The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-09-03

we went briskly down the avenue lady
richly dressed in black velvet and sable
met and stopped our little cavaicaie. L
/ wondered who this GrdRde dame could be
vino preferred lonely walk in the deserted
| avenues to drive in luxurious carriage
| with good company.
II must pay nv respects to the young
Duke" she said pleasantly.
She took Roderic's hand in hers and
I looked at him long and intently, but not
with the expression that his rosy cheeks
and bright blue eyes ought to have
| awakened in the face of woman.
| Her look was more as if she bore
the innocent little fellow malice, and
when he pointed with delight to the
lions heads in dead gold which fastene ed
| her mantle, she drew away impatlently.
! After asking a few questions about Roder-
| les health and mental development, which
| | was proud to answer with glowing praise,
| she resumed her walk with stiff adieu TO
me and not a word or look for little Amalie,
who, aided by her brother, threw most
| affectionate kisses from her mittened fin
gers after the retreating figure.
| felt a sudden unconquerable dislike TO
| this woman; she was tall, stately and
beautiful in a statuesque, heartiess way,
| but knew there was no more tenderness
| in her than there was blood in her velvety,
cream-like complexion.
"Who is that LADY," asked of the foot
man, when she was out of hearing.
"Mme. Elizabeth of Beroldstein, the
wife of the late Dukes younger brother.
| She would be Duchess now if it were not
for this little man'-gently touching Rod
cries curly hair. "They say her mind is
sometimes astray, and l believe the gos-
| sips are right"
In feature, carriage and gesture she was
| much more the high born dame than was
| the amiable mother of the two children in
| my charge, and it seemed afterwards to
L y Ii
! against the fate that had not elevated her
! to the place which she would have adorned
| so well.
''Has Nine. Elizabeth any children?" l
asked.
Eyes, two boys; but they can not be
| Dukes of BerOldstein unless misfortune
| OvertalIes nv young master, which Heaven
reconciled to the fact that her husband is
only the second SON."
The dislike had conceived for the new
conner only increased on nearer acquaint-
ance; she had come for a visit o. some
weeks, perhaps months to the castle, and [
| noticed that without exception the Older
servants of the place either spoke i'll of her
| or never mentioned her name.
| ",She is one Of the beautiful demons that
one hears about in the stories of my cOun-
try" remarked Frau Brenner with shake
of her head. "But one should not judge
her too hastily; she lived all her youth in
! a lonely part of Russia, with no mother to
guide her and under the influence of IA
ther who was none to sanity"
| Shortly after this my attention was taken
up by an event much more interesting so
me than the intrigues OF the Won Berold-
stein family. Charlie, my lOver-bless his
faithful heart had by dint of persistent
search obtained a position in Il bank at
Trier, a trifiing distance by rail from Be-
roldstein, and hal installed himself in that
town. The delightful knowledge of a true
friend and protector being near at hand
| gave the world a wonderful brightness for
me and even little Amalie began baby az
tempt at repeating the simple home tunes
which from sheer lightness of heart l sang
in her ears all day.
| To see each other again was happiness
! enough for Charlie and me, and we found
no time during our brief meetings to mourn
| that the prospect of our beginning life to-
gether was still in the dim future. had Il
| most trustworthy messenger for my inIO-
cent communications to Charlie in the per-
son OF an AlsatiOn nursemaid, Lisette by
| name, who declared herself ready and
| anxious to serve me by every means in her
power. Her attachment dated from an Oc-
| casion when | had shielded her from a
| we're reDrimand She had careleSSlV al
lowed little ROderic to play with dog
known to be fierce, and the little fellow
had been bitten just below the knee-only
a slight wound, but enough perhaps to
cause the girls dismissal if discovered.
| With little forethought l arranged to
dress and undress Roderic for few days
| so that the wound would not be noticed,
and neither Lisette nor | ever called at
| tentiOn to the three little scars left on the
| bahv's round white leg. LiSetSe repaid
me- by accounting most ingeniously for my
brief absences with Charlie.
Little Roderic had been slightly i'll with
some childish malady, and for a few nights
! l had slept beside his bed, until, at the ur-
| gent request OF Nine. Elizabeth, [ went TO
| take undisturbed rest in my own room. [
wondered at her sOlicitude, for she was
| usually selfshly Indifferent with respect
| TO the comfort Of others. Rather unwil
lin yly | resigned my care of Roderic to
| rosv-faced country maiden who promised
to keep vigilant eye on the young Duke.
In the early gray of the following morn
ing | was awakened from a sound sleep
by an uproar in the house, at the taou yht
of which | still shudder. Cries and la
mentations sounded from the children'S
apartments, and, rushing to the spot, saw
the Duchess on her knees before ROieric's
bed, with a group of frightened servants
| gathered near her, the one who had been
left in charge of the baby moaning and
calling on the name of all the saints, her
face ghostlike with terror.
"In Heavens name, what is the matter?"
1 cried.
Look" was all the Duchess could utter,
pointing to little form moving uneasily
on the pillows.
Instead of the beautiful sleeping cherub
that had kissed only few hours before
a terrible face, purple and distorted with
wild eyes, and limbs rigid with suffering,
lay before me.
when did this happen?" l asked, with
| Chol-i Sai1 rrr-irn 10
iron the arm of the nursemaid Lottchen.
"The Holy Mother forgive me-" the girl
began, "for the five short minutes that
dozed! His young lordship was sleeping
like one of the blessed angels or | should
not have given away. As opened my
ewes | glanced towards the door, when
the saints defend mel saw the long
trailing garments and ghostly form of the
White Lady disappearing in the darkness !.
, | My voice was gone with fright or l should
have screamed. As the life came back to
me looked at the bed and saw the awful
master. o, Fraulein, am l to blame be-
cause the White Lady stole away his
health and beauty in her death kiss?
The girl fell upon her knees in n paroXysm
of grief, and l could understand no more
of her incoherent eXclamations.
| The whole scene was so weird and shock
ing that it seemed as if my senses were
leaving me. Every possible remedy had
been tried for the child, who was evidently
diving The whole household had been
| aroused: but Nine. Elizabeth had not vet
appeared on the sorrowful scene. l in
quired where she was; but no ona seemed
to know. Before the physicians for whom
servants hal been dispatched in ali direc-
, tions could arrive the baby had breathed
his last. One could not help a feeling OF
relief that his sufferings were over, and no
one seemed able to realize fully the great
loss that the ducal house had sustained.
The doctors confessed themselves COM
: nletalN haffled and unable to account for