The north Iowa times. [volume] (M'Gregor [i.e. McGregor], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-10-24

was light, and to go on was to remain qui-
etly together. .. -. ID
The young people went on, with their
hearts open to each other, impressible
enough, and quite as serious as they were
happy. One or two fallen trees were the
only difficulties in the way by which they
reached third and larger open space
Passing by carved stone fountain, full of
a dry growth of moss, they saw a deca,
ed house with it's out-buildings. The
house was of grey stone, and seemed to
lean against slender round tower, bound
with ivy to the topmost turret. There was
a terrace before it with grass, and there
were vestiges of flower beds. Over the
archcd entrancc-gate were set up three
pairs of decayed antlers ; into the wall at
the side of it was fixed a rusty chain with
an iron collar, to which there was yet at
tachcd the skeleton of a dog. All was 81
lent, for the twilight had set in !; the birds
were in their nests and in the old house
it was evident that no man lived. The
door stood half open. The two entered.
Though uninhabited, the house was not
unfurnished. Rusty guns and hunting
knives hung on the walls ; mouldering
benches were i'll the outer hall an inner
room, of which the window was darken-
ed by the foliage of an untrimmed vine,
had two soiled cups upon its table and a
rusty coffee-pot There lay ON a chair
near it a half-knitted stocking. Out of
this room a door led into smaller cham
Der, full of hunters tools, i'll which there
was bed still tumbled; and there was,
among all the mans furniture in thatroom,
a chest containing woman's clothing and
the clothes of little children. In the re-
cess of the window a silver cup was set
up, as in the place of honor and on ia
bic by the bedside lay an old hunters cap,
a hymn book, and a bible. "The books"
said the young Englishman, 1" will tell us
who lived in this house." Opening the
bible, he read to his companion the house
hold chronicle set down on its first leaf {:
"1744. St. Bartholomew Day. Ny
father, Hans Christoph, died. The lord
count, who was present, made me his
successor as head forester. Hans Conrad
Ducker."
"1752. st. Favian's Day. I married
Gertrude Maria, peasant Seinfurt's daugh
ter. Was, on the above day, thirty-one
years old, and my wife will be nineteen
next St. Bridret's. Ny happiness is COM
pletc. May Heaven bless our union ''-@
"1754. On the twelfth of July our first
child born. He shall be called Hans
Christoph." A cross follows, and the re-
mark" Died at midnight OH the first of
January ammo 1855"
"1755. Annunication Day. Our sec
ond son born. | am very glad. God
bless him. He shall be called after my
brother Peter Michael" A cross fol-
lows, and the note "Died on St. Walpur-
gis, 1857"
"1725. st. Hubert's Day. Won the
silver cup with master shot. The lord
count praised my shooting before all the
gentlemen
"1756. st. Anne's Day. A daughter
born to me. Heaven bless her. She
shall be called Gertrude joanna .-
"1756. st. Egidius' Day. Ny wife
Gertrude Maria died of shot in the
wood. | will not curse her. God be a
merciful judge to us BOTH"
"1771. Ny lord the old count died on
St. Valentines Day. The young Lord
Leonard Joseph Francis takes his place."
| There was no more to read. One en-
try in the list excited the same thoughts
in both the lovers. This man, it was ey-
ident, had killed his wife on St. Egidi-
US day; and they had on the same day
whispered their hearts love over the
murdered woman's grave. Then, again,
why did the old huntsman register his
sons as born into his household, but his
daughter as born only to himself? These
! things the lovers noticed as they read the
| little chronicle; but they spoke only of
the hunting cup, the marksman's prize,
still in the window, looked at it, and re-
turned into the other chamber. Another
door seemed to lead from it into other
rooms. They walked in that direction,
and the young man saw that they were
following trail of dark stairs on the
floor. He did not point them out to his
companion. The door led to narrow
stair; perhaps the trail was there, but
there was no light by which it could be
seen. The stair led to room that had
been prettily furnished, and of which the
window opened at once upon a broad ter
race that swept back towards the wood.
The moon had by that time risen, and
shone through the window. One pane
had been broken. Splinters of glass lay
close under it. The table was overthrown
a broken lamp was on the floor; also a
book, handsomely bound, which seemed
to have been ground under the heel, rath-
er than trod upon, by strong man. The
English lady stopped to pick it up, but as
she did so she saw, by the moonlight,
stains upon the oaken floor, which made
her suddenly recoil and lean, trembling,
on her lover for support. They looked
towards the sofa, an old piece of furni-
ture covered with blue damask upon
that, too, there was large dark stain,
and over 1.-THE bright moon cast the shad-
ows of the two young people. The shad-
ow of young man crect-the shadow oi
a young girl clinging to it, violently trem,
bling.