almost around the foundations Of the
great rock. Only the shadows 1t
avoided-the chilling outlines OF PIN
nacles and towers; the cold impress
of the saint, holding close to the sun
lit strand and basking in Its warmth.
Some, following the example Of their
sea-faring fellows, dug half-heartedly
in the sands in the hope Of eking out
the meager evening meal with a
course, salt.favored; others, abandon
ing themselves to lighter employment,
made merry in heavy or rlotous fash
ion, but the effect Of these holiday
efforts was only depressing and in
congruous.
won't you join?" Some Ones arm
abruptly seized my lady.
mo, mol"
Unceremoniously he still would have
drawn her into the ring, but with a
sudden swift movement, she escaped
from his grasp.
"My child" The voice was that Of
a wolfsh false friar who, seeing her
pass quickly near by, broke OFF in
threat, solicitation and appeal for sous,
to intercept her. aren't you in a hur-
ny, my child?"
ut may be-" she answered steadily,
with no effort to conceal her aversion
at sight of the cleaning eyes and
teeth. TOO. much so, to speak with
you, who are no friar!"
What mean you?" His expression,
ingratiating before, had darkened, and
from his mean eyes shot malignant
look; she met 1t with fearless dis
dain.
THAT you make pretext Of this
holy day to rob the people-as II
they are not poor enough"
Ban you with bell, book and can
die! Your tongue is too sharp, my
girl" he snarled, but did not linger
long, finding the flashing glance, the
contemptuous mien, or the truth OF
her words, little to his liking. That
he profited not by the last, however,
was soon evident, as with amulets and
talismans for bargain, again he
moved among the crowd, conjuring by
full calendar Of saints, real and
imaginary, and protesting to eXcom-
municate, in an eXecrable confusion
Of monkish gibberish, where tho peo-
pie could not, or would not comply
with his demands.
so they are-poor enough" Lean
ing on q stick, an aged tishwife who
had drawn near and overheard part OF
the dialogue between the thrifty rogue
and the girl, now shook her withered
head. yet still to be cozened! Never
too poor to be cozened!" she repeated
in shrill falsetto tones.
"And Why" sharply my lady turned
to the crone, why are they so poor?
The lands are rich-the soil fertile"
"Why?" more shrilly. you must
come from some far-off place not to
know. Why? Don't you, also, have
to pay metayage to some great lord?
And banalite here, and banalite there.
until"
But surely, if you applied to your
great lord, your Governor; If you told
him"
"If we told him!" Brokenly the
woman laughed. Yes; yes; Of course;
If"
81 don't understand" said the Gov
errors daughter coldly.
Muttering and chuckling, the wom-
an did not seem to hear; had started
to hobble on, when abruptly the girl
stopped her.
Where do you live?"
"There!" A claw-like finger point
ed. ION the old Seigneur's llnds-a
little distance from the woods"
THE old Seigneur? You knew
him."
Knew him! Who better?" The
whitened head waggcd. and the Black
Seigneur? Wasn't he left, as child,
with me, when the old Seigneur went
TO America? And" pursuing her thin
lips, didn't care for him, and bring
him up as one Of my own?'
But thought heard that he, the
Black Seigneur, when boy, lived in
the woods"
That answered the old creature,
was after. After the years he lived
with us and shared our ALL Not that