Omaha daily bee., 1919-01-26
The Little Wiltful Princess
BY DAVID CORY.

By DA'
The great coach with the little
willfui princess rolled merrily along.
The road had emerged from the for
est and was now winding up the
mountains. They had passed a lit
tie town nesting in the valley,
where they had stopped to give the
horses a drink and to obtain some
light refreshment for themselves.
On either side of the rough road,
where the trees had been cut away,
the thick mountain grass grew thick
and strong, and masses OF heather,
harebells, fo%gloves and wild pinks
grew in riotous proiusion. Every
morning the cattle Of the town were
driven up to these pastures each ami
NAL with a bell hanging TO its neck,
and the sound of so many hundred
bells tinkling all at once, made a
chime which could be heard at a
great distance.
Gradually the road grew sleeper,
until finally il reached the highest
ridge, which was crowned by the
walls of an old castle, II was
now in ruins, and as the coach
passed the little willful princess
leaned out Of the window aud COM
manded that 1t stop, as she was
anxious to visit the castle. And
as Il was high noon, 1t was decided
that the hampers should be opened
and luncheon served in the shade
of the grim ruins.
The little princess lost no time
in jumping from the coach, and IN
a few moments, followed by her
faithful little friend, the pet monkey,
she was curiously inspecting the
old castle. ..
As she turned The corner of a
dilapitated wall, covered with creep
ing vines and little bright flowers
she was astonishei TO see sitting in
front OF a door in the wing OF the
ancient building 4 white-haired old
man. He sat very still, looking into
the old garden where grew few
rose bushes. Everything near at
hand was neat and we'll kept, show
ing that the old man evidently had
his home In this part OF the building.
The princess paused. uncertain what
10 do, while the monkey stood re-
spectfully al her side. In few
minutes the old man turned, and
seeing them, said in. kind voice,
"What brings you here? IT'S many
q long day since | have had caller"
The little princess then told him
she was on her way to make a visit.
and that she had stopped to take
luncheon by the roadside.
"Ahp said the old man, as she
sat down on the wooden bench az
his side. while the pet monkey
perched himself on q stool near by,
ayou look mich like my beautiful
princess mistress" And the old
man sighed. "Yes?" said the little
princess, "anJ who was she, may !
ask? And did she live once upon a
time in this old castle"
THAT was her chamber window"
said the old man. pointing up to
the castle wall, whore q vacant win
dow stared out upon the landscape
IKE a soulless eye. Every moon
light night she would sit in her win
dow, overlooking the roses--for
there were beautiful roses in those
days-and listen to the singing OF
nightingale. All, ne~ sighed the
old man, pausirg 70 wipe the tears
from his eyes, "her lover had gone
to the war, and had been reported as
killed, but she always said he would
come back to her .
Eyes, every starlight night she
would sit up there and listen to the
nightingale. Indeed, il sang so
sweetly that she would not sleep
for fear lest she lose the music. !
was only young man at the time.
but the song Of the bird kept me
from sleep, and often would steal
out TO the garden and watch my
autiful mistress as she leaned
from her easement to listen to the
wonderful bird as Il warbled from
the Ieafy foliage under the silver
moon"
"And did her lover never returnp
asked the little princess softly az
the old man gazed across the al
most deserted garden, as if for
getting that time had flown and
that the roses were faded. Il will
tell you more" he replied. At
times so human did the voice ofNhe
nightingale sound that 1t arrested
the attention Of a monk who lived
in a eloister near here, so that he
often stood outside the stone wall
to listen also. Many times have |
seen him making notes in a little
book he carried with him. And
one night when | asked him why
he did this. he said it seemed to
singing a musical language, and it