Middletown transcript., 1876-09-02
ave xax. and be was precipitated over

gave way, and be was precipitated owe
the cliffs into the sea- He would hav
drawn me after him, but with almos
.uperhuman strength I clung to al
overhanging bough and was saved
saw that my enemy was pushing to
ward boat that was in the waters be-
y low, and cried out, Secure him. Sc
cure him murderer = and very sool
y he was bound in chains, and delivered
over to the authorities, ard will now.
hope, receive the reward, Of his iniqui
9 ties behind prison bolts. O Kathrina
how deep must be his passion for you
and how deadly his hate for me, to in
s cite him to such cruelties p
= It is a passion full Of fire and
fierceness, said Kathrina. !" There il
not an element Of pure affection in it
Many times l have recoiled from him
in horror and terror, while forced to
listen to his wild protestations and We
:. hement avowals of love. 0 Rudolph,
how like the smiles of heaven is the
sunlight of your love!"
"Dear Kathrina," said Rudolph,
=" it shall evermore gild your pathway.
and keep away the shadows No more
wearisome days; no more loneliness !;
no:more fears for your beloved. Thank
heaven, the consummation Of our happi-
ness is at hand; the fulfllment of our
hopes close BY Tomorrow evening,
at this honr, l will be with you again.
my love, never to leave you more. Till
then, good-by."
| With a tender embrace, the lovers
parted The soft winds of evening
were talking in the evergreen trees.
Were they uttering prophecies From
the blue Rhine, as it laved the pebbly
shore, came a mournful sound, like the
plant of invisible sorrows. All, me |!
what was it?
The morrow's sun shone grandly on
Castlemere. The old chateau, mag
ni6cent structure built of gray stone,
stood proudly in its place in wilder
ness Of trees and shrubbery, its castel-
lated SUBMITS glittering 10 the sun
light, its towers, turrets and battle
ments standing out in beautiful bas
reliefs against the blue sky. 1t was
surrounded by paradise of trees and
blossoms, cascades and fountains, purl-
ing streams and woody dells. Fair
Kathrina was mistress of all those
broad lands, and queen Of the castle
She had not relative in the world,
and she had lavished all the love of
strong, deep nature upon Rudolph
CASTILLO, an Italian by birth. loved
KATRINA with all the concentrated pas
sion of his fiery nature. He had the
ferceness and vindictivess that charac-
ized the race, and when he found that
Rudolph was given the preference, be
hated him with malignant hatred For
years he pursued one with a fiendish
sort Of love that was, more repellant
than winning, and the other with re-
venge in his heart. It ended as we
have seen, in bis incarceration.
Within the castle all the prepara-
tions for the bridal were completed.
The banquet was prepared, and the
guests had assembled. KATRINA had
just passed from the hands of dressing
maids, and now sat, resplendent in
white satin, pearls and orange bios
SONS, waiting. She leaned on the
window seat, looking out She could
could see far down the avenue and up
the Rhine. II lay sleeping peacefully
that day. 1t seemed to her as though
the sunlight never kissed the waters SO
lovingly, and that the shadows never
lay with such sweet, dreamy beauty
on the towns. The green trees, grace
fully waving their tassellad boughs over
the waters, and interlocking their arms
SO tenderly, to sing songs full of rap
ture; and the notes of the birds, as
they warbled their ballads in their syl-
van homes, seemed touched with me-
lody that went to the inmost depths of
her heart, and thrilled her with a
sweet. enhancing joy.
Oh, heaven r. she murmured. /" I
am too happy. At last, at last, my
sweet dream is fulfilled /; l am repaid
for all my waiting and suspense. Ru-
dolph is mine, and that other one is
safe within prison walls. Now, in our
beautiful paradise, overshadowed by
the wings Of peace and love and safety,
we will dream away the years. Oh,
this great lovs!, It fills my soul with
glory so enhancing, SO bewildering
l am intoxicated with too great
draughts Of bliss Wilhelmina, she
called to her. German maid, who was
waiting in adjoining room, +" is it not
time ?"
'' Yes, madam, past the time"
Why dost thou linger ?" KATRINA
murmured to herself, and she looked
out.
Away in the blue distance she saw
boat speeding down the river.
"Ah, he comes p she cried. II
will meet him at our trysting- place"
Down to the green banks she ran,
unheeding the warning cries Of her
maids that she was in her bridal robes.
She entered the little arbor, where the
night before she had parted from her
lover, and there she watched and wait
ed. her heart pulsating with strange,
glad emotions The twilight shadows
we're now deepening, and the boat was
at first but dimly visible but on it
came, and soon she could hear the dip
ping of the oars in the water. and the
splash of the waves against the sides Of
the boat
A moment more, and he will be
here" Katharine thought.
Just then the wild, shrill prolonged
cry Of night bird fell upon her ear
What made her shiver so? The
cool winds. perhaps. Drawing her
mantle close around her, she looked
again.
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