Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1877-04-18

er's demise he removed the steward,
whose name was Josephson and,
while keeping the two little children
within scope Of his own surveillance,
allowed it to be supposed that their
dead mother had lett them an inheri-
tance of no lawful name but that Ct
their plebeian grandfather.
The relative in question, who was,
of course, the displaced steward, felt
helpless TO do more in vindication Of
his own wronged household than set
bis nephew, Carl, "a mere boy, to
watch the disowned babas of the
Count, and keep him informed oftbeir
disposal. Too young to understand
ali the facts in the case, yet instinct
lively comprehending that the noble
man was equally 10 be distrusted by
them anG by himself, this Carl Joseph.
son was tlreless in lowering about the
remote cottage where his departed
cousins son and daughter had been
immured for present private keeping.
| Such was the situation when Won
Apponig, as noted above, entered
publicly INTO q marriage 'suitabie to
his rank" aud became anxious to be
rid of all prior membranes ard
claims upon lis conscience OF his
heart Possessing neither OF these
human qualifications in any very gen
erous development the Count arrived
at determination no less daring and
heartless than that he would dcliber-
ately carry forth the little Frederick
and Antonia into a wild forest border
inc the most eastern line Of lis estate,
and there leave them to the mercy Of
the beasts! This he actually did
with the girl: the boy being FORUM
atcly absent from the cottage by the
connivance of The suspecting and
vigilant Carl Josephsop when their
pitlless .father called there to take
them, as he said, upon "a little ex
cursion" with him.
And the girl, Antcnla, is the hero
ire Of the story now coming to us
from San Francisco. The Count,
after taking her journey by carriage,
finally placed her upon i saddle with
him for horseback-ridc, and having
galloped with her deep into the ap
pointed wood, dropped her to the
ground, and without wcrd rode
away from her forever. She was
seven years old at that time, and in.
,elligent enough, when her terror was
over, to seek some escape from the
darFer and wilder part of the forest.
Childlike fear of shadows and sensi
bility to light directed her flying foot
steps instinctiveiy toward the point
where the trees were fewer and 50
she presently emerged upon an old
bride path leading to the Russian
frontier, where she was providentially
found, almost Immediately, by Il travel
ing Jewish trader on his way home
ward across the border. The man
belonged in Taunozcn, and, after
listening with amazement to the cry
ing child's disjointed story, took hor
forward to Russia with him because
not knowing what else to do humane
ly, with such q wait.
OF the several years spent by Anto-
MIA Won Apponig in the Cars domin-
ions little more is known than that
she was fairly educated in the benevo
lent family of the Taunozen merchant,
and managed ultimately to communi-
cate the fact of her existence TO her
brother Frederick in Prussia. Wheth-
er it was the latter who traced his
missing sister to her foreign refuge
and thus made correspondence practi-
cable is not stated, but such CORE
spondence certainly took place, and
through it the girl was enabled to
learn what her brother was doing, and
that he had a devoted friend in their
second cousin, Carl. 1t was this
friend, who, when he was old enough
and an assistant gamekeeper on an es-
tate adjoining that OF Won Apponig,
informed him of the true paternity OF
his sister and himself thus inspiring
him to an act next described. Com
ing upon the Count one day while he
was hunting with a party in the very
forest where Antonia had been so
heartlessly deserted, Frederick boldly
saluted the appalled, nob'eman rs bis
father and demanded parental iecog-
milton. In moment a brotter of
Won Apporig had cut the presump-
tuous claimant across the face with q
hunting.wbip, and in another Instant
| a n, m ahot from Tho inf,,rofod voupor