Year: 1867

upon all your blood and every bride Of your house
perish untimeB"


"Over with him men |" cried the Count Why
do you hestate2 Was not the stake an even one,
and the game played out fairly? Down with him
into the moatl"


'9The Hidalgo grappled with his executioners,
and strove to save himself from the fearful fate,
but his strength had ebbed with bis blood and he
was already fainting. He uttered wild, fearful
cry, as they hurled him from the battlements. The
waters of the moat were dashed up in spray and
glittered like diamonds where he fell, and its un-
dulations could be seen rising and falling, for a
brief space, like molten silver cleaning under the
splendid moon; then all was dark and still.


Count Robert returned to France, bearing with
him the prize for which he had fought. Whether
Estella loved him or not who knows? Willingly
or unwilingly, she became his bride for in those
days women dared not say nay, when powerful
lord went wooing with sword and spear. But an
unwilling bride is sore burden to the heart Count
Robert became moody and morose man, and, l
fear me, the bride won with so much blood, brought
but little comfort to his freside He did his part
by her, for his love passed the love Of man. He
built villa after the Moorish style and surround
ed her with gardens and pleasure grounds and foun
tains after the Moorish style, that one Of her blood
loved best.


''There was kiosk in the garden, whittier the
Count often retired to repose, during the warm
evenings of summer He often remained there a.
lone, until deep twilight. One warm afternoon, he
had according to his habit retired to that spot to
pass an hour or two alone. Reclined upon an
easy ottoman, he had passed some hours in painful
unrest Just at the hour Of twilight, when he was
about to return to his apartments, tall stranger
stood before him. The Count suffered no one to
intrude upon his privacy, whilst he was reposing
here.


"What do you here2" cried the Count, angrily,
and cycling the stranger sternly.


81 but come for my own," answered the strange
Iapparition, folding his hands humbly upon his
breast, after the fashion of the East The Count
would have sprung to his feet and seized upon the
intruder, but that he stood unarmed and in sub
missive attitude. He took time to examine the
features of the stranger closely. In the twilight
he seemed of supernatural height, and of stern
or gloomy aspect. His lips wore mocking smile,
and his rayless black eyes met the angry gaze Of
the Count, unshrinkingly. The Count, although a
brave man, felt chill at his heart for which he
could not account but he resolved to curb his in
dignation and to question the intruder closely, that
he might learn his motives for his strange and i'll
timed visit.


'For your own, say you? You speak in riddles;
[ cannot understand you" rejoned the Count {;
land think you are an entire stranger, too"


The stranger laughed in low tone.


'We shall be well acquainted, in time" said he,
significantly my shadow shall often fall upon
your threshold. ;"


"Oh, ho! you are mendicant priest" NUT
tered the Count swell, you shall always meet
with welcome, at my 6reside.'


"Your freside will then be the first, where wei
come has ever met me" replied the stranger.
''But you mistake my ofice-I am no PRIEST.


'What are you, then, asked the Count, ''who
dare to intrude upon my privacy?"


II treat Kings with as little ceremony as 1 show
to beggars," replied the stranger. 'Their doors,
though closed to others, can never be closed against
me. wait not to know their leisure I visit them
at the council board, or on the throne; and 60 to
the secret chambers of maidens where even the
lover dares not 60. expect no welcome-I ask
none"


''Tell me who, and what you are, or [ will have
you hogged at my gate, =" cried the Count, angriy.
"Such insolence deserves the halter Who are
you?"


II am an avenger that shall never depart from
your house, until the past is atoned for answered
the intruder in stern and majestic manner, while
his form seemed to tower aloft to superhuman
height. "Hearken to mel" continued he, while
the Count shrunk, awe-struck, before his cleaning
and threatening eye. Remember you the appeal
of him, whom you murdered for his bride? Are
your ears so dull that they ring not still with his
cry of suppicating agony, as you hurled him from
the battements of his own castle 1t is to avenge
him that have come u


"It.was fairly fought combat" muttered the
Count, family. 'My life was waged against his
and had he vanquished me, should have Jared as
he did. We played with even stakes"


"Had you young bride to throw into the scale
against his?'' asked the other.


'She loved me-, expostulated the Count, in a
feeble voice.


"Count you know that you LIE!" said the in
truder, cycling him sternly. "Nay start not
My shadow is upon you! You CANNOT rise 1t
rests upon all on whom it falls, with mountain
weight; and if this hand but touch, you become
as dust Be still, and hearken. The bride whom
you wooed, with the blood of her husband upon
your hands, loves you not She abhors your very
touch Sooner would she repose on this breast of
mine aye! she would fly to it for rest !"


GAS he spoke he parted his robe and disclosed
the skeleton ribs of DEATH!


'Hahl mortal, am I now known" cried the
Spectre. "Know you now why my mere shadow is
so heavy? The bride whom you tore from another
shall fly with me this hour. From this moment,
she is mine There shall be no parting words be-
tween you and so shall do with your descendants.
I shall be the Spectre of their Firesides. When
they wed, will stand by the altar; and when they
VOW, my hand will it be that shall clasp that Of the
bride Until vengeance is satisfied, I will, without
time for parting word, bear away every bride Of
your race, before even the eyes of love can see
shadow on her brow"


''The awful shadow then vanished. The Count
strove to summon his servants, but his tongue and
his limbs were paralyzed so that he could neither
speak articulately, nor rise to his feet. He was
found by his servants, an hour later in this help
less condition, and borne to his chamber. Estela,
his Moorish bride, was sent for to come to his bed
4 lo Sha had