True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-11-04
STEUBENvILLE, OHIO, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1857


Gone. Whittier, know not. Fled
in the night, and never since seen /! My
groom saw thee in the wood hours ago.
| called thee hilher that thy pardon might
ease me ~
Conrad waited bitter moment. He
was not perfect, but man of stormy
feelings, strong passions, warm love, and
fierce hatred. And to forgive this enemy
who had all his life thwarted and stung
him Better to send him to death load
ed with his unforgiving curse. But gent
ly a memory stole over him of mother,
at whose knee kneeliug, he said "As
we forgive those who tresspass against
us" And in the midst of his anger, his
grief and hate, soft pity stole out ard
enveoped this guilty and miserable man.
He took his cold hands in his. The
words cost him struggle
" Friend, l forgive thee, May God
do likewise !"
A smile, peculiar smile crept over
the Baron's face.
"I was born for better things" said
lie, " and now but two in the world weep
for me-my fathers old seneschal, and
groom. All my wealth is divided be-
tween them and removed from here. One
last request, my lord. The castle is fred
now. When the breath leaves me its
flames will be past quencbing. Conrad
of Swabia let one noble of Germany
behold my burial Watch, pray thee,
outside on the hill till it be ashes above
me-"
He had partly risen on his arm as he
poke, and his face white and ghastly
grew more lvid as he obtained he pro-
mise, and then melted into sneering
laugh. Conard thought him in parox-
ysm of delirium. Loud and long it rung
up the vaulted chamber, and its echoes
had not subsidized when the crashing
armor sank down, tennantless of life,
plate ratlIing over plate, above the shriv-
elled corpse, the eyes were fixed, the
breath still, the lips draw tightly apart
from the grinning teeth. In the horror
of the moment, Conrad had forgotten the
last words of the baron, till the warder;
entering solemnly, composed the features,
covered The body with linen, and poured
a flask of fragrant oil over il, ahen mo-
lioning 10 Conrad, passed down with him
a single flight Of wooden stairs, which
brough Int them 10 a postern, and joining
the wailpg seneschal outside, there all
three walked up the hill behind the cas-
lie, Conrad seating himself on halfway
rock with his batlle.axe and his horses
bride in his hands, and the others pro-
ceeded 10 the summit. Already through
the great arches of The vaults, and along
the dungeon CRATES, bright light stream.
ing out attesed the baron's truth, and
whirls of ascending smoke wrapped the
building now in lurid light. An hour oil
tedious watching; thick grew the col.
umns of smoke, longer the intervals
when the fire breaking through devonrel
them; the light sparkled through the
loopholes story higher, fierce heat
was felt by Cunrad where he sat, yet
some fascination kept him there. The
further wing was already enveIoyed ant
out of tine arrowy slits in the main build
: ing tongues of flame darted licking lht
ivy and the quantity Of carved wood-work
there, another hour: the hungry flames
had sped fast. One tower was yet un
touched--n this the baron lay. Th,
portcullis was down, Me drawbriJge open
everything left jus. as when they issue'
thence.
Suddenly, from the topmost region o
, this tower, a loud, wild shrek burst out
followed by others sharper and more ag
onized. 1t seemed to say:
, "Help help D God, help!', An'
i another voice called, perhaps to his i'm
, agination, Conrad 4"
He sprung to his feet. Was he mad
| Was he the sport of his senses Ha
Stahl obtained his revenge had the dy
a ing baron lied Like flash, leapin!
from rock TO rock, he dashed down tn
: hill to the plain path, sprung across tb
drawbridge to the postern and up tn
n stairs to the baron's room which filled tn
h whole of one floor of the turret. Th
e warder had locked il! Ptchy blacknes
!, reigned there, but a sulphurous smok
1 filled every avenue, and almost choke
y his breath. Had he been superstition
S he might have died on the spot, but rails
J, ing his baIlle-axe with swift strengt
|. he broke the door in. The holy candl
n just Pickering in its socket showed hin
J. the motionless tapestry, and the sound
k from above came louder and shriller. H
l. tore the curtains away from three of til
if walls, there was no door on either, tn
IS fourlb-none there but evidently a squal
d space in the stone had been recently wal
!. ed up. on this side. Like Titan i
swung his axe with terrible strokes, ar
stone after stone fell shattered TO atom
Id Sill the sounds from above, still. Il
9, flames gaining ground, and still layer a
3. ter layer opposed him. One drcadf
ID blow, than which he could give no nigh
n ier, and with the stones that fell rour
Of his feet, a couple Of great oak planl
shivered down and he saw indistinctl,
by the light. growing from within, ar