The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1870-02-18

ing bowl of milk to his mouth, but the
dog did not move to drink it. But all at
once the animal sprang up and again ut
tered that piteous howl-then fell down
and stretched out his legs. The count
started, and hurried to the window-yes!
there came the raven again, straight as an
arrow; this time not slowly, but so swiftly
that the air whistled past him; and again
he struck with his beak on the window,
until the glass rang. With an awful, pier
cling cry, the Munzberger uttered these
words: u-
1.-TWO are gone,-and now the judg-
meut falls on the third Bring me the
pastor-quick, for I must confess to
himw
Elsie hurried away to Eschau and
brought the pastor. 1t was dark when he
arrived and when Elsie led him into her
lords chamber, the candles were lighted,
and the count was seated in an arm chair
crying over and again,
1.-TWO are gone, and now the third must
gow
The pastor told him that if he had any
thing on his mind, he must relieve himself
by confessing it; the count nodded, and
said.
"The chalices are lying in them the
but he could go no further. Hislips moved
as though he would have said more, but he
could utter nothing. Cold sweat drops
stood upon his forehead, he grasped for
breath, and-all was over with him. And
as he lay there with his mouth wide open,
as in the last effort to speak, when the
window rang, the panes flew in pieces, and
and the raven darted in, flew screaming
around the room, and tapped the lights
out with its wings, so that all was thick
darkness.
That same night Elsie lost her reason
The youngest son would not come to that
castle, and the old woman lived there
alone. She never went out by day, but on
moonlight nights she would come down to
the spring near the village, to wash her
clothes She greeted no one, nor thanked
any one for their greetings; but if any one
asked, GLOW do you do, Elsie ?" she would
stand staring fixedly at him and humble
out, "They are throwing stones in the eel
lar-one can hardly live for the throw
ingw
And now the youngest son was his faith
ers only heir. He was an upright man,
had no children. All else went well with
fortune; he lived long time with his
wife, in comfort, after his fathers DEATH
After while, war again broke out in the
neighborhood, and all those who lived in
isolated places, fled; and the young count
and his wife, unwilling to live at Schloss
Wildenstein, made preparations to take
refuge in Eschau.
Their goods were packed, their horses
harnessed, and standing in the courtyard;
heavy storm suddenly arose in the valley.
Just as they were crossing the castle bridge,
the thunder pealed forth, the lightning
flashed, and the terrified horses sprang off
the bridge, dragging the carriage with
them; and so the master and his wife were
drowned. The meadow on which the cas-
tie was built, with all the land belonging
to it, and the spring near by, bear the name
of the Count to this day. The castle fell,
a ruined pile; the first house in Tuteran-
lenbach was built of its stones, it stands
on the left of the road, as you enter the
town, coming from Eschau. The last OF
the house of Munzberger being now dead,
Castle Wildenstein and its dependencies
came to the Counts of Rienich, noble
race of men, who ruled there many years.
The Kunigenbrunnen in Wildensee,
where the rich castle full of gold and sill
yer sank down, is still flowing, and scatters
gold here and there in its course. Not
long ago, some strangers came from dis
lance, and took some sand away from the
spring ga year later they carried away
still more-and no one knew whence they
came, or what they wanted with it. The
third time they came, and took still more
sand, saying,
1--WE shall come no more now, we have
gold enough; if the people knew what is
in this sand, they might all make them
selves rich"
1t is supposed they were miners.