The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-10

and Set me wondering, ii such thing
were possible; the sight, namely. OF
six young daniels, all of them hand
some. and two or three of them passing
anything I had seen both ia face and
| figure. in that quality which is called
| beauty. They We're sitting upon rustic
| seats. or reclining upon the turf. TWO
of them We're reading. The others. in
various dolce far niente attitudes. were
day dreaming. or gazing at the sky, or
otherwise killing time. They were OF
different ages, the Oldest not over
twenty and the youngest not less than
fifteen. Though each had some trait Of
feature color or expression. which dis
tinguished her from the others. there
was that in their general appearance
which led me to believe that they were
sisters. They We're alike and yet un-
alike. And that which pleased me in
nnitely more than all the rest was the
fact that they We're not saying any
thing.
They had not noticed my approach,
but presently one Of them looked up
and saw me. She Immediately sprang
to her feet. This drew the attention of
the others to me. A second one follow
ed the example of the first and these
! two, hurriedly picking up something
from the ground, darted away into the
shrubbery. AS they fed, l perceived
the twinkling of bare white feet. and
one of them let fall a tiny shoe upon
the grass. Their forms were so sinu-
Gus, so perfectly nodded. and their mo-
tions so quick and graceful. that tney
seemed more like wood nymphs tnan
like human beings.
! The remaining four raised themselves
from their recumbent positions and
Sazed at me curiously and without a
particle Of alarm. l advanced toward
/ them, hat in hand, and thus accosted
them:
You will please pardon me, young
ladies' for intruding upon you, but you
are the first persons l have seen upon
! the island I arrived here last night.
and wish to pay my respects to the
! master Of the house. Will YOU kindly
tell me where l can find him" The
| four girls simply looked at each other
| and smiled. Then they gazed at me
again, without uttering q syllable in
| reply.
thought their conduct somewhat
peculiar. but ] made as though l did
not notice it, sni said:
You are the daughters of the pro-
prietor, are you not?"
All four nodded emphatically, then
looked at each other and smiled again.
"The other two who fled as l ap-
preached, are they your sisters"
Once more they nodded smultane-
| ously.
II have heard that the Castle of
| Schreckenstrohm stands hereabouts.
Can you tell me II this be it?"
They gave the same affirmative sign.
Then the one to whom I particularly
| addressed by questions, she seeming
| to be the oldest. turned to her sisters
| and raised her eyebrows in a sarcastic
manner.
1.-The Herr Graf Won Schreckenstrohm
| is then your happy father VIII you
condescend to tell Inc whether he is at
home?"
This time they all shook their heads,
and they We're so decided about 1t that
! thought they would never get through
shaking them. Here was q very odd
kind Of a reception. l had never had
such an experience before. The CX-
preston upon the faces of these young
women was more than ordinarily intel
ligent and lively, and they could an
swer my questions with nothing but
mods and shakings Of the head. Per-
/ haps they were trying to have some
amusement out Of me. l would be
facetious in my turn.
| Are all the people on the island
dumb?" I asked.
For answer, they nodded slowly.
They no longer smiled, and theil coun-
tenances took on tinge of sadness.
When / asked the question, I did not
suspect that such was the reality. Their
manner now made me think seriously
that I had hit upon the truth. But I
could not wholly believe 1t yet.
MY dear young ladies, do you mean
to affirm. really and truly, that you are
all mute? That none Of you can ar
| ticulate q word?"
They nodded still more sorrowfully
! than before; and the oldest one, fol-
! whom l had begun to have something
| OF liking. cast her eyes down, and he =
seemed to be filed with moisture had
| now come to the experience which
prompted me to write this story. These
| We're 1.-The six dumb bellies Of Castle
Schreckenstrohm." In the title. I did
| not, 1t Is true, use exactly this form OF
spelling but it was INTENTIONAL for how
otherwise could ! sum up and picture
| the chief episode of the narrative with
| out letting the reader into the secrc,
I before IL was time to do so?
The two younger maideES who had
disappeared at my first approach now
| returned. properly stockinged and shod
| and the whole esix--representing every
possible charm and beauty which tn.
human female. from the age of fifteer
| to twenty, pOssessed-standing and sit
ting, We're grouped around me in q
| radiant semicircle, in ecstatic rapture
Here are six girls, thought /, each one
| of them In her way as lively as g
| dream, not one Of whom can speak Il