Middletown transcript., 1912-10-26

and a massive surtout de table that
had once belonged to the Cardinal Du-
bois. A woman, gaunt, toothless, wore
a voluminous bonnet a PArgus, left at
the Mount by one Of the ladies of the
court; and waved before her fan,
set with jewels. She it was who called
out:
'Eh, cockatooI" shrilly. "Who would
you be killing?"
"A selfish fellow that refuses to
share!" answered he Of the halberd,
as if little pleased at the interruption.
Refuses to share. does he?" she
repeated, and, staggering down,
peered forward; only to start back.
'The Black Seigneur!"
'The Black Seigneur!"
Those who accompanied her-a
rough rabble from field and forest
gazed, not without surprise, or uncouth
admiration, at one whose name and
fame were well known on that north
ern coast; but these evidences Of
rough approval were not shared by the
alien rogues. On my lady's finger the
gem sparkled; held their eyes like
lure Black Seigneur, or not, they
muttered sullenly, what knew they Of
her he had with him; whose hand was
not that Of cinder-wench or sculleryi
maid? Let them look at her facel
She might be a great lady-she might
be the Governors daughter herself!
"The Governors daughter!" All,
alike, caught at the word.
"And If she were!" fiercely the
Black Seigneur confronted them.
While, hesitating, they sought for a
reply, quickly he went on. Who had
better right to her? The Black
Seigneur! The Lady Elise! Harshly
he laughed. Was it not fair spoil? His
Excellency's enemy; his Excellency's
daughter. Did they think treasure
sweeter than revenge? Let them try
to rob him Of it! As for the ringf
CONTEMPORARY he took 1t from my
lady's hand; threw it among them.
A few scrambled, others were still
for finishing the tragedy then. The
people versus the lords and their
spawn. "Kill at once!" the injunc-
ton had gone forth from Paris.
As he spoke, one Of the iercest put
out his hand; touched my lady, when
the fingers Of the Black Seigneur
gripped hard his throat; hurled him
so violently back, he lay still. Com
panions sprang to his aid; certain OF
the peasants interfered.
let him alone!"
"He speaks fair!"
bah! Tonight all are equal"
Your Black Seigneur is no better
than others!"
"You lie!" In high tone the wom-
an with the great lady's hat broke in.
"At them, my chickens! Beat well
these Paris rogues, who come only for
the picking!"
Eyes; beat them Welt"
But the runagates of the great city
were not of kind to submit lightly;
curses and blows were exchanged;
knives cleaned and swords flashed.
Amid scene Of confusion, the cause
Of it stayed not to witness the out
come; running down the sloping way,
soon found himself on the sands; then
keeping to the shadows, passed around
the corner of the wall
Here, for the time concealed was
he safe; none followed, and, leaning
against the damp blocks Of masonry,
breathing hard, as a man weak from
fatigue, loss Of blood, he sought to
recover his strength It returned only
too slowly; the passing lassitude an
noyed him; for the moment he forgot
he had but recently come from the
dungeon and the hardships that sap
elasticity and vigor. He was impa-
tient to move on; looked at my lady
and a sudden fear smote him! How
white she appeared! Had she His
hand trembled at her heart; a blank
dismay overcame him; then joy At
that instant he thought not Of the gulf
between them; was conscious only he
held her-slender, beautiful-in his
arms; that she seemed all his own,
with her breath on his cheek, her soft
lips so close. Above sounded the mad
ness Of the night; the cracking Of
flames; the Incorporate voices! In
the angle of the will, with darkness a
blanket around them, he pushed back
the hair from her clear brow, bent
over, closer-suddenly Strengthened.
"Pardi!" he muttered, a flush on
his face. "Am l, then, like the others,
Dil1a pers fhiovos 9D
Several moments he yet stood, |
breathing deep; then, starting away, |
set himself to the task Of crossing |
the vast stretch Of beach between the
Mount and the distant lights Of ship.
The sandy plain had never seemed
so interminable; before him, his shad-
,ow and that Of my lady danced ever
away; behind, the great rock
gave forth hundred shooting flames,
while, as emblematic' Of the demolition /
of so much that was beautiful, higher
than saint with helpless sword on ca
thedral top, cloud Of smoke belched
up; waved sidewise like a monstrous
funeral plume. A symbol, 1t seemed
to fill the sky; to move and nod and
1aunt its ominous blackness from this
majestic outpost Of the land. Walk.
ing in vivid crimson glow, the Black
Seigneur gazed only ahead, where now,
on that monotonous desert, the rim /
of the sea on a sudden obtruded. As
he advanced, sparkles red as rubies-
laughing lights-leaped in the air; al
the same time a seething murmur
broke upon the stiffness.
Toward those leaping bright points
and the source Of that deep-sounding
cadence, the young man stumbled for.
ward more rapidly, less cautiously,
also, it may be; for while he was yet
some distance from the waters rim,
his feet fell on sand that gave way
beneath them. He would have sprung
back, but felt himself sinking; strove
to get out, only to settle the deeper!
The edge OF the lise, with safety be-
yond, well he could see, where the
satin-like smoothness Of the treacher-
Ous slough merged into a welcome
silk-like shimmering Of the trustwor-
thy sands. That verge, however, was
remote; out Of reach Of effort Of his
to attain; his very endeavors caused
him to become the more firmly imbed-
led. Had he cast my lady aside, pos