The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-09-18

for that reason caused this room to be
prepared for you tonight" he spoke In
icy, stern tones; she put up her hands as
if to ward off a blow, and bent her head
with faint moan. AFTER our unnatural
duel, my unfortunate brother was carried
in a dying state to the forester's
house close by. My father was
sent for, and learned at the
death-bed the cause of the fatal
quarrel. Standing there, he cursed that
false woman; cursed all who loved her,
and all whom she should love-" The bent
head and stretched out arm Attn window
sank low, and seemed to press heavily on
the arm of the chair. "He poured forth
curses which reused the dying man to
protest. His bandages burst; death was
instantaneous My father died the next
morning. l bought this house, and here
l have lived and shall live to the end of
my days. No detail will escape my mem
DRY if live thousand years. This is the
room to which he was carried, that the
bed on which he lay, this the very night
on which he died"
He paused. There was a solemn, omi-
nous silence in the room. The moon still
shone through the allowed window. The
gratis dark form was deeper IN the shadow
than before. No sound came from the
crouching, motionless mass leaning over
the chair.
"And now, Baronin Ermantrude, are you
satisfied ?" he continued; true you have
suffered. but that is just. Let me remind
you that the result OF those sins, which
our own folly and blindness lead us into,
remains our constant, our nearest COM
panion, till death deliver US from the
burden"
He turned to 90. The baronin never
moved. Whether it was faint touch of
pity, sudden stirring of remorse, or a
vague misgiving which arrested his steps,
he hesitated, came forward few PAGES,
hesitated again, his face working with
conflicting emotions. She was but a
woman after all, and had suffered much.
"Frau Baronin," he said, gently. No
word, no motion in answer to his call.
"Ermantrude! he whispered, hoarsely.
Silence still prevailed. He took one
stride forward and bent over the dropping
figure, lifted her up, and laid her head
back on the cushion.
Just then a silver moonbeam struck
right across the pale, chiseled features,
revealing wide-opened eyes, agonized and
appealing. already fixed with the appall.
ing, terrible stiffness of death itself Err
mantrude, the SHINING, the suffering,
was dead
Rudolph started violently. 1t was not
possible! He seized her hands; they
were icy cold to the touch. He bent his
his head in agony of suspense to listen 10
the faintest heartbeat All was still-in-
tenselv still.
"a three-fold murder!' he muttered;
'my brother, my father, and now my
ErmantrudeW he suddenly shouted. He
/ IL n L L L IL
the cold little hands, laid them against
! his cheek and kissed them; he murmured
broken, unmeaning words of love and en-
dearment. Was it fancy, or did those
fixed, troubled eyes gradually soften into
a quiet calm? Suddenly he came to him
self again. He stood up, passed his hand
over his eyes, looked long and ixedly on
that pallid face, pressed a lingering kiss
on the marble forehead, then swiftly left
the room.
Listen What was that? A slot, loud
and piercing. 1t echoed clearly through
the stiffness of the early dawn, which had
risen fresh and calm after the stormy
night. The sound did not rouse the two
old servants. A few hours later the rays
of the morning sun lightly touched the
rose-sprays hanging over the library win
dow, then shot downward through the
window into the room and lowered over
a STILL lifeless figure that lay stretched out
on the floor, face upward, one hand clutch
ing pistol, the other thrown across the
chest.
3
Heart disease the doctors told Ernst Won
Reichstein was the cause of his mothers
sudden death. BE adored his mother,
and was almost broken-hearted when the
terrible summons reached him. She had
carefully concealed her weakness from
him. but had known it herself for the last
few years. No one could account for the
second death in that house of terror that
night. There were strange rumors about
for months afterward. and the heirs of
the last Crrnf unrn Wildinn Hunnld mt en-