St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-10


was turned full towards the window. made
me pause suddenly. Was i dreaming or
were those really little ROderic's blue eyes
looking up with the frank wide-open gaze
that l knew so well? The soft golden curls
had been cut OF. and the coarse rustic
clothes were a good disguise. but / knew
my young charge too well to be deceived
Like mad woman, few over the long
dark road 10 the SchlOss. 1t was not safe
to let my investigation 90 farther alone; so
l seized upon the first servants / found
Max, the coachman, and the maid Lisette,
whom had Northumberland giving them
hurried account of what L had seen, led
them back to the cottage.
We made our way in unceremoniously
enough. AT the first glance the room
seemed vacant and my heart sank; but
the next moment we discovered the baby
asleep upon pillow in a dark corner. The
man gathered up the little bundle and bore
it TO the light; the baby awoke and looked
with sleepy, haZy eyes at the disturber OF
Of his rest. Even then ] saw no look Of
recognition on the servants faces. Could l
be mistaken? The thought was misery.
But, becoming fully aroused, the little
child sat up and held out his arms 10 me,
claiming in baby language an old friend
at is our young master-I have no
longer any doubtw the man said, instinct
lively raising his hat.
Look for the mark of the dogs bite on
his knee. to make sure" put I'm LiSette,
trembling with excitement.
had not thought of this before and was
thankful for the girls suggestion. AS 1
expected, we found the three little prints
made by the dogs teeth in the baoy's tender
flesh. AT this additional proof of my darl-
ings identity fell upon my knees and
sobbed for pure delight, thanking from the
depths of my heart the mysterious prOyi-
dence that had directed my steps to the des-
olate cottage.
AT that moment the woman whom | had
seen on my first visit entered the room, and
the look of terror that came over her face
at seeing us l shall never for5et.
''What-whO," she began confusedly,
but Max interrupted her by saying coolly:
1--WE 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 l was TO go back with all speed
and send two or three men to relieve his
guard over the suspicious premises.
An hour later the SchlOss Beroldstein
was the scene of the greatest excitement.
The news spread like wild6re throughout
the whole neighbOrhOOd that the young
duke had been restored from the dead. l
dressed little Roderic in bis own clothes,
gave him his toys on the hearthrug and
then brought his grief stricken mother to
look at the pretty picture. l shall not at
tempt to describe how the house of mourn
ing changed TO one of rejoicing. At last
but striking proof that the young heir had
returned was the unfeigned delight with
which little Amalie welcomed back her
brother.
The dark woman of the cottage was put
under arrest. and with very little hesitation
made statement to the following effect:
She, Anna Freitschler. had come some
weeks before from Thuringia to Beroldstein
with the lady known as Nine. Elizabeth.
She had brought with her her little boy, /
year old-a pretty child when i'm health,
fair and blue-eyed, but at that time much
dishgured 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 had given her a large sum of
money, with promise of more if she would
bring the child; and she, being a poor
widow, had not been able 10 resist the Offer
She was required to give a promise 10 live
alone in the cottage that Mme 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 content 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 a scarlet mask One
night when Anna thought il very near its
end, Nine 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 accus-
toned TO obey, so she wrapped the baby in
a blanket and gave him to her. Nine.
Elizabeth came again that night, very
late, still holding something in her
arms. They could not cure your baby
he is dead, she said, but have brought
you this child in his place" And she laid
in Annals arms 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 TO rear him as her
own, and she made her promise never to
tell soul of the exchange that had been
made. Anna had no idea of the great
wrong she was doing; she had only blindly
obeyed every order of the mistress who had
her completely in her power:
1t was proved beyond doubt that Mime.
Elizabeth, disguised as "a ghost, had sto-
len away the young heir of Beroldstein with
the intent to secure the succession of her
son, a crime deserving bitter expiration.
But worse punishment than the law could
infiict awaited the miserable woman-she
became permanently insane, and in the asy-
lum where she was kept it was said that
her mental sufferings were terrible.
For my efforts in restoring little Roderic
to his ancestral home received a recogni-
ton from the duchess which made my I'M
ion with Charlie possible, without fear of
want in the future.