The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-12-13

So saying, he made his way up to the
staircase, and knocked at door which was
at the top Of it. The door opened noise
lessly, as though by an unseen hand, and
admitted him into long corridor, lighted
and adorned with white marble statues.
From this Eo passed into a suite Of rooms
hung with tapestry, and strewn with freshly
laid rushes, with few carved settles and
chests for furniture. Still hc met no one
Next he came into great hall, on the
walls of which hung number Of antique
portraits, while in the centre Of the apart
ment was table spread as il for supper.
"This is very curious" said Kurt to
himself "Where can the family be gone
to? However, one comfort is, they've
got something to eat | think I'll wait
here and give them the chance Of inviting
me-"
So saying, he sat quietly down at one
end of the table, which was laid for two
persons. Scarcely had he done so when
the door Of the room opened noiselessly,
and lady, young and beautiful, but with
somewhat sad and pale face, entered the
room.
Kurt rose and ut once began TO make
apologies for his unwarrantable intrusion.
The lady waved a white hand toward him
and bade him be seated. "Say no more, -
she said, in a sweet, sad voice. ~ ex-
pected you"
There was evidently some mistake here,
thought Kurt, but as the mistake seemed
to mean good supper, he was not unwil.
ling to fall into it, He at once took a
seat at the table, aud the lady took hers
opposite him.
She was certainly very beautiful, he
thought, as he looked again at her over
the brimmiug wine-cup. The wine, too,
was excellent; so was the whole repast-
at which the lady waited upon him with
her own fair hands-the only popularity
about it being that neither bread nor salt
was to be found on the table, but Kurt
Won Stein was too much Of gentleman to
notice the omission, though he certainly
enjoyed his supper the less by reason Of
their absence.
At length the young man ventured to
ask one or two questions OF his kindly
hostess. "May | inquire" he said, ''are
you, fair lady, the daughter of this house?"
ayes" was the answer, given, as il
seemed, sadly and low.
and your parents 2"
"They are there, said the lady, point
ing to the pictures on the walls.
"Do you mean to say that you live in
this houSe alone? ?" asked Won Stein.
"Alone, returned the lady. 81 am the
last of my race"
Who shall say how it came about2 The
lady was beautiful, the man was young.
10 such cases love ia sometimes found to
be plant that does not take long in grow
ing. Moreover, Won Stein, though noble,
was poor and the lady the last of her race,
the heiress of an ancient lineage. Posi-.
bly, the notion Of the Inheritance the lonely
girl might bring with her had some part
in the sudden passion which filed the young
mans heart. Who can tell?
1t was not long before he found himself
kneeling at her feet and offering the beau
tiful maiden all he had to offer-his deyo.
tion aud his life.
The lady listened silently and with
bowed head to his ardent pleading. Then
she said, looking up, but away from him,
aud speaking absently 81 have heard
those words before"
"But never from lips SO true, so honest,
so disinterested," said the young man
warmly, forgetting in his fascination for
the beautiful lady how he had certainly
taken her inheritance into account in the
first place.
The lady sighed and was silent.
Then she spoke ;--"If yield to your
wishes, We must be married at once"
"At once !" cried Won Stein, perhaps a
little startled. Yet what lover ever found
the time between betrothal and marriage
too short "I am ready" he said, gal.
lantly, Impatient"
The lady smiled, moved softly away to
an old worm eaten chest which was set
against the wall, took from it two rings,
and white veil, and crown Of myrtle,
which she laid upon her dark flowing hair,
Her dress was white.
"Come," she said to her lover, and led
the way.
A little bewildered, after the fashion Of
bridegrooms in general, and scarcely know.
ing whether to be happy or alarmed, the
young man followed his bride through, as
it seemed to him, miles of dimly lighted
vaulted passages, where the damp was
trickling down the walls, and where uu-
thought-of steps, up aud down, were ready
at every moment to trip up tho unwary
passer. The lady, however, seemed to be
well acquainted with every turn and twist
Of the places, and giving her hand to her
lover, she led him on step by step until at
length they reached vaultcd chamber,
which they had no sooner entered than a
great iron door shut heavily behind them,
with sound that echoed through every
arch of the dimly lighted building.
1t was the chapel.
aYour hand is cold, my love, said tho
young man, tenderly, to his bride
"No matter; yours has warmth and life
enough for both, returned the lady.
Yet the life seemed actually to ebb from
the young mans heart as he observed the
stone figure Of bishop, which was sculp-
tured on grave-stone in the centre Of the
chapel, gradually rise from its recumbent
position and walk up the steps of the altar.
The eyes Of the bishop famed like glow.
worms, the candles upon the altar lighted
of themselves, aud the tones of au organ
rolled solemnly through the vaulted build
ing
"Kurt Won Stein, wilt thou take the
Lady Of Windeck for thy lawful wife;
said the bishop, IN low, sepulchral tones,
which sounded as though not he, but some
muffled voice a dozen yards away, we're
speaking.
At this moment the whole horror Of tho
scene seemed to break upon the young
man, Around him, slowly rising from
their graves he saw the shrouded forms
and fieshless faces Of the dead, who came
as witnesses to the ghostly marriage.
Even the face of his bride as his facinated
eyes fixed upon it, wore the liyid hue of
death. He turned In an agony TO fly
from the horrible scene, tried to snatch his
hand from the cold, hard grip Of the phan-
tom.lady, fell, ss he believed, senseless
II A d