Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-05-24
TINE STEWARDS sroRY.
rhe Mystery Of a German Castle
Solved by a Child.
Two Tales Of Feudal Times Which Enrich
the Memories Of the Natives Of the
Harz Mountains---A Noble
Lord and His Un-
faithful Wife.

COem 10 those VINO know now 70 Search ltS
pages" The unwritten history Of German
amily traditions, and her folk lore can be
pest learned, and only wei learned, by
constant communication with Germans IN
All grades of society. An artist student
once journeyed through Germany in search
Of subjects for his canvas. In the recess OF
he mountains he gave to the HSrz q
mythology and tradition peculiarly It's own,
ne CHANGED upon o castle, isolated, and
covering high mp upon . mighty crsg.
Its approaches were overgroWn with
grass. No signs of life were any
wkere to be seen. Weary and footsore, he
sought lodging for the night and knocked
loud and long At the postern gate. A man
in middle age answered the summons, and
upon learning the desire of the painter, he
kindly extended such hospitahties as he
could. The natural beauty OF the situation,
the romantic castle and the changing effects
f, of hight and shade that played upon the
mountain side, charmed the artistic eye, and
the stay of q night was prolonged into
weeks The picture grew under the touch
Of genius. The family consisted OF man,
his wife and three children. One day at
dinner the artist incidentally made some in
uuiries as to the history of the castle, who
founded it and to what knight 1t then be-
longed.
Among the children Of the Steward was
one, u boy, who was always accompanied BY
3 large cat. One day said the little chap to
his father: "Oh, father, i have found such 3
nice place to hide, where the boys can't find
me, when we play hide and seek Where
is IL my SOM "0h, in the chapel behind
the bsngings of the altar" but the father
thought no more Of it.
Not long thereafter the child disappeared,
and every endeayor to End him failed. The
chapel was searched, but he was not there
One day the cat appeared at the house, and
tied around its neck was the crayst OF the
missing child. The Cat was fed and 1t then
disappeared so rapidly that no one was able
to follow. The second day it came again,
and this time with q handkerchief around
its neck. A mountsineer followed closely
behind it, while it crswled up steep and
seemingly inaccessible crsg and then dis
appeared. The hunter found at last
small hole on the other side fthe crag, and
putting his mouth close to it called IN
loud voice. A feeble response came back
Ropes were quickly brought and the man
was lowered and the boy rescued from wha
/, the hunter declared was q coal black cav
EN-.
The Stewards story.
Zone hundred and twenty years ago,
said The Steward. the Lord Of the castle
was welded to q countess whose beauty was
celebrated throughout the length and
breadth of the land. The courtyard wa
filed with courtiers and the festivities were
prolonged to q late hour The bride went
to her room to change her apparel before
setting out upon the accustomed journey
An hour or more having elapsed and no
one having seen the mistress, 9 maid was
sent 10 summon her, as the husband grew
impatient. Frequent knocks upon the
door failed to ehcit any response, 80 1t was
forced open. The room was empty and
there was no evidence of change Of toilet or
of struggle. All through the night and for
many weeks after, dihgent search was made,
but rothing was ever discovered, not sign
or a trace. The Knight grew old and
finally died. In his will he left his entire
fortune. his castle and his estates to whom
soever should find any trace Of the lost wife.
The fostune has now accumulated to an
immense amount. Nv ancestry have al
ways held the position of steward, and so oy
right it descended to me"
The Boys story.
The excitement and the strain threw the
child iuto a violent fever. During bis raw.
ings he frequently alluded to skeleton all
dressed in white silk, sitting upon stone
with chains around her. When recovery
was fully established, the boy told the fol
lowing story: During game of hide and
seek he went 10 his accustomed hiding
place behind the drspery of the al.er. For
the first time he saw what be supposed to
be a yellow button, ands stopping down,
tried 10 raise 1t. Suddenly he felt himself
falling. falling, until all consciousness Left
him. He was called back to life by feeling
! the cat csressing his face and tapping up
the blood from his many wounds. Right
in front of him sat q skeleton all clad IN
white, and around her were many chains.
A ray of light seemed to come from
a distance, and to this he crawled.
The cat found her way to the top and was
thus the means Of rescuing him. The neigh.
bors went to she chapel and there found
everything as described by the child. The
yellow button upon being pressed threw
WIDE open the floor by the altar and revealed
q dark abyss. This was explored with
lights, and there sat the skeleton surrounded
with chains and bones and skulls There
was no doubt Of the Identification. The
lopg-lost countess Was found, and by the
terms Of the will the boy became the heir
1t seems that In former DAYS this castle,
which still stands, was hiding place and
stronghold OF robbers, and this continuance
was device for quietly getting rid OF OBJ
noxious persons. The Countess had prob.
ably gone to the chapel to say q parting
PRAYER and, not knowing OF the spring, had
pressed it with her knee. In this terrible
loneliness she persisted from starvation.
Not fer from the Schloss stands another
of equal celebrity, of which INLAND has very
sweetly sung. On q certain night noble
knight sought refuge aud hospitality here,
and was graciously received and entertained.
At the supper table, while his host was ply
ing him with wine, q lady dressed in black
came quietly into the room and sat down at
the table. At sign from her two maids
brought in q modest repast and the top OF 3
human skull partly filed with water. This
she drank, and, having eaten, withdrew
without once opening her lips in converse
ton. The visitor sought an explanation
I from his host What was the meaning Of
this beautiful, silent lsdya
Il Another Castle Mystery.
II Beautiful she was, beautiful she is, !"
said the lord of the castle, "snd time was
when all my earthly happiness conferred in
her. trusted her above al human kind.
Nv cup of contentment was full, and re-
ioiced in believing myself loved quite as
ardently as l myself loved her. 10 this
castle was q youth of noble heritage whom
had educated and who acted as my esquire.
One day 1 returned Unexpectedly to the
castle from q neighboring town, and found
my wife in the embrace OF my esquire. She
begged me to kill her with the same sword
with which had Just killed her lover, say
ing she would kiss the steel which would De