Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-11-26

In the waters OF the moat. nor yet in
the shrubbery about the castle. No
body knew just how long he had been
gone. Certain it was, however, that
even the twenty guinea gold piece,
which the Duke offered to the man
who should find him, still lay on the
table unclaimed.
And now it was discovered that
Rolla, the big bull dog and insepara-
bic companion of the little lord, was
also nowhere to be found Had they
wandered beyond the walls and been
lost in the immense woods that lay
stretched many miles between them
and London? That was what every
body now feared. 1t was even worse
than this, for the Duke had scarcely
ceased to explain this to the boys
mother when a servant entered the
room breathlessly. "Please, your
Honor" he exclaimed hastily, touch
ing his hat, "the gypsies have been
about here. Traces of them have been
seen ON the edge of the forest Goef-
frey and Thomas, the stable boys,
found the ashes OF fire at the border
of the small clearing. The knaves were
all gone, but it would seem that they
can't have been gone very long. 1
mistrust, your Honor, that they have
the boy"
At these words the Duchess gave a
cry of fright and horror. The gypsies
of that time were wild, wandering,
lawless, predatory race. Outlaws to
society, banished prescribed, they
still moved in rowing bands through
the country, stealing poultry and
horses, telling fortunes and not infre-
quently retaliating for some bit of
malice or persecution by the Sbduc
ton of child.
Unhappy was the fate of such a
child. Either it grew up wild and
fierce Ishmaelite, like its captors, or,
what was more common, was conveyed
secretly to the city and sold for so
much gold to stranger. For in those
days there was constant need of chill
dren to sweep the chimneys, and the
numbers were often recruited by kid
mapping and cruelty. The life was
hard and short. Some fell victims to
the harshness of their masters: while
others in climbing up the chimneys,
lost their hold and fell, sometimes
breaking their bones, and sometimes
meeting an awful death in the flames
that were burning in the freplaces
below.
1t was the thought of the wretched-
ness that might befall her child
in such life that made the Duchess
cover her face with her hands and sob
bitterly. 1t was this thought too,
which made the Duke, mounted on u
the castle at the head of his servants
to beat up the country and find the
child if possible before it should be
too late. Hope, vengeance, deter
mination displayed themselves in his
countenance and bearing.
The Dukes utmost efforts, however,
were of no avail. All day they searched
through the forest, asking among the
charcoal burners, inquiring of the
gamekeepers and seeking q trace, but
they found none, and at night re-
turned to the castle full of despond-
ency and tired out by their long and
unsuccessful hunt. The Duchess
gathered her other children more
closely about her and sat weeping
with red eyes and heavy heart. The
search was renewed the next day and
the next. The case was laid before
the neighboring magistrates. 1t was
all in vain.
The gypsies had disappeared, and
all further hope of finding the little
lord vanished completely, while the
twenty guinea gold piece lay ON the
table covered with dust, painful re-
minder of the lost child.
Meanwhile little st. Clair, who had
been decoyed by the gypsies out OF
the castle grounds to the edge of the
woods, was seized and hurriedly
carried away. When the boy first
found himself out OF sight of the
castle in the power of rough captorf