Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-03-02
IN IHE BLACK FOREST.

| III the midst Ol the Dlhch rOrest III beE
many, lies hidden the picturesque village o
Zorltz.
The principal building in the village is tn,
little wooden Lutheran church. the onl,
house OF worship.
The pastor OF this church, year or two
ago, was Herr Brocken, or Father Brocken
as he was afiectionately called by his people
He was a kindly supplemented man.
Here he had dwelt twenty years. the father
the pastor and guide of his simple people
here his wife had recently died; and here he
hoped to be buried. He was chldless. his
family consisting of an old housekeeper and
young girl known as his niece.
This niece of the pastor was the idol OF
the good people of Zorlitz. She tended the
peasants in their illnesses; she visited the
quaint old houses like sunbeam, bringing
with her always warmth and sunshine.
Ono afternoon i'll June, at the time We have
indicated, our heroine, after making q call
upon a sick old woman, began the ascent OF
the steep hill in the direction Of the parson-
age. When halfway up the slope. she turn
ed aside into the woods. pursuing a shaded
path at an easy pace, swinging her broad
brimmed hat by ITS ribbons from her arm,
and carolling a German song in Il sweet voice
that reused the birds to emulation.
She was about seventeen years of age, tall,
slim, and graceful, with a beauty unmistaka-
bly, English, and yet more unmistakably
patrician.
This girl, with her wonderful beauty,
which would have made sensation in the
| queens drawing room, with her exquisite re-
finement of looks and manner that declared
her gentle birth and breeding, possessed a
| grandly generous nature, warm heart and
| impulsive temperament, and. withal, per-
| sonal magnetism that attracted every one to
| her.
She had been thoroughly well educated,
the good pastor and his wife having gloried
in her keen intellect, and iii her thirst for
knowledge They had taught her various
| languages, music, for which she had posi-
tive genius. drawing and painting. and vari-
Gus feminine arts but her accomplishments
were among the least of her charms.
The path along which she was walking
came out upon spring, whose clear pool
was shadowed by bending trees. This was a
favoiite resort OF the young girl, and she sat
down upon the green bank, the song dying
on her lips, and a strange gravity over
spreading her face.
''Oh, dear" She said. sighing; Il am SO
tired of this dear, stupid old Zorlitz. l wish
that could see something of the world out
side. l have read of the great towns, of diff
ferent peoples, of life beside which ours is
stagnation. | am growing discontented.
Must ! live here all my life, and die. and be
buried here, knowing nothing of any better
existence? If it,were not for leaving uncle
I'd beg to be allowed to go somewhere as
governess. But | can't leave him, and he
will never leave Zorlitz. And yet I'd give
half my remaining life for change-if
might only 60 somewhere and see something
of the world"
Did some mischievous spirit hear her COM
plant and resolve to grant her wish? For
change in her life was close at hand-a
change greater than even her vivid imagina-
ton would have dared conceive That very
hour was the last she would ever know of
commonplace existence. Perhaps it was as
well that she could not read the strange fu-
ture before her, else she might have shrunk
from it in terror and misgiving. preierring
the safe shelter of the Zorlitz parsonage in
the depths of the Black Forest to the whirl-
ing vortex, the perils and troubles lying in
wait for her in the great world outside"
She was still musing dscontentedly when a
sudden rifle shot rang out sharply upon the
air-a deer went flying past and stinging
pain in the girls left arm sent thrill of
iaintness quivering through her.
low cry escaped her as she realized that
she had been shot That cry WAS echoed
from the Mortified lips of two huntsmen, who
bounded into the glade, and halted abruptly
at the sight of her.
"By Jove" cried one, speaking in the
English language. "A perfect Diana, Glen
ham And you've shot her"
The other raised his hand in an imperious
gesture, commanding silence, and advanced
towards tine fainting girl, his countenance
still wearing an expression of horror, in
which were now mingled deep pity and
keen remorsefulness.
