Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-06-25

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 night, while the shepherds,
Biento and Machere, assistants to RI
varre the sheep owner, watched their
flocks, dark form loomed near. 1t
was Paulo. He told them his story
his story, too, of the white rose, and
bade them take the tale to Riyarre
the shepherd and his wife, the father
and mother of the lost Godiva. And
when Paulo had finished his narrative
the good shepherds bade him in alarm
thus:
ely 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 l remain
till all the kings men of today-and
even the king himself, If that be pos
sible-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-shall
bring to me nightly n supply of ar
rows. And as a beginning thou shalt
tomorrow night bring me crossbow
and first CULVER of arrows. each one
of which shall find the heart of
kings man, till all those who shared
in robbing me forever of my Godiva
shall lie upon the ground in death.
have sworn it, my friends-and SO
shall it be"
A year passed And in that time full
score of the kings men perished
in the forest. And once. even, shaft
from crossbow barely escaped the
heart Of King Leofric.
And throughout Urania went forth
the report that in the forest dwelt a
wild man. Some had even seen him.
He was clothed in sheepskins about
his waist, and no garment other than
this covered his nakedness. And with
the crossbow he was past master.
greater In archery than even the most
expert Of the kings own archers.
All in the forest were safe, 1t
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 king's 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 a day from the
night on which Godiva became white
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 a 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
from his crossbow. Straight to the
breast of Paulo sped the shaft-and
Paulo lay upon the earth dying.
From the wound in the breast OF
Paulo, the blood flowed out upon the
white rose that lay there and GRIM
soned 1t. And thus was born the first
red rose.
Paulo lay in death, clutching the
blood red rose. And a spirit came like
a wrath through the forest aisles,
straight to where Paulo lay dead. And
the spirit was Godiva.
And Paulo's own spirit came forth
from his body. And his spirit Joined
the spirit of Godiva.
And together the two spirits, now
Joined in eternal happiness. vanished
into the depths of the forest of Urania.
THE END.