The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1892-07-16

folding his arms on the muZzle, the
hunter, Thorwald answered, The ira
dition runs that many long, long years
ago Elfrida, the queen of the fairies,
and her court came at earliest dawn to
this rock to wash their faces in the
dew. The queen was seen to wear
beautifully decorated crown of gold,
having around the head band row of
pearls, and standing up above the fore
head part by its two lower prongs was
a golden star, its topmost prong sup
porting an immense glittering diamond
the rays of which dazzled the sun.
While drying her hair she laid the
crown on this rock when a sudden gust
of wind blew it down, from where it
rolled to the edge of the chasm and
went down, down, down to darkness
and oblivion. The bea utiful fairy
queens power did not extend to realms
beneath the ground and she was unable
to recover it. Elfrida was a woman
and although the loss of the crown
could be repaired her grief for the big
diamond was inconsolable. She wan
dered over Germany and with prayers,
tears and promises, endeavor to get
one brave and bold knight after another
to recover the crown for her, but as the
deep and gloomy chasm was reported
to be the summer residence of the
Evil One, the brave and bold knights
had more important affairs to attend to
elsewhere. At length disheartened she
returned to the spot where the crown
fell, stood on this rock and weeping
waved her wand over the chasm and
made VOW that the first prince who
should get sight of the crown should
raise his country to an unparalleled
prosperity and rule over Germany en-
tire. She then threw her wand down
after the crown and disappeared for
ever. Here the hunter paused and a
shudder passed over his frame as he
cast his eyes at the chasm. 'sTO bring
under one rule one disunited fair land,
to secure united Germany said the
prince, .'to Obtain such an end has
been the cherished dream of patriots
for centuries. Oh, Thorwald assist me
to secure that crown and you shall be
rewarded far beyond your widest
dreams" The young hunter for time
demurred, the supersti.ions of his child
hood days still fingered about his mind,
but being overcome by the promises OF
the prince he at last consented. They
made long twisted rope of the climb
ing vines from the neighboring trees,
knotted and looped it at short intervals,
securely fastened one end TO the rock
and let the other down the chasm. The
prince was about to descend. Thor
wald looked at the princes slight figure,
seemingly more used to treading the
salons of palaces than doing else, and
then looked down at his own stalwart
limbs, used from childhood to scale
the harsh rocks and steep cliffs of the
moutains, injured to endure hardships
etc. Let me go said he, your strength
would fail, he lit torch, stuck it in
his girdle apd seizing the vine rope be-
gan the descent, soon disappearing in
the gloom. Every few moments faint
halioo would come to the top which
grew fainter aud fainter until it ceased
altogether, and only the swayiug of the
speck Of light showed the prince that
the gallant hunter was still descending.
Then the light grew DINNER as the
hunter descended until it faded out al
together IN the far deep distance. The
moments to the anxious watcher above
seemed hours. After a long time the
rope slackened and soon after became
again taut, the prince then knew that
the adventurous hunter was ascending
Had he found the crownP anxiously he
looked for the spark of fire but 1t never
came to view, his torch had been extin-
guished, after a long time faint halloo
came smothering up and soon after the
prince could distinguish the outline of
the hunters form way down in the
darkness, he was waving something in
his hand which the prince could not
distinguish. Hurrah! hurrah! have
found it, have found it, he shouted
clinging with one hand to the rope and
waving his other hand in the air. Sud-
denly few strands of the rope began
to part few yards above him, he gave
a cry of horror as looking up he per-
ceived it. Seized with terror he threw
the crown far out against the opposite
side of the chasm, made several desper-
ate clutches upward and had assembled
to within a few feet OF the rupture when
the last strand gave way and with one
last long wild shrek of agony and des-
pair, he went down, down, down &C
the dark unfathomable depths be-
low. The crown thrown forcibly
backward, struck against the opposite
side of the chasm, the large diamond
striking full against its rocky wall, 6
bright flash of the fire flew from the
rock lighting up the beautiful and peer.
less crown in all its glory and then Il
went down, down, following the intrep
pid but unfortunate hunter. Stricken
with horror the young prince fled from
the fatal spot. Swiftly flew over his
head the ever rolling silent years, bu
the events of that unfortunate houl
never grew dim upon his memory. Th,
young prince afterward became tn,
late aged emperor Wilhelm the first
and thus the fairy's vow came true fol
he raised to an unparalleled prosperity
the fallen fortun's OF the fatherlanC
and reigned over Germany entire.
The author once witnessed will
three companions an atmospheric phe
= nomenon on the summit of the Hart;
mountains in Germany. We set on
late in fine August night to reach. tn
2 top of the Brocken before sunrise. Their
E was no moon but the stars shone bril-
e liantly, and as we travelled up the steel
e side the lake and valley became NOR
l and more distinct in the cold leader
: hue of early twilight. AS often hap
4 pens after the finest nights, the floatin;
= Fapors were suddenly condensed, ant
e by the time we reached the table-lan'
near the top, we were enyeloped in
l thick white mist, cold and uncomforta
\ Bile, which confined our sight to circl
e of few yards diameter. Suddenly tn
It white fog took q beautiful rose color
: produced probably, like the last hue
G of evening, by the greater refractiv
g power of the red rays as the first beam
: of the sun shot above the horizon
d This very soon vanished. One Of tn
!, party was short DISTANCE in advance
y when a ray of SUNSHINE darted througI
d the mist and he saw Il figure walking
r ten or fifteen yards distant from hi
h side. Taking it for granted that thi
f was one of his companions he venture,
e some expressions of disappointment a
1 the fog obscuring the view, and receiv
n ing no answer repeated and repeated
4 it again. Still there was no answer
e though the figure kept steadily adyapc
ing with even steps. At last he stopped
= half angry and turned turned quit
/ round to look at his silent companion
, who did the same but receded as he ap
r proached and it became evident tina