ed again,
more savagely than before.

"Let me have a few moments alone, to prepare for death,"

"Half a quarter of an hour, but not a moment longer," he replied, and
left her.

The poor young woman hastened to a room at the foot of the turret
stairs where was her Sister Anne, and called to her.

"Sister Anne, Sister Anne, look from the tower window. Can you see no
one coming?" And Sister Anne, looking out, answered:

"Alas! No! Nothing but the green grass, and the sun which shines upon
it."

Bluebeard shouted from below that the time was almost up.

"Sister Anne, Sister Anne, look once again, can you see no one
coming?" whispered the young wife wringing her hands. Her brothers,
she knew, were to visit her that day--if only they would come in time!

"Alas, No!" Sister Anne replied. "I see a cloud of dust, but it is
only a flock of sheep on the road."

But now Bluebeard bawled out so loudly for his wife to come down, that
the whole house shook.

"Sister Anne, Sister Anne, tell me is no one coming?"

"I see two horsemen afar off," cried Sister Anne. "I will beckon to
them to hasten hither."

But Bluebeard would wait not a moment longer, and nearly dead with
terror his wife descended, still entreating him to spare her life.

He would not, however, give heed to her prayers, and was just
brandishing his sword, so that it might come down straight and true
upon her slender neck, when the door burst open and two young army
officers came rushing in, whom Bluebeard recognised as the brothers
of his wife. He swiftly fled, but they speedily followed, and for his
many crimes slew him then and there.

All his wealth now belonged to his widow, and she gratefully rewarded
her brothers by purchasing them commissions in the army; she settled
a large sum of money upon her sister, and after a while she married
again, and with a good husband lived a happy life.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Once upon a time, a long while ago, there was a Beast.

He was a Great Beast, and lived in a Great Castle that stood in the
middle of a Great Park, and everybody in the country held the Beast in
great fear. In fact everything about the Beast was great; his roar was
great and terrific and could be heard for miles around the park, and
when he roared the people trembled.

Nobody ever saw the Beast, which was by no means remarkable, for the
Beast never came out of his Park, and no one, I can assure y