Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-07-16

tuc HlSAt VI btalcs II pia1tus lOOs Ou
facsdes, towers and battlements on
either side. and, at the speCtscie-the
disk directly before him-the Black
| Seigneur, about to leave the dark and
sheltering byway, Involuntary paused.
Angels might walk unseen up and
down in that e6ulgence. 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
erately he started. As he proceeded
1 his solitary figure seemed to become
more distinct; his presence more OBJ
/ 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 az the top Of
/ the steeple-guardian spirit of the
rock-iooked down, as If holding high
cleaning warning Of that unwonted
/ intrusion.
Yet, though he knew It not, mortal
/ eye had long been on him, peenng
] from window of the abbot's bridge
spanning the way and joining certain
1 long unused chambers, next to the
Governors palace. with my ladys
abode. Against the somber background
Of that covered passage OF granite, the
face looking out would still have re-
/ NAMED unseen. even had the young
man. drawing near, lifted his glance
This. however, he did not do his eyes,
with the pale reflections dancing In
/ them, had suddenly fastened them
selves lower: toward another person,
not far beyond the bridge: some one
who had turned In from a passage on
the other side OF the overhead archi-
tectural link. and had Just begun to
come down. An old man. with flow
ing beard. from afar the newcomer
looked not unlike one OF the ancient
Druids that. in days gone by. mad
lighted and watched the sacred fires
of sacrifice In the rock, He, too guard.
ed his light; but one set in the tall.
pewter lamp Of the medieval watch
man.
Twelve o'clock and all's--" he be
gan when his glance, sweeping down.
caught sight of the ascending figure.
and. pausing. he leaned on his stan
with one hand and shaded his eyes
with the other
A half-savage exclamation Of disap-
pointment was suppressed on the
young mans lips had he only been
able to attain that parallelogram of
| darkness. beneath the abbot's passage,
he would have been better satisfied,
his own eyes. looking ahead. seemed
to say; then cleaned with bolder
light.
~ sword and blade
A drab aud a jade,
Ans one to the Kings men of the army"
| he began TO hum softly, as with a
more reckless swing. quickly he went
up In the manner of a man assigned
some easy Grand AT the same time
the patriarch slowly and rather labori-
ously resumed his descent and just
below the bridge, without the bar of
shadow, the two came together.
Think You II is too late for his FIX
celleney, the Governor to receive
message?" at once spoke up the young
er. breaking of in that dashiug. but
| low murmured song Of the barracks.
THAT you may learn from the guard
at the palace. was the deliberate an
swer. as. raising his lamp, the watch
man held it full in his questloner's
face,
Thanks! was going to inquire"
AS he answered at the old abbot's
window in the bridge above the face.
| looking out. bent forward more in,
tently; then quickly drew back food
night"
But the venerable guardian of the
inner precinct was not disposed thus
lightly to part company. Il don't
seem TO know you. young man." he
observed, the watery, but keen and
| critical eyes passing deliberately over
the others features.
Nor" Untlinching in the bright
glare of the lamp. the seeming soldier
smiled. DO YOU. then, know all at
| the Mount-even the soldlers?"
II should remember even them"
was the quiet reply.
Those. too. but lately brought from
! ST Dalard?"
True, true! There may be some of
those" uncertainty.
No doubt! SO II you will lower
your lamp, which smells rather vile
| ly--"
From the miscreants X has smelled
out" answered the old man grlmly,
out obeyed; stood as II engrossed in
the recollection his own response
evoked: then turned; walked on. and,