The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-07
BI WILLIAM EIAUFF


 shall be well with you" She set him down, shook her foreinger at the Count. saying: "zollern .4ollern, you remain my debtor for Zollern fiorin," and hobbled into the forest paying no attention to the Counts curses and threats. Konrad, the squire, who had followed them, trembling
 ly alighted from his horse, picked up his young master and rode homeward behind his black-visaged lord.
 This was the only and last time for the Bad Weather of Zollern to show any in- terest in his son. His tears had con- vinced him that he was a weakling who would not amount to anything, and there after he looked at him with evident and unconcealed displeasure and dislike. ! Whenever Kuno, who loved his father, I despite his roughness tried to sit by his knee and show his affection with childish 1 caresses, Zollern ordered him to run | away, saying: "Know it all. Rubbishl'' Lady Hedwig had borne all the caprices and harshness of her spouse patiently; but | his behavior to his son hurt her deeply. | Several times she fell i'll from fear when | the gloomy man inflicted some savage punishment for a small misdeed. Grad ually she failed, and thus she passed | away, still in her youth, mourned by the | whole country around the castle, and leav- 1 ing Kuno heart-broken.
 With her death the Count turned from his son still more. He left the lad to a nurse and allowed the castle chaplain, Father Joseph, to do as he thought best about his training and education. After short time he married again, and when twin brothers arrived year afterward he seemed to forget his flrst-born en- tirely.
 The lads favorite retreat became the little hut in the forest where dwelled Dame Feldheimer the old woman who had saved his life. She spoke to him of his dead mother, and of the good deeds she had done. The castle servants warned him against her, saying that she was nothing less than a witch, but Kuno knew better for the wise old chaplain, who was far more learned than most men of that age, had taught him that there was no such thing as sorcery. So Kuno knew that the tales of old women who rode to the Brockton at night on pitchfork or broomstick to attend the Witches Con- gress were all idle inventions.
 It is true that the dame could do things that were incomprehensible to the simple people around her. Kuno often heard the story of her skill in throwing the pen nies back into his fathers open purse. She could also make wonderful ointments and portions that healed man and beast. But he knew that 1t was not true that she had a weather pan, with which she could call up great tempests when she hung it over her fire.
 She taught him great deal that was useful for a man in his time-remedies for horses and cattle, a portion for the hy- drophobia a knowledge of the herbs of the forests and field, wonderful recipe for making a bait for fish, and many other arts.
 The twin brothers were lucky enough not to fall from their horses when the Bad Weather of Zollern took them on their first ride. He considered them ex- cellent youngsters after that and taught them all that he knew.
 This was not very much that was good. He could not read or write, and did intend that his two fine boys should waste their time on such useless arts, but by the time they were 10 years old they could swear as fiercely as their noble father and lived with each other like cat and dog. agreeing only at times when they wanted to attack Kuno.
 This did not trouble their parents very
 s+ l,aa ffavt tl,sa lads to fight. One day, however, a ser want told the Count that the boys were likely to kill each other if they kept on, and though he answered as usual, "Know it all Rubbish!' he decided he must do something to prevent murder when they grew up, for the prophecy of Dame Field heimer kept recurring to his mind against his will. we will see how much of your estate will be worth Zollern forin'- the words remained in his brain.
 Therefore he selected two mountains, which always had seemed to him to be ex- celent sites for castles, and soon fine burg began to rise on the crest of each. One he named Rogue's Burg after the smaller of the twins, whose many mali cious exploits had earned for him the popular name of Little Rogue" It had been his intention to name the other burg Stag-fiorin Burg, to show his scorn of the prophecy, the Zollern-minted flor ins being stamped with a running stag. Finally, however, he contented himself with naming it Stag's Burg. Under these names the ruins of both castles are iden- tined still.
 It had been in the Counts mind al- ways, dspite his disdain of Kuno to be. queath Hohenzollern to him as being the due of the eldest son, and to leave Rogues Burg and Stags Burg to the twins, but the Countess gave him no peace till he changed his will. Stupid Kuno," said she, lis rich enough through his mother bequest Why should he have this beauti- | full castle of Hohenzollern, with all its | wealth of province? Shall my two boys have nothing except two castles with only a forest for territory?"
 At last the Bad Weather of Zollern, who | never had yielded to anybody yielded to his wife's constant tears and bequeathed Rogues Burg to one twin, Zollern to the 1 other, bequeathing to Kuno Stags Burg but adding to it the rich town of Balin- gen.
 Soon afterward he fell i'll. Know all about iti' he shouted to the doctor, who told him that it was serious Rubbish,' he | said to the chaplain, who advised him to