Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1915-06-12

only asleep and would presently swaks
and give him back his beloved Godiva.
But hour after hour the form of
Hagar the witch remained in stiffness
50 awesome that Paulo at last arose
and left the cave forever.
That night, while the shepherds,
Biento and Machere, assistants to Ri
yarre the sheep owner, watched their
nocks, dark form doomed near. 1t
was Paulo. He told them his story
his story, too. Of the white rose, and
babe them take the tale to Rlvarre
the shepherd and his wife, the father
and mother of the lost Godive And
when Paulo had finished his narrative
the good shepherds babe him ia 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 l remain
till all the kings men Of today-and
even the king himself, if THAI be pos
sible-Shall succumb to the bolts
from my crossbow. And to achieve
my purpose, thou. Biento, aud thou.
Machere, without word to living soul
or to Virgin or yet to monk-shall
bring to me nightly a supply of ar
rows. And as a beginning tEou shalt
tomorrow night bring me a 4rossbow
and first culver of arrows. each one
OF which shall find the heart of a
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 Oe."
A year passed. And in that time full
a score of the kings men persisted
with shaft in his heart while hunting
IN the forest And once, even, a shaft
from a crossbow barely escaped the
heart of King Leofrc.
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 ir the forest were safe, it
seemed eycept 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-
rio.
And so time passed, till the day
came when a 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 a year and a 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 it. 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 Godiya.
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 ii eternal happiness, vanished
into the depths of the forest of Urania.
THE END