Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1894-08-16


white with horror; "the ruins are only
little way from the river.
She ran along the romantic pathway
which followed the river bank for
about half mile, and there assembled
the steep hill on the slope of which
stood the battered old shell which had
once been a feudal castle, with dun
geons beneath its stately halls, and a
deep and sacred we'll for the safe put
ting away of troublesome enemies,
Very peaceful looked the old ruins on
this balmy September day, in the mel
low afternoon sunshine. solitary, silent,
deserted. There was no trace Of nurse
or child in the grassy court or on the
crumbling old rampant. Yes, just where
the rapport looked down upon the
river Just at that point whore the
short, submerged grass sloped deep
est, Constance Sinclair found a token
Ct her child's presence-a toy dog,
white, tleecy and deliciously untrue to
nature an animal whose shapeless
beauty had been the baby Christabel's
delight.
Constance gave q little cry of joy.
"They have been here, they are
somewhere near" she thought, and
then, suddenly, in the sweet summer
stiffness the peril OF this particular
spot struck her-that st ep descent
the snburned sward, slippery as
gas '-the deep, swift current below
the utter loneliness Of the scene-nO
help at hand,
oh, God,' she cried, "the river, the
river"
She looked round her with wild, be-
seaching eyes, as If she would have
asked all nature to help her in this
great agony. There was no one within
sight. The nearest house was cot
tage on the bank of the river about
a hundred yards from the bottom Of
the slope. A narrow foot-path at the
other end OF the rampant led to the
bank, and by this path Constance
hurried down to make inquiries at the
cottage.
The door was standing open, and
there was o noise OF several voices
within. Some one wa lying on bed
in a corner, and u group OF peasant
women were round her calculating
ompassionately.
"Das arme madchen. Ach, Himmel.
Was gibt es?" and good deal more of
spasmodic and sympathetic nature.
A woman's garments, dripping wet,
were hanging in front OF the stove, be-
side which sat an elderly vine-dresser
with stolid countenanCe smoking his
pipe.
Constance Sinclair put the women
aside and made her way to the bed.
1t was Melanie who lay there wrapped
in bla lket, sobbing Historically.
"Melanie, where is my child?"
The girl shrieked and turned her
face to the wall.
She risked her life to save it,, said
the man in German. "The current is
very rapid under the old Schloss She
plunged in after the baby. I found
her in the water, clinging to the
branch of willow. If had been a
little later she would have been
drowned.
And the child-my child?"
"Ach mein Gott!' exclaimed the
man, with shrug. mo one has seen
the p3or child. No one knows"
my child is drowned"
"Liebe Frau, said one of the women,
rthe current is strong. The little one
was at play On the rampant It's foot
slipped, and it rolled down the hill
unto the water This good girl ran
down after it, and Jumped into the
water, My husband found her there.
She tried 10 save the child; she could
do no more But the current was too
strong. Dear lady, be comforted. The
gool God will help you.
mo, Gcd is cruel, led Constance.
Twill never see Him or believe in
II m any more"
And with this blasphemy wrung from
her tortured heart, great wave OF
blood seemed to rush over Constance
Sinclair brain, and she fell senseless
on the stone foDr.