Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1913-11-28


She might be a great lady-she might
be the Governors daughter herself!
THE Governors daughter!" All,
alike, caught at the word.
"And II she were!" fiercely the
Black Seigneur confronted them.
While, hesitating, they sought for
reply, quickly he went on. Who had
u better right to her? The Black
Seigneurl The Lady Elise! Harshly
he laughed. Was it not fair spoil2 His
Excellency's enemy; his Excellencys
daughter. Did they think treasure
sweeter than revenge? Let them try
to rob him Of 1t! AS for the ring?
Contemptuously he took it 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. xiii at oncel" the injunc-
tion had gone forth from Paris.
AS he spoke, one of the fiercest 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!"
"Yes; beat them WE'LL"
But the Tunagates of the great city
were not Of kind to submit lightly;
curses and blows were exchanged;
knives cleaned and swords flashed.
Amid a 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
| ISCONSl LIS SllSuSlu. IL 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 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
5 the angle Of the will, with darkness q
blanket around them, he pushed back
: the hair from her clear brow, bent
} over, closer-suddenly Strengthened.
"Pardi!" he muttered, flush on
, his face. cam I, then, like the others,
pillagers, thieves?"
!; Several moments he yet stood,
t 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.
l The sandy plain had never seemed
: SO interminable; before him, his shad-
!, ow and that Of my lady danced ever
3 illusively away; behind, the great rock
3 gave forth a hundred shooting flames,
l while, as emblematic of the demolition
3 of so much that was beautiful, higher
i than saint with helpless sword on ca.
l thedral top, cloud of smoke belched
up; waved sidewise like monstrous
l funeral plume. A symbol, it seemed
t to fill the sky; to move and nod and
! fiaunt its ominous blackness from this
a majestic outpost Of the land. Walk
g ing in a vivid crimson glow, the Black
:, Seigneur gazed only ahead, where now
J. on that monotonous desert, the rim
J. Of the sea on sudden obtruded. As
Q he advanced, sparkles red as rubies-
: laughing lights-leaped in the air; al
n the same time a seething murmul
e broke upon the stiffness.
i Toward those leaping bright points
s and the source Of that deep-soundine
cadence, the young man stumbled for
ward more rapidly, less cautiously
e also, it may be; for while he was ye
@ 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; strovt
Z! to get out, only to settle the deeper
It The edge OF the lise, with safety be
It yond, we'll he could see, where the
o satin.liks smoothness Of the treacher
1t GUS slough merged into a welcome
y silk-like shimmering of the trustwor
r thy sands. That verge. however, wal
IS remote; out Of reach OF effort of hi
It to attain; his very endeavors caused
l. him to become the more firmly imbed
q ded. Had he cast my lady aside, pos
It sibly could he have extricated him
o self; but with her, an additiona
4, weight, weighing him down
n