The girl had tainted quite away by the |
time be had reached her. Flinging down his
unlucky rifle, the young man devoted him. |
self to her recovery with peculiar gentleness
and reverence, and with m assiduity that |
speedily recalled her to consciousness. She |
opened her eyes upon the strangers, blushed |
vividly, and nrose unsteadily TO, her feet, re-
treating few PAGES.
"a perfect little queen| criel the gentle |
man who had before spoken. who would |
have dreamed of finding such a magnificent |
little beauty in this wilderness / say, Glen |
ham" |
The girls pale face flushed scarlet.
Pardon, she said, speaking in English, |
with an accent as pure as that of the gentle |
man, "but understand English"
The two young men were, for the moment, |
covered with confusion. Then the one who |
Dttu Culltu bltuuhul huuttbbtu
to the young lady, avowed himself the auth |
or OF her injury, lamented his own awkward |
ness, and begged to be permitted to examine |
her arm TO ascertain the extent Of her wound, |
and to endeavor to alleviate her suffering.
His evident sorrow, his chivalric courtesy, |
impressed the girl, who quietly gave assent. |
and permitted him TO examine her arm.
My friend, in his chagrin at his awkward |
ness, has forgotten to introduce himself"
said the gentleman who had first spoken. |
Permit me to remedy this deficiency. He |
is Gordon, Earl of Glenham, of Yorkshire, |
England. And have the honor to be his |
very good friend. Maldred Grafton. We |
came on an exploring and hunting erIedi- |
ton to these wilds, little expecting to find |
here country-woman."
The young lady acknowledged the intro |
ductions with a bow, and responded
Il fear that cannot lay claim to the same |
nationality with yourself. | am Cecil Rosse, |
the niece of Herr Broken. the Lutheran |
pastor OF Zorlitz."
To the girl, reared in that secluded region,
seeing, besides her aged relative, only the |
rude peasants of ZorlitZ, young Lord Glen |
ham appeared a zery demi-god.
He was strikingly handsome, with dis |
tinguished presence. He was about twenty |
eight years of age. yet he retained a youth |
tul freshness of feeling, was chivalrous and
noble in the highest degree, and was not only
unmarried but he had never loved.
His companion, Maldred Grafton, was his
intimate friend and distant relative, who
possessed n small fortune, was about thirty
years of age, and also unmarried The init
macy between the two men was inerplicaba,
for never were two persons more unlike then
Lord Glenham and Maldred Grafton. His
lordship was too noble and unsuspicious to
discern the real nature Of his kinsmsn which
was sly and scheming. intensely avaricious
and utterly INSCRIPTIONS. Yet Crafton's eI-
terror was plausible and insinuating; he was
singularly gentle in his manners; and his
black eyes and swarthy features had been too
well trained to reveal the secrets of his soul.
Cecil Rosse was not sufficiently skilled IN
physiognomy TO read the characters of these
two men. She only knew that she liked
Lord Glenham, and with her liking came an
instructive faith in him As for Grafton, she
felt for him singular distrust and an aversion
that was destined to grow md strengthen
into stronger emotion.
An increased pallor and sudden compress
sion of perfect lips brought Lord Glenham
hastily to her assistance Her wound was
but slight, and when Lord Glenham had
completed his small attempt at surgery, and
the wounded arm had been well bandaged,
Cecil Rosse thanked him courteously and
ayowed her intention of hastenIng home.
I'VE will accompany you, Miss Rosse.
said the earl mo, do not refuse. You are
not able to go alone. Lean upon me-else |
shall think that you have not forgiven me !'
Cecil took his arm and led the way by. the
forest path in the direction Of her home. A
minutes walk brought them out upon tho
steep village street and very near the par
sonage As they entered the little garden
gate, the old housekeeper. Gretchen, came
out to meet them with loud expressions OF
alarm ut the evident weakness Of her young
mistress. She fairly worshipped the pastors
niece, aud Cecil forced smile and disengag
ed her arm from its support as she said:
Hush, Gretchen, you will alarm my uncle
! am not seriously hurt"
She hastened to explain the recent acci-
dent, and then invited her companions to ell
ter the house.
Not now," answered Lord Glenham.
"But we will avail ourselves of your kind IN