The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-01-01
Continued

Ay. Hagar the witch Law on the
moor of the cave, still in the death
that had overtaken her. And cry
OF mortal anguish welled from the
stricken heart of Paulo the huntsman.
For who now could restore the rose
to human form? Hagar alone DOS.
sessed the magic power of restora.
ton. And Hagar was dead.
Pauio took the white rose from his
bosom and caressed it. and his hot
tears fell upon it; and Paulo could feel
his heart bleeding within him, and
he seemed like to suffocate with the
grief that was overwhelming him.
Hour after hour Paulo remained be-
side the witch, beseeching the stilled
form to awaken, telling himself it was
all only dream and tnat Hagar was
only asleep and would presently awake
and give him back his beloved Godiva.
But hour after hour the form of
Hagar the witch remained in stiffness
SO awesome That Paulo at last arose
and left the cave forever.
That nigh, While the shepherds.
Blento and Machere. assistants to Ri.
varre the sheep owner, watched their
focks, a dark form loomed near. II
was Paulo. he told them his story
his story, too, Of the white rose, and
bade them take the tale to Rivarre
the shepherd and his wife, the father
and mother OF the los, Godiva. And
when Paulo had finished his narrative
the good shepherds babe him in alarm
thus:
Fly into the mountains. Paulo. thou
must. For vert thou to be seen on the
plains or in the forest by the king
or any of his men death would speed.
lily overtake thee"
Nay" responded Paulo. Not to
the mountains will fly Right here
on plain and in forest will | remain
till all the kings men OF today-and
even the king himself, if that be pos.
slble-shall succumb to the bolts
from my crossbow And to achieve
my purpose, thou. Biento, and thou.
Machere, without word to living soul
or to Virgin or yet to monk-shan
bring to me nightly supply of ar
rows And as beginning thou shalt
tomorrow night bring me a crossbow
and Il frs culver OF arrows. each one
of which shall find the heart of a
kings man, till all the who shared
in re obing me forever of my Godiva
shall lie upon the ground in death.
have sworn 1t. my friends-and so
shall it be-
A year passed. And in that time full
a score of the kings men perished
with shaft in his heart while hunting
the forest Ahd once, even, a shaft !
from crcssbow barely escaped the
heart of King Leofric.
And throughout Urania went forth |
the report that III the forest dwelt a
wild man. Some had even seen him.
lie was clothed / sheepskins about
his waist, and no garment other han
this covered his nakedness. Ana with |
he crossbow he was past naster,
greater in archery than even the most /
expert of the kings wn archers.
All in the forest we're safe. it
seemed, except just alone the retain /
ers of King Leofric. Thus the peas.
ants had learned to have no fear Of /
the wild man, while the kings men /
suffered torments of fear each time /
they journeyed forth from the castle /
into the forest to hunt with King Leof. |
ric.
And so time passed, till the day
came when year and day had gone |
forever-a year and day from the |
night on which Godiva became a white
rose. And all this time the white rose /
was fastened about the breast of |
Paulo the crossbowman, so that the
rose lay ever next his heart.
And now, on this day that marked
the passing of year and day in the
life of the white rose, Paulo shot yet
again another bolt from his crossbow
and one of the kings men fell. And
alas for Paulo! One of the kings men
saw the wild man and let fly a shaft
20 IS Y5ST7 EiTIlf-57f
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