The north Iowa times. [volume] (M'Gregor [i.e. McGregor], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-10-31
MGREGOR, FRIDAY, OCT. 81, 1856.

his secretary, his confidential servant, bu
never his confident. I fulfilled to the let
ter all the orders he gave me /; but knew
nothing of his projects and designs.
AT that time there lived at Mozir /,
very rich widow, the Countess Sero-Ko
moleska. She had no children and every
one supposed she had left all her property
to the Father Capuchins Of Mozir. Il
was even added that will to that effec,
had been executed by her; and people
went 80 far as to name some of the most
distinguished persons in the town as wit
nesses Of her last dispositions. Rumor
said that the will was contained in little
box, which the countess always kept un-
der her pillow.
major Fogel contracted a lively friend
ship with the countess, and visited her
house daily. This friendship grew into
absolute confidence on the part OF the
lady; and to the great annoyance Of the
Capuchins, she finally abandoned to the
major the management of all her affairs
and property. With the countess lived a
young orpan Of great beauty; her name
was Julia Kyrnewieska. At first sight, 1
fell desperately in love with her, and was
happy in meeting with an equal return of
tenderness but the countess was opposed
to a marriage, and said that Julia was too
young to think of settling in life.
'One day the major brought the coun-
tess some bottles of Tokay, which he rep
resented as more than hundred years
old, The countess tasted it and found it
excellent. 'Then don't give any away
said Major Fogel, but keep it all for your
self. Each of these bottles is a treasure !;
and I hope you will not give a drop to
anybody-not even to Julia, added he,
smiling.
The countess followed his advice only
too strictly. She got into the habit Of
taking every day, after her dinner, one
glass of this exquisite wine but from that
moment she became an invalid, and her
health, habitually so excellent, declined
day by day, till at last she was forced to
keep her bed. The major passed whole
nights by her side, in rivalry with the
Capuchins. Julia, who is now my wife,
has told me that one night when the sick
lady had dozed off, and the attendant monk
had also subsided into profound sleep.
Major Fogel gently raised the countess's
pillow, took the little box which was under
it, and abstvactinga large paper, put in
its place of equal size; then replaced all
things in their former place. In less than
half an hour after. the countess awoke,
and the majo hastened to give her the
medicine which the surgeon Isailoff had
prescribed the evening before. But scar
cely had the countess iaken the draught,
ere she was seized with convulsions, and
gave up the ghost in horrid agony.
Il do not know whether Major Fogel
suspected Julia of having witnessed. from
the little side-chamber in which she slept.
the evil action which he had committed,
but he said, as though to pacify the grief
with which the orphan gazed on the dead
body of her beneiactress: l take upon
me to marry you to Joachim, and to give
you a marriage portion
when the decease of the Countess
Sero- -Komoleska had been legally verified,
the little box containing her will was open
ed. But to the great astonishment Of
every one, and particularly to the monks,
the will-signed by the countess, and wit
messed by four Russian functionaries of
Mozir-made general bequest of all the
property of the deceased to Major Fogel,
on condition that if within three years,
any heir to the countess should be found.
all the subject-mat,er of her will should
60 to that heir, with the exception of one
fourth part, which should belong to Major
Fogel. The property of the countess was
valued at two million rubles.
Five months had scarcely elapsed since
the death Of the countess, when there ar
rived at Mozir the yonng Count Edmund
Sero-K Komoleska, granddaughter of the
deceased. The right of this young man
to the succession was secret to no one,
and Major Fogel knew it as we'll as we.
He received the last and only heir of the
countess with great demonstration of
friendship; nay, his kindness was all but
paternal. He welcomed him to his own
house, surrounded him with the most
delicate and continuous solicitude, and
provided with affectionate attention every
thing his guest desired.
Unfortunately, the young Count Ed
mund, in quitting Cracow. where he
usually lived, had forgotten the certificate
of tho death of his father and mother,
thinking that the titles and other docu-
ments he had brought with him would
more than suffice to prove his Identity
Major Fogel pointed out to him this de-
ticiency in the family papers, but added
at the same time: AS to myself, my
dear friend, am convinced that you are
really and truly the legitimate heir of the
Countess Sero- -Komoleska, but law re-
quires great formalities, and it is neces-
sary for us to submit to them The
count at once admitted the justice of this
remark /; and confidential servant was
sent to Cracow to find the documents,
without which the affair could not be
brought to termination.
During the time which was absolutely
necessary for the accomplishment of the
messengers journey, the major sought all
possible means of amusing Cuont Ed
mund. was his daily companion
Once, when we were going out shooting,
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