The north Iowa times. [volume] (M'Gregor [i.e. McGregor], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-10-24
SELECT STORIES.
SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
A GERMAN ROMANCE.

time, and OF the ringing of u shot In the
recesses Of forest. 1t is tale taken
from the lips of the people, and it may be
true. have its kernel from German
writer, Edmund Hoefer. ..f...
From village TO town, ard back from
town to village--no matter where-the
narrow footpath runs at one end through
smooth meadows, then descends into a
wide hollow, of which the whole sweep is
filled with glorious old wood; but at
the other end the path runs through the
standing corn. From village to town, or
back from town to village, men, women,
and children hurry through the wood
No trodden grass betrays feet that have
been truant from the beaten path. Not
far from the bottom of the hollow there is
an open space in the dense forest, and the
trees on one side stand apart, as if at the
entrance to narrow avenue but the ay-
enue is no path now, if it ever were one.
1t is choked up with underwood, matted
with brambles and wild vines, and the
narrow footway strikes directly across the
forest lawn of grass and flowers in the
little open glade ; there is no sign of way
ering in any wayfarer--no turning aside
to be detected. There was assuredly
another path here once, for here there was
set up a guide-post, unless for such pur-
pose now, and ovcrgrown with ivy. One
of its three directing boards being de-
stroyed, or having rotted off, it looks like
a rude craSs set up in the forest and the
peasants Of the district-though they are
by this time all Protestants-look up at
it with aprayerful ejaculation as they hur-
ry by. ....
A party of English travellers dwelt for
few days in the adjacent town, and soon
discovered that the grand old forest oaks
were good to dine under. They knew
generally that the place was accursed and
was believed to harbor spectres, if not
worse things. Before this generation
was born, lord of the castle had gone
suddenly abroad, and his lady mother,
who remained at home, had cursed the
forest, and permitted no wood to be felled
no labor to be done in it. This curse the
family kept up, and except the use of the
necessary paths, the forest had been for
almost century untouched by man. 1t
was the more luxuriunt for that and the
smooth plot of grass in which the guide
post stood, with broad boughs and blue
sky above, were floor and ceiling as it
seemed, to the best of picnic dining
rooms.
Only their own servants went with the
holiday makers, who had dined well, and
were dancing merrily when first the shad-
ows on the turf began perceptibly to
lengthen. The few rustics who came to
and fro upon the path, had all day long
looked more or less aghast at their pro-
ceedings. The last who had passed by
even presumed to stop and urge that they
would return home before twilight clos
ed. The wood, he said, is never safe for
Christian men, aud evil things lie yonder.
His hand waved hurriedly towards the
ancient avenue, and he stepped on apace,
for he had been venturesome in making
any half at all.
why, there is full moon tonight" "
said Clara Hough, one of the party "the
best of the picnic is to come. If any
fairies should appear, We'll join our dance
to theirs, and as for ghosts, should like
to see one Is this one of their walking
days ? What says the calendar % '1t
is the Feast of st. Egidius,' said Eus-
tace Wenn, who hoped in due time to con-
Vert Miss Hough into MIS-. Wenn. est.
Egidius' day is nothing in particular. OF
course we shall go home by moonlight,
but vote for an adventure. Let us break
open the pathway, and find out the de-
mon of the wood. Something, of course,
lies yonder. Who joins the exploring
party ?" Women, and men too, grow SUI
perstitious in the twilight, wise as they
may be. There were no Volunteers
Ny dear fellow" said the host, "join
our next dance. The path, you see, is
impervious.'
Mr. Wenn leapt among the trees, and
shouted back intelligence that it was easy
with one pair of hands to cut away there,
even for lady. Then" said Miss
Hough, following his lead, by all means
let us CO." :" Let them alone," said the
host :" they are lovers, and they would
not thank us for our company" The
dance, therefore, was formed, and the
young people went alone into the wood
The green leaves, the CLEANS of sunset
coloring, the twittering of birds above,
the moss and flowers under-foot, the pleas
ant exercise of fighting down such obsta-
cles as thorns and tendrils offered, the
young gentlemen smoothing the way fol
the young lady, as he hoped to smooth
her way on other paths, when she was an
older lady, and they travelled over years
of life that seemed to be before them-all
all such things made the little expedi-
ton as agreeable as might have been de-
sired. There was another small break in
the wood, and broader avenue of smooth
turf pierced the trees beyond it. Upon 3
hillock of large messy stones, that seem,
| ed at one time to have been assembled
there together by an idle man, the lovers
sat to rest and talk, for five minutes OF
longer, of their own affairs. The gentle,
man spoke most; the lady looked much
downward, and trihed with her little foot
among tho moss upon one stone larger
than the others. "Why, there is a great
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