The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-12
LA DAME BLANCHE.


LA DAME BLANCHE.
From "Ceber Land and Meer,' by E. vocano.
The ducal residence Of GerOlStein is
situated in the bottom of a charming
valley; it is neither big nor noisy and
and all it's streets converge to the du.
cal castle, the most beautiful building
of the residence stately and grand
built in the most ceremonious rocco
style a In Versailles. Pleasant walks
lead from the castle to the parks out
side of the city. Close to the castle
stands the also magnificent but more
modern palace of the Countess Of Sau-
ran, who has been by morganatic mar
riage the wife of the late Duke Ernest
and borne him two sons. who were
brought lis rs Counts Of Sauran, and
appointed to high offices ut Court.
They had no claim to the succession,
since from the first right.handed mar
riage of the late Duke with a Princess
Of Memligen issued the Crown Prince
Franciscus, now reigninga as Duke Fran
discus XIV. It is true he was sickly,
in consequence of the fatigue caused
by his studious sojourns in Paris and
in Italy; but the succession was pro-
vided for, since a week ago his wife,
the handsome Duchess Helena, nee
Princess Lauingen 1allerstein, had
borne him a Prince, who was named
Erne, after his grandfather. The little
baby, the future Duke of Gerolstein,
was thriving exceedingly well. He
was as healthy as a goldfish in the
pond, and as fresh as a rosebud in
summer. His illustrious mother was
radiant with happiness and, although
still a little weak, she would not let
the child from her arms all day long,
and gave it a thousand sweet names.
Only nights the little Duke slept in his
own room under the charge and care
Of his bonnie, the Princess Larghetto,
and of his nurse, a fresh-looking peas
ant girl from the Black Forest.
1t was a sultry, vaporous midsum-
mer night. The whole little residence
of Gerolstein slept the sleep of the
righteous. The sentinel in front of
the castle was slumbering standing,
both arms resting on his gun. The
hunting dogs lay coiled up like ropes
in their kennel, and were now and
then barking low in their sleep. The
Weather.cOck on the battlement of the
castle likewise slept soundly and mo-
tionless not the least breeze stirring
the atmosphere. The flowers in the
park with closed cups bent their
drowsy heads to the earth, and the
white statues between the dark green
shrubs appeared even more motionless
than in the daytime. Even the pay
ing.stones seemed to sleep, since they
had no footsteps to echo back in the
lifeless streets.
In their high tester-beds the Duke
ana the Duchess slept the feverish
sleep of sickly persons, and in his
princely room slept the little Prince in
his cradle trimmed with blue silk and
gold tassels,-the Baroness Larghetto
on her couch, and the nurse in her
wide, comfortable, easy chair. The
night-lamp seemed to open an eye only
occasionally and shut it again immedi-
ately. Even the fountain in the mar
ket-place gurgled sleepily away into
the moonlit summer night.
All at once the officiating Chamber
lain, who was in waiting in the long
corridor of the castle, and dreamed in
a bay-Window Of a duel, uttered a
piercing cry and rose staggering.
At this cry, a groom with convul-
siyely.opened eyes, moved out of his
room. and saw the white trail of a fe-
male figure disappearing at the end Of
the corridor.
The Chamberlain, nervous and trem-
bling all over, caught hold of the
groom, who was about turning round
to retire safely to his room.
s'For Gods sake, Jasmin, stay with
me. Did you also see?'
s'Whom!''
'sWell she, the Dame Blanche!'
'sThe dame Blanche! If l saw her
Let me go, Herr Baron! -
81 to let you go! Not for the
world! You must take me with you
to your room. Have you got a bell
there? We must sound the alarm -
s.Sound the alarm!'' Jasmin said,
moaning and crashing his teeth. 60,
Herr Baron, what good will that do
against Dame Blanche? You know
well enough that the White Lady only
appears when to the most high house
a-a-case of death is impending. God
have mercy on us y
"Amen!'' trembled the pale Cham.
berlain. "You are right, Jasmin, we
must make no noise. about it, lest OUT
most high sovereigns should suspect