Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1871-09-07
VOLUME ".

plcl Will LuC CApASooloAo Va Joy <'V Aio ~
covtry.
IL pray you, my Lord Count" said the
seneschal of the castle, condescend to &C
has pleased your highuesss to run away.
Teuttl is high spirited, but gentle"
Peter put up his right foot. encased in
pointed boot and GOLD spur, lifted the other
uwkwardly over the saddle, and found
himself seated with his back 10 the horses
head.
My Lord Count has not yet re-
covered himself" said tho eQuerry ;
but one of the late Counts pages
Uttered behind his plumed cap
as he held the stirrup whilst the Count
reversed his position.
New Pcer had never in his life before
been on horse back.
lie cl,l1ched the rcins with one hand,
the horses name with the other, and rolled
| ursteadily from side to side, in mortal ter
ror at every step Of the high.paciDg
stecd.
at is only that his honor is still dizzy
from his fall" said he mortified equelry,
believing what he asserted But the mas
ter-of. the. horse from the castle, looking
upon the Count with an experienced and
criticising eye, muttered to the master-at'
arms his firm conviction that his highness
was ignorant Of the noble art of horse
nlanship-an opinion in which the
other agreed
Reaching the castle, the Count was ad-
viseu by the medical man to retire and
rest for al hour or SO. in which time the
least would be spread in the great ban
! quoting hall, but Peter, who felt perfectly
! well, and had, it will be remembered,
| 10 u cN,,IA hn1,> tbi,,ly
ing of the fat OK. and of all that he
had heard, but had never seen,
and still less tasted, of the deli
cious wines and luxurious viands of
the castle larder. So he at once declared
himself hungry, and ordered that refresh
ments should be brought to him.
| Tho steward, with his white badge and
!;aton of Office, marching III front, ushered
in some haif-doZen hcnchmen, bearing va
riOus dishes: such as highly spiccd game
pastry, eels done in wine, picked porpoise,
stew. d truttles, olives, and pie composed
of minced venison, mixed with apples
raisius, wine, sugar, beet, spice, and wood
cock. The butler followed with wines OF
various kinds. Peter ate long and drank
deeply-until he could eat and drink nc
more. Not that he liked either the dishes
or the wines, for the first were utterly dis
! tasteful to his palate, and the latter he
considered insipid and maWkish, and, il
the truth were told, not to compare with
good beer. But he was hungry-and be-
sides, were not these the luXuries OF the
/ great and rich, for which he had often, in
secret, sighed? Whcr, tore, as we have
said, he ate and drank his fill, until, with
the last mouthful OF the mince- pie dead.
ly sickness came over him, and he was
compelled, with the assistance of the ser.
wants, to effect hasty retreat from the
table. And then he fell heavily on his
bed and slept the sleep Of him VINO had
drunken too freely.
The steward and the butler looked at
! their little eyes and the pinks of their fat
hands.
MY Lord Count is a glutton," wheezed
"My Lord Count is drunkard," gasped
the butler And all the henchmen and
pages agreed with those two.
as for the Lord Counts own followers,
they did not know what to think. Never
before had they known his temperate
highness to eat and drink like this
In about two hours Peter Bloch-that
s,thc Count Won Schwaltzschoffensb
awoke, feeling dull and heavy.
Il don't like this" muttered the Count,
"1anever felt like this when was Peter
Bloch" And he sighed.
What would my noble Lord Count
hevey' queried the page of-the chamber,
bowing low before him.
The Count scratched his head and re-
tlected. He had had enough to eat and
drink-also, sleep sufficient; and he was at
loss what more to desire.
"Will it please my lord to take bath p
The Count Peter submitted. He wasn't
in the haoit of taking baths and he now
thought it very unnecessary and disagreea.
bic, and when it was over made up his
mind to take no more. Then he yawned
AID wondered what else he could do. He
felt very much inclined to step out and
take look at his pigs aud c1bbages-a
thing which had always afforded him q
certain pleasure and satisfaction. But he
remembered, with half sigh, that there
We're no pigs and cabbages here.
Will it please my lords highness tc
have music:' suggested the attentive page
observing his lorus air Of ennui.
Peter Bloch did not care straw for
music, nor, in fact. know anything aboutit
! bcyoni Kntrina's hand organ, inherited
from her luther, on which, in the quiet
evenings VIII: their work was done
she was accustomed to grind ex.
traordinary sounds to marvellous tunes
Peter rather liked this organ; it
soothcd him and gave him a pleasant
| drowsy, homc-feeling; and now, when he
heard harp skilfully played upon by the
castle minstrel in an adjoining apartment,
he thought it greatly lacked the charm of
Katrina's hand-organ.
Il don't care for music" quoth the
Count, indifftrently, "unlcss "a bright
ila occurred to him" unless the Lady
Iiil>legarde Adelberga Rosalinden will
play
But my Lord Count, at this hour-and
in privatel My lady is not accustomed to
show herself at all tmes-neitE,.r to en-
tertain suitors, save on suitable occasions.
I pray you, my Lord Count, reflect"
:ut tie Lord Count wouldn't reflect.
AL lh;l'! he knew was that he was Count
ven ch"Al zsrhotf nsbprsh, and that he
WAS ia his own castle, where every one was
bouEd TO obey him; wherefore he scnt his
page with message demanding the pres
ence Of the Lady Hildcgarde. Ia fact, he
r; mem bercd her beauty, and that she was
bis btthrothed; and his heart began to
warm toward her. insomuch that he re-
1ustu To listen to any excuse of the
AA'''y, oO SIA AeoLAy ulC uC ucSlIO ncr DTCS-
ence, and to gaze upon the lovli-
ness Of which he had hitherto been fa-
vorcd with but a distant glimpse.
So the Lady Hildegarde Adelberga
l><'salinden came, flushed and naughty,
followed by her maidens bearing harpsi-
ciAord Count Pet Bloch felt IL little in
awe OF her magnif1crice, until reilt citing
that he Was rich and handsome Count,
and th' future lori of the naughty beauty,
he gradually gathered courage to com
mence love making. This he did in his
own way, as he had been accustomed with
Katrina. lie stole to seat by the lady's
side, put his arm around her waist, pinched
her check, and bestowed upon her rosy
lips rcsounhing smack, designed to cx
press admiration and respectful homage
The Lady 1lildegarde Adclberga sprang
to her feet with u Shrek, whcrcat every.
body within hearing rushed into the
apartment. Her relative, the old
Baron Bluflcnburg, on being informed
of what had occurred, half drew his
sword, but put il up again. For was not
the Count in his own castlep And was
not the fair lady his betrothedY And.
most of all, was not the Count more DOW
ertuI than he? Wherefore, though highly
l"dgna,' t, the burly Baron prudcu:ly re-
stra'rrfl hiu.self.
The Count is brutc!' sai'i the Baron
10 the other guests who had been invited
T.; 'h' least And they all agreed with
AS 10 The Count himself he concluded