Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-08-14

Well, by moonlight, then ?'
alt is only at the midnight that the Broken
can be seen in the full magnifcence of its
beauty, and midnight is too late. Besides,
guide? Ours would leave us.
Did you ever see a Wehr-wolf?"
81 have seen wolves" she replied, "wolves
in great numbers" with, at the same time, an
irrepressible shudder, which I tacitly placed to
the account of the ferocious animal.
Then our joint journey to the Broken is
impossible2"
at is''
well, will go alone, then"
81 will prevent you"
"By my entreaties; you might be in danger. 1"
The conversation ceased.
There was something so utterly inscrutable
about this woman, that out of sheer madness,
believe loved her.
We were married, my wife wearing, she said,
las matter of compliment TO me" the dress in
which first saw her
During the marriage services n similar storm
to that which introduced me to her, broke over
the castle. Hardly had We closed the gates be-
hind US before it burst upon the building, its
shrieks stalked, like ghosts, their cries rever-
berating through the vaulted corridors. The
air was afiame with lightning. Gazing through
the easement beheld hundreds of owls fitting
around. Tu-whit. tu-whoo!" came from
every tree. Wild boars rushed across the es-
planade; wolves came up to the very edge of
the dry ditch, while night ravens croaked in
fear OF the terrible tempest. 1t was Walpur-
gis night-without the Broken.
The excitement of the day, the freshness of
my new situation, the delirium without the cas-
tie, followed me to my couch. That night
although every night since my arrival the un-
earthly "Tu-whit, tu-whoO," of the owl was
part OF my nightly entertainment, heard it
not; was in deep sleep; but in my dreams it
seemed to rise from my side, and, fitting thrice
around my head, pass away through the case
ment
1 never heard the bird but once afterward
L was now domesticated, and resigned myself,
as in former years, to study, in which 1 again
made great progress; but at the expense of my
health. resortsd to exercise With my vas
sails sought out all the secret recesses of the
Harz-visited the charcoal burners-the wood
cutters-the miners, who brought to my mind
the ancient legends of the ven-then-stili exist
ing Rosicrucians, children Of the Rosy Cross.
Each one had his tale. Every one had heard
no one had seen-but every one believed
The witches" they said, held their vo-
luptuous orgies during the presence of the
moon, on plain on the summit of the noun
tain. Thither they came, none, however, in
their natural shapes; but as birds, beasts, rep
tiles, bats, or insects. Once there they re-
ouhCu InoII pIOpcI HSurtS, anu Ut Lle approach
OF day sought their hOmes-husbands to the
couches of wives-wives to the beds of hus-
bands-brother to brother-sister to sister
mother to daughter-all left in charmed sleep
:. 1t was strange" said one, "that these
night-wanderers never endured the light of day;
they never let the blessed sun shine on them
They were" he continued, "like owls, conceal
ing themselves in old castles, with but one OBJ
Ject-making some human soul their prey"
A chill crept over me, but l smiled at my fol-
ly, and plunged with mad zest in the wild fury
Of the chase.
noble boar graced my triumph, and we re-
itTaeed our steps to the castle. As we reached
the edge of the forest, a larged horned owl fed,
with a "Tu-whit. tu-wh0oi - from a larch
above my head, out into the twilight, and hung
relieved against the still crimson sky.
know not what tempted me but threw
up my yager and fired, One of my yassals
brought me the bird. L examined it closely,
and as was practical naturalist quickly
made out its points.
Its front was of faxen color, almost docp-
ening into brown. The brow low and retreat
ing. The ears projected. The bill was strong
ly aquiline. The mouth thin and firmly set
The color Of the back was brown The breast
was delicate fawn color, and the lower part
Of the stomach was white.
was struck with the colors, and took the
bird homo as present to the Countess.
My wife met me at the door, with smile and
kiss. After congratulatlng me on my sue
cess with the boar, she examined the OWL
"Ah !" said she, A." hope this is your long
lost nocturnal minstrel, who, you said, kept you
awake of nights. You will now be certain of
repOse."
Tell me, my love-" said I one day, when
the thought suddenly occurred to my memory
how came you to have presentiment of my
arrival? The sensschal told me had been long
expected"
"YOu stopped day at the Count Won Bich-
enstein's, you remember; he sent me n courier
announcing your presence there, and intention
OF journeying farther"
But no courier preceded me on the road.
L must have either seen or heard of him.
He must have travelled while you slept
How else could have foreseen your arrival"
Day after day the forest became more and
more my home, and, in the veriest spirit of pet
ulence, L slaughtered all the birds could find
Hawks, owls, and other vermin of like character
were my absolute adherence. never suffered
one to escape me. / returned to the castle with
heaps Of them. 1 nailed them in teyroyum on
every tree.
why, Sigismund, my dear" said my wife,
one day, you will devastate my forests at this
rate but, amuse yourself, only spare the birds
about the castle.
promised.
Some months after this, summoned all my
wife retainers to grand hunt, which intend
ed to extend for several days. We departed
leaving no one but the Countess and her female
domestics at home. The first day, however, suf
need, and we returned just after twilight to the
castle. forbade all noise, as 1 intended to
take my wife by surprise. 1 paused, as had
done many time before, in front Of the old
tower, to gaze on its majestic proportions Just
then the moon arose, and seemed to me to leap
i1tO the upper heavens. Down in a shower of
silver fire fell her radiance on the ivy tods that
enwreathed the easements under which stood,
they in light, in shadow, when from the ivy
rme the cry
"Tu-whit. tu-whoo tu- whit tu- whoo :" and
the unearthly owl foated out into the moon.
Around and around the tower it swept once
twice-thrice, when at the last circle my yager
touched my shoulder There was fash-a
sound-a dull, heavy, inanimate fall in among
US, ,hunters-retainers-eve at my very feet
and saints Of heaven what did l see
There lay the corpse Of the-COuntess, with
puilet through her left breast. Dead-dead-
aead An instant, and shrek arose from the
yassais, and a flock of owls, ravens, and other
nldeous night-birds fitted from arou nd me, with