The Columbus journal., 1889-09-25

1 looked up from roe cnserse. nearya. An
old serving man stood In tho doorway. Bow
ing respectfully, he eutered The room and in
. few words solved the mystery Of my strange
reception. On tho very day his master bad
written ms b Wa p~rostrated with . serious
flneo and b VA now In the eighth day,
~struxRiing with the delirtum Of fever. The
doctors Of st. Gilgen declared the case TO b
hopelea. but were in almost constant attend
.nca Ono had Just left the young baron and
h,d said hs would return, - the crisis would
occur that very night
need not say bow this intelligence affect
ed me. determined, Of course, to await the
issue and asked to be shown to Fried-icbs
tmmher. In Q few moments I seood by the
bedside Of my dearest friend and looked
down on q poor, shattered being, with flushed
face, . burning lip and glazed eye. tossing
and raving, whose hand was unconscious OF
my loving pressure, who's ear turned from
my words Of affection. sat beside him Tor
hourR From time to dime I could distinguish
words, through bis muttering. which told
how the bewildered spirit wrestled with hor-
ribls phantomA. With appalling incongru-
ity be mingled the scenes OF the bridal cham
ber and the charnel vault, now calling On
his bride to wrap her grave clothes about
her, now bidding the sexton pledge him .
skull of wine. Terrible - all this was to
hear and painful to $50, l determined to
watch through the night, u the faithful
old butler begged to remain also. Indeed, l
felt % nervous and distressed that ! was
glad Of his company. The doctor was to 70
turn at midnight When It wanted but two
hours Of that tims, Friedrich, who had grad
ually ceased bis raving, fell into . lethargic
stupor. I left the bedside and vent to sit
BY the fire. Old Klaus threw On . fresh log
and filed Q glan with Hungarian wine from
Q task on the table. I noticed hat the old
fellows hand trembled and that his eye
were full of tears l spoke . few words OF
comfort and he sobbed aloud:
"AlasI Herr Hauptmann, my mind mis-
gives me sadlyi I fear, every moment, that
l shall hear the dismal ringing Of the ghost
dead bellI"
At this uncanny title I shivered. but
what may that bei' I asked anxioukly.
"Achl What an old fool l am I forget
sometimes-but forgive IT,"
But, Klaus" said I. what did you
meanr'
Klaus bent toward me, bis old face drawn
with fear. "The bell that rings out the life
Of every von SteingraR. !" said be, with sup
pressed emotion.
l suppose l looked both startled and inter-
ested, and the old servant, glad Of sympathy
and attention, continued In . hushed voice:
"Aayhap you observed the monastery near
the castle, sir. as you came up the drivei"
LAY, Klaus, and . fine, old ruin it Is, with
its bell tower still standin&I"
"A ruin now, sir. but it was once Q grand
and holy place with its lord abbot, and
monks. and broad. rich land& Well, sir, Q
long time ago. don't know how many .
hundred years-the Baron Steingraff Of that
day who lived then in tho old Schloss higher
up in the hills above the Krotensee-had .
quarrel with the abbot. The baron was .
fierce MD naughty man that cared little for
church and priest, and the abbot was -
naughty in his way, 20 tho feud grew dad
lier every day. At last the abbot wore On
tho holy relics Of St Wolfgang that hs
would excommunicate the baron. And the
baron swore by the cross upon his sword hilt
that be would tear the frOck OF the abbotb
back and drive him and his monks out Of the
monastery. The abbot was ~ good - his
word, and %, On the feast Of the blsoed
St Wolfgang, he and all his mouks walled
in procession through he church up to the
high altar and tho great book was opsned
and the anathemas read. and then the bell
WAS toued and the lighted candles extin-
guished, and thus the baron was excommuni-
Gated.
"Welli Tho bell was still tolling, and the
priests were On their way, back down the
aisle when the shouts Of the baron and his
Wild men-atarms, his jagers and holzknechts
rang 1t the walls M sledges and great pine
beams were battsring ct the gateA
Short work they made Of i'll
Ono mad fellow seized . splinter Of wood
end liz It 1t The altar, and then be fred the
panels and the roof and the dry wood was all
soon in . blase. The baron, - II possessed BY
an evil spirit, seissd the bell rope and rung
out . " Id peal Of triumph. But the abbot
walked up to him, dressed in al his robes,
md, holding up his hands, cursed him in the
name Of the Bleoed Trinity, and said:
"tAs the evil q peals that bell now
through your hands. % shall he peal It when
he claims The soul a. Il passes from the body
Of you and Of your son and Of your sous son,
in secula, 0culorum. amsnr
$50 saying, the abbot called his monks and
they went their way down 70 tie Lake Of
| Av0G. OOb ~ U03U0 00o ~ BO41OW0D GoI0W
themselves upon the holy man and tore the
frocks from their backs and threw their
books into the lake. The baron than soissd
the mo0astery lands and held them, too, for
might WAS right In those days, and he built
monastery, lest the abbot and his r~etainers
sessions; but they never did, for ths abbot
- Ank AnnRlNOA6 fm AhA N0npntD0 AAA tA~
baron w1s too powerful 70 b lightly med-
did With, 50 the monks built them Q new
monastery where tho Church oe St. Wolf
gang now stand&
Time pa0sd On, and the baron bad ven
nigh forEottea that abboe OF monk had sva
dwelt within tie old blachened monastery
wall.
"Ons Wild winter night ths baron at with
his retainer in The grsat hail drinking and
reveling, - was their won't TssWindhoWf
ed in gusts lltfully, and In The pansss . loud
knocking was bard q Tie oaksn door, ths
very door BY which you entered this evening,
Herr HanpemannL Ths Thurhut9, Whsa -
opened tie door, nv no q though IL
moon w0 that moment shining throQgA IL
drifts q tie Clouds, but b felt . cold hasl
sweep aczun his faca So b shut tie dor
again, and thoaght e mus havo beeu IL
storm that hnd docaivodhim.
Tn next momsat thoos In IL han 0w q
monk IN hlack habit, With hi coWl drawn
closely over his had, enter and walku With
outs word to where the baron ~ skttin4.
Thsa the monk threw hack his hood, s1d q
old witAsrsd face, chastity pale but sh9n and
6erce, ga.ed undanntsd On IL barron.
"'Tamsnd sakermmtr shouted t. baron,
sharting in rage. dog Of IN abboe, What