Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1890-12-25

ana 50 genuinely terrified as to what might
happen next. that for their sake consent.
ed to stop on, and help them to keep a
guard upon their dangerous relative.
Their position Was so lonely, 1t awakened
ones sympathies. In that wild world
there was no one else 10 look after them.
The count, it was clear, though he hcl,l
himself to have acted quite within hi
rights, aud 10 have executed pure jn>lic,
upon rebellious subject vas yet ~ no
means throughout all these days withou,
his qualms of conscience. lie took car,
to pension of the murdered vAdercr'.
! wife with good salary. and to find ucra
tive posts on other estates for all his chill
dren But moody remorse held his soul
for all that: he hated To look toward th.
! scene OF the murder. or to hear any men
tion Of Christmas made before him There
were To be no lule-tide festivities that
; year at .he castle, no decorations in The
hall, no feast in the village. Any one
could see with half glance that the count
! heart was gnawed by ffuitlcss repent
ance. He walked apart from all, solitary
creature; his own thoughts pursued Linn
| with relentless persecution.
| | knew in my heart wny hc dreaded
| Christmas He remembered those last
words Janos had spoken To him "Dn
| Christmas Eve, come veal, come We. |
will ask for my wages. Al accounts will
, then be settled between US
/ Did he expect Janos TO come back for
them bodily from the grave! Did he cx-
| pect that last account t, - settled al>ol
| Heaven only knows. Al that we knew
who watched him closely through those
| terrible weeks was that, a. Christmas Eve
| approached the count grew even moodior
| and mooder.
| ON the night before the arrival OF that
| dreaded vigil, as we sat ~ the drawing
1 room of the dark old castle. thc cuuat ru-c
suddenly from hi> chair in alarm aLd Hp-
| preached the window iha: looked toward
the village.
| What are all those lights. he cri,h.
those light, in the houses Didn't gis,
uidrr>, Countess, there were to be NJ il
lumualiop> at Marzin this wear: Who
has dared TO put up those lamps: What
do they mean by disobSying my com.
mands: l. lhc world rclar arsing into anaf-
Chv before ogr very eyrs;
We rushed la Ike windows Hermann
and |. Darkness there. save fol few
vague twinklc> Won Henekc seized the
counts arm rea>>uringly.
My dear kxcellcucS. =" he said IN a souih.
ing voice, ''yon need more santonin; this
j. purely nervous Let me give Nou n
dose There are no lights except ttr
u>nal village dips Your eyes are worse.
Ihc llluminatiun> are all "a your rctiua -
Ihc count fen back IN his chsir with a
heavy aroau
PerhaP, >o,' be muttered Perhaps
SO, Perhaps sp,'
The next night was Christmas Eve.
We Kept it at the castle with appropriate
y In hful in -
sulcmnity and silence. In the evening, ID
the salon, We pretended TO amnsc ourselves
very sadly. The countess played dismal
song without words and Stephanic, her
daughter, sang A moufniul ballad. But
our faint prrtcnce at merTiment was duiy
wretch, I'd. Nobody believed the half heart
ed attempt We knew We were all l.cyom-
tngly unhappy
Al ten O'Clock we retired. wearicd out
for the piShl. The lamps were put ont III
the great ball, and | went by myself to my
own suite OF apartments.
For half an hour all was still 10 The
castle. Then a terrible shrek from THE
counts drcs,Iug-room brought u all with
one accord, family aud servants, halfclad
aud trembling, into the corridor outside
il.
! lopcnea lhe, d8pr and ...alcfI -inla Ue
dressing, gown by The closed window, and
gazing with an sgonjzed look upon his
face into the thick darkness that cnNelop-
ci the forest. His eyes were fixed in the
direction of the spot where he had p
cruelty Slain the unhappy verdcrer
Father father Hermann cried, rush
it,. over 10 him In horror. w hat on earth
have you seen: What. whats the natter
The count raised bis hand. aud pointed
3, a., f,+l
Look, look - he shrieked, in wild voice
Of despair. lies coming! Hes coming
IL Jnno>' Janos
Where: wherc:" Hermann exclaimed,
looking out into the blank
There yondcr.' the coun, answered,
still pointing wildly with that sepulchral
finger toward the gloom of the forest II
can see him marching on, ! can ~ his
glare, He, waving his torch. Look, look
at the light of 1t. Away over there from
where Killed him 70
Won Benekc laid his hand upon his pat
tents arm >oothngly once more. Calm
Yourself, Count" he said in quiet tone.
There's nothing in the wood It's only
the optic nerve again. The light you see
is morbid and Internal
But the count shook him OF with a
terrible groan. NO. no. he cried aloud
You can deceive me no longer | know
Your tricks | see 1t all now see il
plainly Its ,Ianos coming % claim his
wages. It's Jano, coming TO settle accounts
between US"
Hold hlm down" Won Beneke cried To
TWO Of the servants And by main force
they held the struggling man down between
them
But the count still gazed at the window
a 4
,hrieked aloud in an agony Of terror. II
can see hi, red wound. | can see his light
growing bigger and bigger. Hes coming
to settle accounts at last. Here, Stephanie,
Hermann, come and help me- After all, |
was just to his wife ard children | was
more than just | was generous He can't
call it murder. II wasn't murder. I'm
[ Count of Marzin-magDate of liungary-a
| sovereign lord on my own estate 1t was
| an eXeculion-only righteous execution. =
| He buried his face in his hands with horror.
But he's coming?" he cried. Hes com
! ing He's coming"
Hold him tight" Won Benekc whisper
ed low again. Its only paroxysm. In
twenty minutes it'll all be over
"All over.' the count repeated in all
awe struck tone. .In twenty minutes it'll
all be over. So it will, so it will. He
comes nearer and nearer. Ay, look at him
there on the castle steps. See his torch
See his torch. How it flares and tosses
Iilmmel he's going to set ire to the castle
wall. Take US out Take US OUT Hell
/ burn US alive here :"
Turn him round to the doorway
from the window Won Beneke said il
quiet tones TO the two servants. Yes
that1l do-so. From there he can't set
the spot any longer"
But even as he spoke the count rost
wildly with bound from the seat into
which they had forced him, in spite of the
four stout hands that held him, and
struggling wildly to get himself free, rush
ed out, still clutched hard, into the opeI
corridor.
'See, see!' he shrieked, with face lik'
maniac's. Hes here! He's here. With
in the CASTLE He's found me at last. He'
come to murder u.s."
Won Beneke caught him round the wais
as he spoke, and with violent effor
attempted to hold him. But the count
now raving, would not be held. "Oh. th'
light the light" he cried. "The flare
Tie glare of it! The castles all aflam,
with his torches now! Escape, escape
Marie Hermann-Stephanie. The flame
are rising like tongues of fire. He's burn
ing US down! It's Janos, Janos!"
With one wild burst he half broke from
their arms. They pulled him down fiercely
There was sharp struggle and a terrible
thud. The next thing l knew, the coun
was lying on the floor, in his turn, in
pool of blood, and Won Beneke and tn
servants were kneeling close above him.