The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-12-08

every scowling face was turne'
upon Rudolph, but Grindel inter
} posed
Nay, nay, good friends, give over
This clustering gentlema" deserve
your pity rather A truce! a truce
fair words and deeds, for / hav'
q friendly boon to ask. Rudolph
we have heard that thou didst bu
yesterday espouse the beauteou
Linda of Hartzingen. Shall WI
not hail the bride OF Werdenberg p
"The bride! the bride shoutct
all in rejoinder. Rudolph with boil
ing blood, replied to Grindel-
Thou art knight of fame ant
honor. Blast not that fame ant
honor now, by insult to woman!
"Itmight, become the proud talker
to pass more kindly words. I'll Civ,
:hee lessons in humility that may
percharce, drag down that lordly
look of thine Know then that Grin
del of Mayenfeld claims rule il
Werdenberg. by commission of Fred
erick of Austria, to whom I rejoice
thou Dearest such affection. Pray
thee, noble sir, shall we greet fail
Linda now?D
Rudolph felt to his hearts core
the precipice on which be was stand.
ing.
Il pray thee pardon me, Sir Grin.
del, for l knew not that it had pleas
ed the Duke to relieve me Of the
burden of my possessions and be-
stow them upon thee | do repent me
of my refusal and go to see the
lady ftly arrayed for the new lord Of
Werdepberg.'
He bowed and strobe away; while
shout Of triumph at his faneied
discontinue, echoed through the
hall. The seneschal, who had listen
ed, with trembling anxiety to this
war Of words, followed him unseen,
and encountered him in near cor
ridor.
"WeIl met, good Wechsal-hors-
es-horses! beyond the private
gate-and see them out speedy
away :"
They parted, and Rudolph hasten
ed to Linda. The Servants had
seen that all was not right in the
castle-that the comers bore not the
demeanor of guests, but rather OF
rulers; and the mysterious aspect of
affairs had been whispered abou.
from mouth to mouth, from male to
female till it reached the ear of Lin
da. Alarmed for Rudolph's safety,
she had arisen and attired herself /;
and when he had entered the apart
ment he exclaimed
This is well. dear Linda; thought
to have been delayed by thy toilet,
love. Pray thee hasten. Array
thee for thy horse. for we must ride
hard tonight Question not, but
speed
Loving and trustful, sbe needed no
second appeal, and in few moments
she rejoined him.
His well tried blade was on his
thigh, and bis frame had been encas-
ed already, ere the knights had come,
10 steel shirt of mail, whose joint
ed links played easily with his mo-
tion, and allowed the free play of his
sinewy limbs. Half bearing Linda
with one arm, while the other be sup
ported his sword, SO that its clanking
might not be heard, he passed from
the castle, to the designated place
beyond the wall
The horses were ready there-his
own black charger, who suffered none
other than himself to bestride his no.
BILE back-and gentler, yet sturdy
beast, which Linda mi ght safely ride
a moment, and, accompanied by the
seneschal and one attendant else, Ru-
dolph led the way with his bride, an
exile from his lordly home little think
ing in that anxious moment, of his
triumphant address to that nov trem-
ulous and flying creature, one night
agone, as amid gladstone welcom-
ings, kinder auspices, alas. be usher
ed her to that lordly home!
The sleeps that surround the cas-
tie were safely descended, the bois-
ferrous sounds of the yet continued
revelry, had grown DINNER to the
ears of the fugitiyes, and jutting
crags had shut them out of sight of
the castle, when, in saddened tone
Rudolph said to the seneschal:
$50, Wechsal, didst not dare to
share thy secret with another-and
are all | trusted, save thou and Ar
nolph fere, so careless of me, that
they track me not, and | mast speed
through the Rhisnthal to Arbon with
foemen all around, and none beside
re twain for company"
He had scarcely spoken when, as
they turned abruptly as the path
widened, they came upon troop OF
hfty horsemen all drawn up by the
roadside, still as if they had been
hewn from the stones Of the crags
around
one iook at. each, as be rode by
them, and even in the faint light OF
the early dawning, he knew them for
his own-of all, the bravest-them
whom be would have chosen for the
fercest charge, ard Gelt that none
were wcrthier Of trust, not one but
would have died for him,
"All's weli-a,!'s well! be said 10
q low voice to Wecbsal, while bis eve
moistened with general feeling; "thou
hast done well In this! Forward !
Would Grindel and the City knights
were within sword reach now."
The horsemen parted, ipclosing
their leader in the midst; the troop.
struck in q brisk gallop SO soon as the
valley was reached, aud fas. Teeeded
from the desecratea town o: Werden-
berg,
The hewor2-hying among the noun
tains, that fercer foemen than ever
the Abbot of St. Gall and the ten i'm
perial towns-the troops of Frederic
of Austria, led by his bravest and
best skilled generals-yes accompa-
nied and cheered by the duke in per-
son, were on their march for Appen-
cell, summoned the anxious yet un-
dismayed peasants to consultation
,,,1.,n tha;r fafv Thav pat herad in