The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1913-05-09

day-making, depart from the Mounti
and return to the court. An imposing
cavalcade, cleaning In crimson ana
gold, they wendell down the darh
rock; laughing ladies', pranked-out
cavaliers who waved their perfumed
hands with farewell kisses to the
grim stronghold in the desert, late
their palace of pleasure, and to the
young mistress thereof.
"Good-by, Elise!" The marquis was
last to go.
"Good-by."
He took her hand; held it to his
lips. On the whole, he was not ill'
pleased. His wooing had apparently
prospered, for, although the marriage
had been long arranged, my lady's
beauty and capriciousness had famed
in him the desire to appear success
full suitor for her heart as well as her
hand. If sometimes she laughed and
thus failed to receive his delicate gal
lantries In the mood In which they
were rendered, the marquis vanity
only allowed him to conclude that a
woman does not laugh If she is dis
him diverting; he served her; they
were friends and had danced ana rad
den through the spring days in ami
cable fashion.
"Good-by," he repeated. when
are you coming to court again? The
queen Is sure to ask l understand
her majesty is planning all manner
of brilliant entertainments, yet YER
sailles-without you, Elise!"
"Me?" arching her finely penciled
brows. "Oh, I'm thinking of staying
here, becoming a nun, and restoring
the Mount to its old religious pres
| tige."
Then I'll come back a monk" he
returned in the same tone.
"If you come back at ALL" provok-
ingly. There, gol The others will
soon be out of sight"
81, too-alas, Elise!"
He touched his horse; rode on, but
soon looked back to where, against
great, grim WALL stood a figure all
in white cleaning in the sunshine.
The marquis stopped; drew from his
breast a deep red rose, and. gazing
upward, gracefully kissed the glowing
token. Beneath the aureole of golden
hair my lady's proud face rewarded
him with a faint smile, and some
thlng-a tiny handkerchief-fiutte
like dove above the frowning, time
worn rock. At that, with the eloquent
| gesture of a troubadour, he threw
his arm backward, as II to launch the
impress on the rose to the crimson
lips of the girl, and then, plying his
spurs, galloped off.
And as he went at a pace, head
long If not dangerous and fitting the
exigencies of the moment, my lord
smiled. Truly had he presented per-
feet, dainty and gallant figure for any
4 woman's eyes, and the Lady Elise, he
fancied, was not the least discerning
of her sex. And had he seen the girl,
when an unkind angle Of the wall hid
him from sight, his own nice estimate
Of the situation would have suffered
no change. The Mount, which for
merly had resounded to the life and
court, on sudden to her looked cold.
| DdrTen, empty.
"Heigh-ho!" she murmured, stretch
ing her arms toward that point where
he-they-had vanished. Il shall die
of ennui | am sure!" And thought
fully retraced her steps to her own
room.
But she did not long stay there;
by way of makeshift for gaiety, sub
stituted activity. The Mount, full OF
early recollections and treasure-house
mystery, furnished an incentive for
exploration, and for several days she
devoted herself to its study; now
pausing for an instant's contemplation
of sculptured thing of beauty, then
before some closed door that held her,
as at the threshold of a Bluebeard's
forbidden chamber.
One day, such a door stood open
and her curiosity became cured She
had passed beneath a machicolated
gateway, and climbing a stairway
that began in a watch-tower, found
herself unexpectedly on great plat
form. Here several men, unkempt,
: pale, like creatures from another
world, were walking to and fro; but
at sight Of her, an order was issued
and they vanished through a trap
all save one, misshApen dwarf who
remained to shut the iron door, ad-
Just the fastening and turn a ponder
GUS key. For a moment she stood
staring.
|