Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-08-16

"But you got possession of our per-
sons by treachery:"
ooh. all is fair in love-"
Is there then no way to save him ?''
eyes: become my wife,"
81 cannot I cannot!"
"Then take your last look at him;
for when [ have counted three, his
head will roll in the DUST"
"Mercy !" cried Hildegard.
"One p said the baron, and the ex-
ecutioner drew himself up.
"Max dear Maxi" she called from
;he window, turning her streaming eyes
toward her betrothed. He turned his
pale face toward her, and made her a
mute sign Of adieu.
"Two!" and the headsman swung
his sword on high. Then Hildegard,
white as ashes, stretched out her hand
to the Baron and said:
/" Lead me to the chapel"
|" Unbind the prisoner and lead him
TO his room" ordered the Baron. Now
come, my BRIDE" ~
And he led her to the chapel. and
the nuptial benediction was pronounce
&c, and Hildegard was Baroness Won
Katzenellenbogon. She fell fainting,
snd was carried by her maidens into
the sacristy.
While the Baron was still waiting
hey heard cry of alarm from the
sentinel, and the feudal lord sprang
forth and mounted the wall. Lo! on
the other side Of the moat sat Hide
gard upon a snow-white palfrey, and
waving her hand to him, and struck
her horse with light whip, and away
like the wind. He sprang from the
wall, and across the draw. bridge; there
stood a jet-black charger saddled, and
without a moments thought the Baron
leaped upon his back and drove the
spurs into his sides. The bound of the
steed was like the swoop of an eagle,
and he Numbered down the hill.
God, what a wild ride FLASHING
through marsh an brook, scrambling
through thicket and rocky pass, the
woman and the palfrey before, the
Baron behind On his swart steed, that
snorted with fury. On up the Rhine,
through startled hamlet, dark cedar
wood, on past the rock of Lorelei to
the house of a boatman on the shore.
'Here he saw Hildegard spring from
her palfrey, and into skiff, which with
light push she sent from the shore. A
few bounds brought her pursuer to the
same place, and in another moment
he too was in a boat sweeping down
the fierce current of the Rhine.
With his eyes fixed upon her, he saw
her approach the rock of the Lorelei,
and with light foot leap on it. Then she
dashed the white wreath from her head
and shook down her tresses, no longer
brown, but golden as the sunlight; She
tore the robe from her shoulders, and
her white bosom rose, fair as the snow,
and with her ivory arms she swept the
golden chords of d harp, and her
weird, sweet song rang into the Keeling
brain of the Baron.
"God !" he shrieked, cit is the
Lorelei." And as the power of the
whirlpool caught his bark he heard her
ringing, unearthly laugh, and saw her
knocking, pitiless face. And the whirl-
pool had him and sucked him down
into its vortex, and drew him round
and round amid the sharp rocks at
the bottom, and threw MS bruised
corpse back up to the surface, and
the current cast it at the feet of the
retainers.
And when they would have raised it
to bear it to the chapel, q horrid, ear
piercing whistle was heard, and the lit
tie man appeared, seized the corpse by
the belt, swung it about like feather,
and vanished with it into the group.
Thus, for her pity, did the Lorelei
take the form of Hildegard and lure
the Baron to his doom. AS for Hide
gard, all that the marriage had accom-
pished was to make her inheritress Of
the domain and castle of Katzenellen-
bogen; and not knowing precisely what
else to do with it, she presented it to
Graf Max Won Steinrad, with all that
was in it, including herself.