Marshall County Democrat., 1856-11-20

have been assembled together by an idle
man, the lovers sat to rest and talk, for
five minutes or longer, of their own affairs.
The gentleman spoke most; the lady look
ed much downward, and trihed with her
little foot among the moss upon one stone
larger than the others. why, there is a
great cross, and there are three unreadable
letters scratched upon this stonep said she.
The first, think, is G.. Let us 90 on!
let us so on! This heap is shapen, think,
like grave. Or shall we go back? l have
dread upon me- But the way forward
was easy, and the sky was light, and to go
on was to remain quietly together.
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
difficulties in the way by which they reach
ed third and larger open space. Passing
by carved stone fountain, full of dry
growth of moss, they saw decayed house
with its out-buildings. The house was OF
gray stone, that seemed to lean against a
slender round tower, bound with ivy to the
;. top-most turret. There was terrace be-
fore it with grass, and there were vestiges
of flower beds. Over the arched entrance
gate were set up three pairs of decayed ant
lers; into the wall was fixed rusty chain
with an iron collar, to which there was vet
attached the skeleton of dog. All was
silent, for the twilight had set in; the birds
were in their nests; and in the old house
it was evident that that no man lived
The door stood half open. The two enter
ed.
Though uninhabited, the house was not
unfinished. Rusty guns and hunting
knives hung on the walls; mouldering
benches were in the outer hall; an inner
room, of which the window was darkened
by the foliage of an untrimmed vine, had
two soiled cups upon the its table and a
rusty coffe pot. There lay on chair near
it a half-knitted stocking. Out OF this
room door led into smaller chamber,
full Of hunters tools, in which there was q
bed still tumbled; and there was, among all
the mans furniture in that room, a ches.
containing womans's clothing and the
clothes of little children. In the recess OF
the window silver cup was set up, as in
the place of honor; and on table by the
bedside Jay an old hunters cap, hymn
book, and bible. The books said the
Englishman, will tell us who lived here.
Opening the bible, he read to his compan
ion the house hold clAonicle set down on
its first leaf:
1744. st. Bartholomew's Day. Ny
father, Hans Christoph, died. The lord
count, who was present, made me his sue
cessor as head foreseer Hans Conrad
Ducker.'
1852. St. Favian's day. l married
Gertrude Maria, peasant Seinfurt's daugh-
ter. Was, on the above day, thirty years
old, and my wife will be nineteen next st.
Bridget's. My happiness is complete; may
Heaven bless our union.'
1854. Or the twelfth of July our first
child born. He shall be called Hans Chris
toph.' A cross follows, and the remark
Died at midnight, on the first of January
ammo 1885,
1855. Annunciation day. Our Sec
} ond son born. am very glad. God bless
him. He shall be called after my brother
: Peter Michael A cross follows, and the
note Died on St. Walpurgis, 1857
} 1855. st. Hubert's day. Won the sill
yer cup with a 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
1856. st. Egidius' day. My wife Cert
rude Maria died of shot in the wood. |
} will not curse her. God be merciful
judge to us BOTH
177l. My lord the old count died on
St. Valentines day. The young Lord
Leonard Joseph Francis takes his place.
There was no more to be read. One en-
7 try in the list excited the same thoughts in
both the lovers. This man, it was evident
1 had killed his wife on St. Egidius' day; and
5 they had on the same day whispered their
7 hearts love over the murdered woman's
) grave. Then, again. why did the old hunts
man register his son as born into his house.
t hold, but his daughter as only unto him.
self? These things the lovers noticed as
t they read the little chronicle; but thew
spoke only of the hunting cup. the marks
mans prize, still in the window, looked al
it, and returned into the other chamber
Another door seemed to lead from it into
other roop,c Tbov xyolLoJ a., tlot IL