Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-04-18
Gelelte0 AlisrcIlanp.
THE LOST HEIR OF ANC0NA.

In one of the beautiful valleys of Up
per Italy, near where the Alps are welded
to the sea, stood one of those residences,
half-castle, half-palace, which are so
often found from one end of the country
to the other, and which point out the
dwelling places of those rulers of the soil,
the nobility, who can trace their lineage
far back, to those days when Rome was
the great republic Of the world My
Lord OF Ancona was Of this class, and he
full Of pride of birth and station as any
in the country. Besides, he was the rich
est man i'll the valley: or rather he shared
this distinction with another at the further
end of it, some half-dozen leagues away,
who could count his gold and number
his servants in about the same ratio as
himself. The Lord of Ancona had one
great drawback to his happiness. He
was childless. His young wife, now
many years in her grave, had borne him
one son, who for few short months was
the JOY of his heart and then his light went
out forever.
One day the child was missing. Its
nurse had it in the garden, and laid it
sleeping beneath tree while she went
to a little distance from the spot that she
might better carry on a Irritation with
the gardener who was at work. When
she came back to the spot where she had
left her charge, it was gone.
Hour after hour, and day after day,
the search for the missing heir Of Ancona
was kept up, but without avail but
when a weeks time had passed, the body
Of an infant was taken from the basin Of
the fountain.
1t was so much decayed that its fca-
lures were not to be recognized but the
garments upon it were those that the
lost heir had worn, and there was no
doubt but what its fate had at last been
solved.
The body of the child was consigned
to the tomb, and in little time its mo-
Their followed it, The loss of her child
had been TOO much for her fond heart,
and so the Lord of Ancona was bereft Of
all he had set his heart upon.
lie did not wed again, and as the years
went on he adopted the child Of sister,
who, dying, confided her little girl to his
care, and he reared her tcnderly as his
own, with the intention Of making her
the hciress of his wealth.
When Agnes, for that was his nicce's
name, had arrived at the age Of sixteen,
he thought that it was time that she was
bctrothed, so he paid visit to his rich
neighbor, the Count of Mazinna, who
bad a son some six years older than his
niece, aud matters were at once arranged
between them that the young people
should wed, after the proper time had
elapsed
TO this proposition Antonio Mamma
gladly asscnted, for he knew that she was
beautiful as well as rich, and one had as
much attraction for him as the other;
but when the subject was revealed to
Agnes, she ychcmently declared that she
would never wed with the ill-shaped,
dwarfsh son of their neighbor Over
and over again she declared to her uncle
that she had rather leave his house, and
20 into a convent, or to live in poverty
all her days. But he took it all as idle
words, and as the time went on, caused
every preparation to be made for the
wedding, and at last it was so nigh at
hand that only one day interviewed be-
tween them and it.
Agnes knew Of all these preparations,
and laid her plans accordingly. When
Antonio had come to see her, she had
treated him with GOODNESS and disdain,
but when she found that he was not to
be rebuffcd, she determined to fee then
to the Convent Of St. Martin. where the
Lady Superior was cousin Of her father,
and whom she knew would give her that
protection she desired.
Just as the sun slipped down behind
the mountain on this afternoon, she was
sitting in her chamber. bordering over
her contemplated fight, when she was
disturbed by the entrance of her maid.
What is it, Nina p she asked gIaneing