Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1910-02-24
The Countess
Roma S Choice
Copyright, by ]. B. Lippincott Coz
By JULIA MacNAlR WRIGHT

| of the troubadours and the proceed
ings of the Courts of Love. Then the
Germanic master of the holy Roman
empire was overload of Italy, which
was broken into many feudatories of
varied power and extent. The mobiles
were pretty generally left to their own
| devices; if complications arose which
| threatened the security of the royal
| German, he came upon the peninsula
and made Investigations in a certain
| high-handed fashion.
| Among these potent Italian vassals
was, once upon time, count, whose
castle of renown commanded one of
the chief highways of the empire be-
| tween the capital and Rome, way
much travelled then by the emperor, a
| hlgh-mlghtineSS, most magnificent to
contemplate, and hand in glove with
his holiness the pope with whom he
claimed cousin.
The noble count in question, having
for years terrorized his household,
vassals, and neighbors, even at times
occasioned his soverign-lord some
tremors, had the misfortune to die
quietly in his bed, like a woman,
priest, or coward, instead of joyfully
in the lofty rage of battle. Another
misfortune was that he left for sole
heir lass of IS, the Countess Roma
Scarcely was the count sepultured,
when three neighboring princes stimuli
taneously concluded to marry Mistress
Roma, who had lived in her fathers
keep, secluded as star shut up in
/. the bottom of we'll
Each lord dispatched to the be-
reaved maiden messenger, asking
possession of the lordless lands and,
incidentally, for the hand of the
| heiress.
The three messengers met at the
drawbridge-which served as front
door to all homesteads of the middle
ages-were admitted by the hoary
seneschal.
To each of the three messengers the
young countess gave mo" as round
as billiard ball.
Her experiences with the masculine
element of social life, as represented
by her father, had been by no means
agreeable, and being now set free of
bondage, she proposed to live in holy
peace forever after. However, holy
peace was not an element obtainable
in the middle ages.
The three messengers returned to
their respective lords, who proceeded
to revenge themselves for the slight
put upon them.
No. promptly married cousin Of
Roma, her dearest enemy, and the pair
proceeded to vilify the little countess
alleging foul ISLANDERS, as that Roma
had cloven foot, a squint eye, the
odor of carrion crow, and no taste
for man above page or clown.
No. 2, having for uncle cardinal
archbishop, had himself incontinently
rushed through holy orders, made into
a bishop, and as first exercise of his
sacred functions with bell and book
communicated the recalcitrant Roma,
put her territories under interdict,
forbade her fire, water, food and the
good offices of the church. AS every
body knows, such dealing was worse
than cloud Of locusts, visitation of
the black death, sweep of Saracens
or a general combination of all the
plaques of Egypt.
Suitor 8, being of a fiery tempera-
ment, gathered his vassals, ravaged
the lands of Roma and laid siege to
her castle.
The emperor, who was wandering
about with an army at his back, look.
ing for adventures, as was the usual
employment of emperors of the middle
ages, heard of this disturbance and
fastened to set affairs right, for the
castle of Roma commanding a chief
highroad it was important that ii
should be under firm lordship.
The pope was at that time junket
ing with the emperor, and the united
temporal and spiritual powers, arriv
ing upon the scene, made short work
of the desired adjudication.
Sutton / was divorced and his dame
sent to a convent, after both of them
with sheet and candle, had retracted
their ISLANDERS. The orders of Suitol
2 were annulled, he was replaced il
his laic estate, the interdict was re
moved, and Roma returned "to gooG
and regular standing" No. 8 was or
dered home with his retaners Each
sutton was instructed to make ready
marriage feast and set his castle il
it's highest splendor.
The Countess Roma was then dressed
with the utmost gorgeousness. She
shone like whole constellation, II
gold-embroidtred brocade, pearl
wrought slippers, chains of diamonds
rubies and emeralds, until the SUI
might have faded out of sight and thu
world not have missed him.
Six pages in blue velvet and silver
4 six maids in green satin and gold
were set as the brides escort In on
of her dainty hands the empero
| ,,lo r;. ~,