The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-11-06
Author of "A Crisis in Oldendorf..
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BY DAVID sKAATs FOSTER.

1 tain, where, as I now learned, To the
confusion OF the culprits, Iorelei and
| Undine were wont 10 wnde barefooted.
We then explored the castle through
and through. We descended into the
bottom OF the deepest donjon; we clam
bered over the tops of the highest bat
Elements; we climbed up into every
tower, and we perchcd ourselves within
| every turret; so that there was no part
Of the strange and venerable pile with
which i was not familiar. After tho
Gbominable injuries which / had suf-
| fered at the hands Of Won Dunkelheim, 1
naturally felt no longer any compunc
tions of conscience about reading his
letter. Before the afternoon had passed,
watching my chance TO open it unob-
served, had made myself master of it's
contents. and the nature of my discov
cries made me glad that had done So
The letter was from Graf Won Schreck-
enstrohm; IL was dated at Oldendorf,
three days before, and ran as follows:
MY Dear August; Once more have had
10 imprison my six daughters in the Castle
OF Schreckcnstrohm: and there they shall
stay until they come 10 their senses You
know, OF course. about their peculiar In
hrmity. 1t has grown upon them since
their mothers death. until l cannot bear
them longer in the house with me- l nm
determined to marry them off, come what
will. and you shall have your choice from
the half dozen. II Is for this that have
summoned you TO Oidendorf. / shall meet
you at the station with my carriage and
take you Immediately TO the castle. There
you shall stay until one OF them, I care
N nnf Ttsh afu IN. hen
/ have certain claims upon you, as you
know. and shall expect you at six on
Thursday night
"scHRECENsTRoHM"
] read this letter with emotions Of
mingled horror ard rage This inhu-
man monster, so aptly named the wild
boar, imprisoned his inoffensive and
lovely children in this melancholy
castle: treated them like malefactors.
and for what? Solely. forsooth, be-
cause their sad infirmity. their lack OF
speech. annoyed MIN. 4 puteu MN ror
it from my inmost heart, and l also
hated him for the coarse and cruel way
la which he had set this Won Dunkel-
helm upon them. 1t was like opening
the gates and turning the wolf into the
pasture after the lambs. The only
thing that pcrplexed me was the ques-
ton: Why had Won Dunkelheim run
away?
When, the day had almost gone we
dined together, in the same chamber
where l had eaten the mysterious
breakfast. This was also a strange ex-
perience; three damscls on either side
of me at table, and doing all the talk
ing. Here il was that discovered that
there was s'll another person upon the
island: Da'aes Geiskopf, deaf and
dumb old woman. half servant. half
companion or goveIness. who. in some
remote and undiscovcrable part of the
castle, concoctcd and evolved dishes
worthy Of the "Trois frreres proven
ceauX." Here was a flaw in my theories;
the six countesses had not cooked my
breakfast after all. I. however. COM
forted myself with the reflection that
they might have done so |
had they wished.
Shortly after we had dined we all re-
paired to large and agnificently yfur-
nisbed salon adjoining the hexagonal
tower OF the six bedrooms. and there
passed IA most pleasant evening. 1t is
true that the old duenna, Frau Gels
liopf, stole into the room a few min
Ites after we had taken possession OF
Il, and. seating herself at one end of
the chamber. bold upright and inn
gnzed upon us with the un-
glare of the basilislS. But IL
little to me. for she was as