The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1893-02-04

I
then trotted off obediently with me
| toward the station.
We were rather late, and lust had
time to get our tickets and jump in
before the train was off. Our COM
| partment was fortunately empty, so
had plenty OF time to drill the child
IN the part he was to play-to re-
member that he was Karl, my little
boy, and was going with me to visit
srandmamma at NJ; to say that
all his brothers and sisters were quite
well, etc, etc. He was an intelligent
little fellow, and soon understood all
that was required ofhim, so in half an
hour we had become very good friends.
by this time we were close to the
frontier, and as the train rolled into
the station l anxiously scanned the
faces on the platform, to see if any
one seemed on the look for us;
but apparently my fears were ground.
less so, leading Victor by the hand,
| made my way to the Custom house
and offered my bag for examination.
This was soon over, and then fell
into conversation with an otlicial-an
old friend OF mine-who patted Victor
on the head, and told him he was a
credit to his father.
Just then q man, who had been
loung'ng about cycling us for some
time, pushed his way past me and
asked the child abruptly-"What's
your name, my boyf"
For ono awful moment my heart
seemed to stand still; but then that
blessed child answered quite readily
karl Stein, sir"
And where are you going to, Mas
ter Karl Stein?'
Ppm going with my papa to NJ.
to See my graudmamma." Here Vic
tor. feeling a trifie uneasy, put his
hand into mine with confding ges-
ture, which apparently convinced the
detective, or spy, or whatever the
creature called himself, that he made
n slight mistake. so he lounged away
again, pulling an immense cigar, and
casting a glance towards us from
time to time,
thought that hali-hour at the
station the longest had spent in all
my life; but most things come to an
end, and at last we were told to take
our places in the train. / sat down
by the window, with Victor on my
knee, and watched all the hustle and
confusion on the platform, feeling
heartily thankful that my anxieties
Were safely over.
Nothing further occurred to alarm
me, and by the time we reached Nj,
Victor, child-like, waochattering away
as gaily as ever.
Directly we stepped upon the plat
form n singularly handsome young
man in long cloak advanced to
meet us, and was delightedly wei.
coined by the child, who hung on to
his hand in n sort OF ecstacy OF Joy,
rs though he could never bear to let
it 20 again.
When | had received my packet OF
notes. together with many warm ex-
pressions OF thanks, from the gentle
man OF the cloak, and mad taken an
affectionate leave OF my little charge,
] lost no time in setting out on the
usual round OF business, feeling some
how as though / had been living
through a chapter in a novel, and
that n very anxious and uncomfort-
able one.
A week later, as l was sitting Mt u
restaurant, glancing through news
paper one paragraph caught my eye;
it was headed;
ABDUCTION OF THE Due DE LrEvRE;
RETURN OF THE STOLEN CHILD;
and ran as follows:
"Great excitement has been caused
during the last week in Paris by the
successful capture OF the little Due de
l.ievre, who was restored to his al
most heartbroken mother early
last Saturday morning Many OF
our readers may doubtless remember
the circumstances OF his disappear
ance six months ago, and few can
have forgotten how public opinion
pointed to the Comte d 'Etienne,
cousin OF the late Due de Lievre, and
heir to the immense family estates. in
the event OF the death OF their youth
ful proprietor, as the certain author
OF this heartless abduction, for it is
well known that life OF riot and ex-
cess had reduced him almost to
penury, and that ruin stared him in
the face.
1t is'now conclusively proved that
his was the villainy that plotted
against the liberty OF an innocent
child, for on hearing that his young
cousin had been restored safe and
well to his mothers arms, he retired
to distant part OF the house and
blew out his brains. From all that
is known at present, it appears that
the young Dukes whereabouts was
discovered by Herr Anton Becker, an
old family friend, who succeeded in
tracing him to his prison, n half-ruin-
ed country house near Klenstadt, in
Alsace.
Being himself an Alsatian by birth,
and therefore a master OF the German
language, Herr Becker was able to
form an acquaintanceship with the
woman whose duty it was to wait up
on the young Duke, and to succeed at
length in bribing her to allow him to
carry off the child; for the Comte
d Etienne had OF late grown rather re-
miss in the payment OF wages, and his
servants were growing proportionate-
ly lukewarm in their fidelity to his
interests"
Herr Becker, my friend of the rail-
way carriage, called on me next day,
bringing with him letter from the
Duchess, Victor's mother. in which
she thanked me thousand times for
all that / had done tor her little boy,
and offered to defray every expense OF
Karl's and Otto's bringing-up until
they should be fairly started in life;
and may as well conclude by saying
that she, the Duchesse de Lievre, and
her son have always remained faith
full friends to me and mine; and that.
thanks to them, though am now an