Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-08-01
pointing to a little form moving uneasily on the

face. purple and distorted WIN VIII eyes ano
limbs rigid with suffering, lay before me.
when did this happen?" asked WITH snak-
| Ing voice, Selling with grip like iron the arm
of the nursenaid LOttchen.
1.-THE Holy Mother forgive me" the girl began,
| ''for the five short minutes that / dozed! aus
young lordship was sleeping IKE 6ne ., sne
U %santh ms saints aHts DEFEND met the
White Lady aisapeearng in the darkness My
voice was gone with fright or l snouI4 nave
screamed. AS the life came back to me looked
at the bed and saw the awful change that naa
come over the young master. Oh Frauiein, am
I TO blame because the White Lady stole away
the i and beauty In hes dean naroxvs Of
grief, and could understand no more OF ner
lnGoherent EXPLANATIONS.
! That it seemed as If my senses were leaving me.
Every possible remedy had been tried for the
db Pg 1s
scene. I inquired Where she was; but no one
| whom servants had been dispatched IN all
/ directions could arrive the baby had breathed
his last One could not help feeling Of relief
mat MS sufferings were over, and no one seemed
aDie TO realize fully the great loss that the ducal
| mousse had sustained.
oaineu and unable to account for the sudden
ana and fatal turn of the chid's apparently slight
deathiy kiss wa; firm My believed lev in by the
servants, and among the more responsible
| members of the household it seemed to gain
| credence.
The whole occurrence seemed to me mon
sIIous ana impossible, and half believed 1t all
horrible dream, but there was the dead child
| 9eiore me-a sad reality. Late in the afternoon
had stolen In unknown to every one and stood
before the bed where he lay. AS looked at the
quiet, rigid form, the conviction seized me with
! strange force that this child was not the
| heir OF Beroldsten-treachery might SO easily
| ural influence.
! The little face, marked and drawn as if from
q onrn, gave no idea of how the child had
| ana the light curling hair was like Roderics,
put still my eyes were dry, and could not
/ mourn over this mysterious changeling. Some
| lining within me rebelled against the mOckery
| OF the ducal coronet and rich lace adjoining the
death6ed OF poor little stranger
told no one my SuSpicions--I had, alas, no
prool-and to lull my excitement went out
into the gathering darkness, paying little heed
tU ane distance star walked At last feeling
| was about to return when saw a light glim-
| merlng from a cottage window within a few
steps from where stood. l was surprised to
find house in that lonely spot, for had been
told that that portion OF the moorlands was too
| low lying and barren for human habitation As
Ihe idea OF short rest was not unwelcome I
looked through the thinly curtained window,
and saw that tall, dark woman bending over
| q steam1ng saucepan on the stove and little
child In ragged clothes making friends with a
shaggy dog were the only occupants of the
| room.
| was about to make my arrival known when
second look at the child whose face was
turned fnll towards the window, made me
| pause suddenly Was dreaming or were those
really little Roderic's blue eyes looking up with
the frank wide-open gaze that knew so well?
I The soft golden curls had been cut Oft. and the
! coarse rustic clothes were good disguise but
knew my young charge too well to be deceived.
Like mad woman, flew over the long dark
road 10 the SchOss. 1t was not safe to let my
| investigation go farther alone: SO l seized on
! the first servants found-Max, the coachman,
| and the maid Lisette, whom had befriended-
and, giving them "A hurried account OF what
| mad Seen led them back to the lonely cottage
| we made our way in unceremonously
enough. At the first glance the room seemed
vacant, and my heart sank; but the ne 1t mo-
ment we discovered the baby asleep upon pill
low IN a dark corner. The man gathered up
| the little bundle and bore it to the light the
| baby awoie and looked with sleepy, hazy eyes
at the disturber of his rest. Even then saw
| Could be mistaken? The thought was misery.
But, becoming fully aroused, the little child
sat up and held out his arms to me, claiming in
baby language an old friend.
1T Is our young master-I have no longer any
doubt! the man said, instnctively raising his
| hat.
Look for the mark of the dogs bite on his
knee, to make sure, put i'll Lisette, trembling
| with excitement.
| l had not thought of this before, and was
thankful for the girls suggestion. AS l eX-
pected, we found the three little prints made
by the dogs teeth in the baby's tender flesh.
| AT this additional proof of my darling's iden-
nty fell upon my knees and sObhed for pure
| delight, thanking from the depths of my heart
| the mysterious Providence that had directed
my steps to the desolate cottage.
At that moment the woman whom had seen
on my first visit entered the room, ana the
| us / shall never forget.
"what-who,'' She began confusedly; but
ave have come to relieve You OF the care of
this child; he is needed at the Castle, where he
| belongs"
Putting the little boy into my willing arms,
| he whispered few words to me to the effect
| that was to go back with all speed and send
Two or three men to relieve his guard over the
4
An hour fater the Schloss Beroldsten was the
scene OF the greatest excitement. The news
| neighborhood that the young Duke had been
restored from the dead dressed little Roderic
II, II, ms own clothes, gave him his toys on the
mother to look at the pretty picture. | shall
not attempt to describe how the house OF
mourning changed to one OF rejoicing. AT last
but striking proof that the young heir had re-
/ turned was the unfeigned delight with which
little Amalie welcomed back her brother.
The dark woman of the cottage was put I'M
der arrest, and with very little hesitation made
Z statement to the following effect: She, Anna
TTeitschier, had come some weeks before from
Thuringia to Berodstein with the lady known
| as Nine. Elizabeth. She had brought with her
her little boy, one year old-a pretty child
when in health. fair and blue-eyed, but at that
! time much disfigured by illness. The doctor
| had said that the child was too i'll to travel.
| that he might die any day, and she Anna. had
not wished to make the journey; but Mime
| Elizabeth mad given her large sum of money,
chld; ana she, being a poor widow had not
| been able to resist the offer. She was required
| to give promise to live alone in the cottage
| that Mime. Elizabeth would choose for her and
| to tell no one who she was or whence she came
| She did not know for what reason She had
| been sent for, or what purpose she was
destined to serve; she was only cOntenf
that the promised money was paid her at
| regular intervals The baby grew much
worse and became shocking to look at
with its face like u scarlet mask One nioht
when Anna thought it very near its end MTe
Elizabeth, dressed in white, came alone and on
foot to the cOttage-her second visit there that
day. She seemed very much excited and said
Anna must let her take the child to the Castle
where there was great physician who MIGHT
perhaps cure him. The woman was accustomed
Ia obey, so she wrapped the baby in n blanl,et
and gave him TO her. Nine. Elizabeth came
again that night, very late, still holding some
thing in her arms. They could not cure yOur
baby-he is Dead she said, "but have brOIlght
you this child in his place" And she laid i'm
Anna'S arms a little boy not unlike the one she
had taken away. Nine Elizabeth then gave her
an astOnishingly large sum of money, and told
her that she was to prepare TO go with the child
back to Thuringia as soon as possible. there 10
rear him as her own, and She made her promise
never TO tell Il soul OF the exchange that had
wrong she Was doing; She had only biindIy
her completely in her power.
It was proved beyond a doubt that Nine
Elizabeth, disguised as "a ghost had stolen
away the young heir OF BeroIdstein with the in
tent to secure the succession q son ,.ri,,,,