The Osceola times., 1881-12-10
THE BARONESS JEWEL BOX.

The Err valley. Her castle near Somlyo
was the finest specimen of great resi-
dence in all that shadow Of the Ermel-
lex, and she, Roumanian by birth, and
a Hungarian by marriage, seemed to
unite all the brilliant characteristics OF
both these picturesque races.
She was widow to begin with, and
since the animal, man, has speculated
upon the varieties of the angel, woman
widow has been pronounced the mos
amiable of the species. She was very
beautiful, tall, blue. eyed, blsck-haired,
piquant, red and white, with the most
scornful little mouth. and the most deli
cate profile; her hand and foot were
models, ,althoulh the latter was frequent
ly stamped when she was not pleased
She was-in the third and last place, as
the preachers say-very rich, and had
fallen heiress TO two collections of jew
els which were almost fabulously vslu-
able. A brilliant creature. the baroness.
She owned villages and vineyards, and
made large income every year from
her sale of ruster, a wine of a pale gold
en- hue, which had as full and peculiar
flavor as she had herself. The baron
ess sent her wine to Vienna, where it
was considered almost equal to Tokay.
OF course she had suitors, the beautiful,
sharp baroness, They came from Tran
svlyania and Russia, from Roumania
and all Hungary, from Austria and from
the German principalities, and as for
the unlucky wretches about Puspoki,
and the Behar settlement, and the coun-
try gentlemen of Erdiozegh, they knclt
and worshiped in vain SIS she dashed
past them on her fleet thoroughbred, for
she was Diana, as a huntress, and the
queen of the amazons; also her black
horse Tetenyer was said to emit fire
from his nostrils when he stopped to
breathe.
This grand lady was afraid of nobody,
loved nobody, had no friends save the
nuns at the foot OF the Rec Gebirge and
one old priest who seemed 10 be deeply
in her confidence. Every year she
made grand visit somewhere-Vienna,
Paris, Rome, London or st. Petersburg.
She spent money like water, made
everybody talk. wonder ana admire.
and her splendid jewels were the envy
f all the court aides.
Yes, shewas afraid of one man, and
that was her stewart. Neusiedler, he
wno tor years had managed her vast es-
ta,ts, her vineyards and her wheatflelds,
er fields and fisheries.
Neusiedler was a croughlng, cross
eyed, meant looking man. married to a
bold, achieved, large-nosed woman,
who was twice bis size, and who lived
IN TIE villgee, near the castle, and who
spent her time envying and hating the
haronncss. Madume Pasteur, the French
companion, and Matllde, the French
maid, who never left the baroness,
thought that Neusiedler and his vile
had the evil eye, and that they would
some day wilt the baroness. But Ruka.
vina Eltz laughed at this fear, and kept
on her course exultant. Still when the
yearly payday came round, and she bad
to look over accounts with Neusledler,
she did show what she never had shown
before-fear.
Among her Jewels was splendid
rope of pesI.colored pearls, the rarest
thing in the whole world, neither Dlick
nor white, but pearl color. with three
lreat emerald pendants, each as large
rs a small pear. The emperor always
noticed this jewel with smile an a
compliment when the Baronness Ruka-
yina Eltz went to court ball at Vienna.
tie told ner that the empress had moth
ny half as handsome, and it is to be
feared that the emperor spoke also Of
he white neck on which the necklace
rested, tor Rukavinl Ellz was ant to
blush and look magnidceutIy well at
such moments. Then she had great
chains Of sapphires as blue as her ewes
and some big rubes which the baron
bad given her Che old baron. twice her
age, who went down into Rlumania for
h,r when she was fifteen and she had
diamonds, OF course-every rich lady
has diamonds-and a grand boxfnl oI
engraved amethvsls and antique gems
| Some, that Cardinal AntonellI gave har
| ~ Rome, for he. too, bad admired the
| Wild baroness.
Indeed, If the Baroness Rukaving
Ellz had ever written her l1emoirs what
story she could have toldl But tn,
end of every woman's history is that sh,
finally falls in love; and such was tn,
beginning of the end of the story o
Rukavina Eltz. She went TO England
one summer, and there was younl
Lord Ronald Somerset, or Lord Georg
Leyeson Montague, or Young Lor,
Howard Plantagenet (they mix them al
so, these English words, they are no
half so individual as our Hungarian
namesl, who could ride better thai
she could. This was dreadful bloy
To the baroness, and she wished heIsel
dead.
But when at dinner the soft-voiced
handsome, tall yonre EnGhshmar. 81
Lyster Howard Llsltr (lhat was hi
name afler ally sat next to her and talk
I'd so well aud so complimentary TO he
eat. cross country, and noticed tn
pcarl-crlof.d pearls. and the emeralds
with his lips, and the neck with hi
,y"s, Rukaviua Eliz forgave him an
began to talk of her home near SomiyC
iud il ended in large English part,
coming to the Ervaley, under tn,
haiow # The Er Mellek, for lon
,ummer visit And how they rave,
J bout sv'rytl ing the wine, the horses
the scenery, the wild, barbaric splendo
oi the baroness housekeeping, and how
hey all bated Neusiedler, and his bis
hack-hrowed wife, who were invite,
~ q the balls.
A - l. l.