Ashtabula High School - Dart Yearbook (Ashtabula, OH)

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FIRST PRIZE STORY-Concluded Old Margot watched after him, until horse and rider were a mere speck in the distance. Then she stood erect and cast the gold afar. I-Ia! Ha! So that is thy worth, Sir Knight! ,Tis well, well, that thou hast thus forfeited thy bride. 'Another may pass this Way.' Aye, an- other may pass-. She bent to the earth and listened long. At last she heard the distant beat of hoofs. As a lightning flash, she stretched herself upon the ground. On they came, horse and rider, good to look upon. They were enjoying together the beauties of a summer sunset,-the one speaking softly, the other quivering with delight at the sound of a loved voice. A moan reached their ears! As the first had stopped, so the second stopped, almost upon the woman. My good woman, what has been thy misfor- tune ? said Sir Quentin, as he reined his horse aside. Alas! Noble Sir, I had traveled far and the sun beat hot upon me. I am old and cannot go on. Help me, that I shall not spend the night on the highway, mayhap to die! The Knight had dismounted and was about to lift her. Suddenly Jocelyn semed to stand before him-Jocelyn, radiantly beautiful, wonderously fair. Should he lose a bride like this for the ser- vant woman! Should he cast away love, wife, happiness! Happiness? Yes, or Wife, so Won P- Once more he stood before his King, once more his vow he repeated and felt again the touch ofthe sword on his shoulder. Arise, Sir Knight, Sir Quentin, arise ! Knight-to help the weak-to follow Christ !- Ah, no! Not thus came happi- ness, not thus could he win his bride. My Beauty, we have lost! The first victory thou hast not won. And by my vow, thou couldst have won this, also ! - The second passed not, as the first had done. Another night was gone, another day wore on. Lady Jocelyn, standing alone in the castle hall, heard the blast of a trumpet, the clang of a gate, the beating of hoofs, nearer, nearer, nearer.- Which one had returned? My Lady, Sir Anton has returned. Lady Jocelyn turned away, with eyes averted. Presently she spoke, I await Sir Anton here. Then she heard the clank of spurs and, as the curtain was drawn apart, saw before her the one who had passed to the south, flushed 'with thoughts of victory, eager, expectant. Come, Sir Anton. Lady, your message from Sir Kedricf' Sir Knight, break the seal. The message is thine own.-Now read ! Sir Anton read. His look of triumph passed. His hand trembled and he crushed the parchment. 'fMay I-Sir Quentin,-Lady Jocelyn, has he returned P No, Sir Knight. Sir Anton turred with a groan and left the hall, the parchmc 't slowly falling to the floor. Upon it one might have read only the words f'Hast thou stopped by the wayside? The Lady Jocelyn gazed upon it and smiled, half-sadly, half-joyfully. But now she heard again the trumpet and the clang ofthe gate. She lifted her head proudly and the sadness fled as she parted the curtains and saw that Sir Quentin had stopped by the wayside. f'The winner of my quest has come at last, shc said, nor did she let the curtain fall.

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FIRST PRIZE STGRY AND THIS ONE STOPPED BY THE WAYSIDEH LOUISE TILLEY' '14 Equal were they in the tourney and equal on the battlefieldg equal also in the heart of a maid. The rays of the setting sun fell through the castle window on the fair face of the Lady Jocelyn, and slowly faded away. Still she looked into the dis- tance, and twilight darkened about her, leaving her still with her question unanswered. And the nightingale repeated it again and again, as he burst into song- VVhich shall it be? W'hich one, which one P -but he gave no answer. One by one the stars appeared in the dusky canopy above, and the summer night breathed softly upon her. She was aroused from her reverie by the clatter of hoofs, and saw, as she bent her glance, Sir Anton riding through the gate. He had returned from his quest victorious, and she knew he expected to win another boon. She fell to dreaming once more and broke the silence with a half-whispered question, Which one would turn back? Either -or both ? A sudden fire was kindled in her dark eyes. Lady Jocelyn had found her answer. The crimson curtains fell behind Sir Anton as he stepped from his chamber next morning. A'message from My Lady, Sir Anton, and Merwin, the page, bowed low. Her answer, at last, Sir Anton thought. Ahl womanis heart is always thus won. She must have heard of my victory. Aye, 'twas glorious! Well worth reward, He broke the seal deliberately, 'confidently, but as he read, a look of surprise came over his face. The Lady Jocelyn had written thus:- Obey this without question. When the sun is highest today, set forth by the forest road un- til thou comest to the edge of the wood. Take then the south pass to the Castle of Sir Kedric. If Sir Quentin has not reached him first, receive his message and return by the same way. One thing more: I shall give my answer, only if the victor returns in four and twenty hoursf' Sir Anton laid the message aside and smiled again.- Her demand is most easily fulfilled. I have covered the distance in full two hours less, when time was mine own. What thinkst thou, Anton, has not fair Jocelyn given thee advantage of some three or four miles? Does not favor smile on thee P - At this instant, another was smilihg also. The other was Sir Quentin, and in his hand he, too, held a message from the Lady Jocelyn. And does she think Sir Anton will bring back the message, My Beauty, when thou art in the field? She must know we have done far more for a prize whose value, compared with this, was a trifle to be thrown aside-no more.-Yet the world counted them great. At the appointed hour two of the noblest Knights of the Guard rode forth, brave and fresh in their youth as the earth herself, in all the hope of early summer, charmed as it were, by the love of a woman as the earth by her ardent wooer, June. And one left by the north gate, the other by the south. Full three hours before, another rider might have been seen, departing to the south, at full speed. Sir Anton's path led through the shady forest, where the sun shone like flecky gold through the green archways. It was nearly sundown when he reached the outskirts of the wood. His charger lifted high his head, and pulled the rein hard. Then he stopped, with pricked-up ears. And his master, as he listened, thought he heard a groan of despair. He rode on, and he became more cer- tain that he heard a feeble cry for help. There was a turn in the road, that brought him to the open plain and here his steed again sniffed the air and stood motionless. Before them, directly in their path, lay an old woman, whom Sir Anton recognized as one of the servants of his lord's retinue. O noble Knight, take pity, take pity! I can go no further alone. The way was long and the sun was hot. Help me, and she stretched her arms pleadingly. Sir Anton answered not. He thought of his vow to help the weak-. He thought of Lady Jocelyn. He thought also of Sir Quentin, passing by the other way. He looked down upon the high- way where their paths crossed. No charger had passed upon it recently. He was first. No, no, he could not turn back now to lose. And yet-. But no, his decision was made. He tossed a gold coin to the woman in the path, I am on a quest and have no time to pause. Take the gold. Another may pass here soon, and he rode away, his armor glistening, his head thrown back, but his heart was heavy.

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THE SENIOR PLAY