The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-06-05

Switzerland
By F. A.

III 0y r. n. MI lNt1A
In those days when the confederated
states of Switzerland were fighting to
free themselves from Rudolph, Duke
Of Hapsburg, whose descendants now
sit on the throne Of Austria. four can
tons, Lucerne, Schwyz. Uri and Unter-
walden, formed the original nucleus
Of the Swiss republic. Now, there
was q time when both Rudolph and
the four cantons were anxious to form
an alliance with Zurich.
The heads of the four cantons got
together and sent a spy to Rudolph's
court with a view to heading him on
in his Negotiations with Zurich. The
name of this man was Thorwald, and
he took with him his daughter. Anna.
The two settled themselves at the
base of Rudolph's castle and waited
an opportunity to make his acquaint-
ance Anna was fond Of painting and
occupied herself sketching the Aus
TRAN scenery about her. One day
while she was sitting on a rock Just
beneath the base of the dukes castle
painting the valley below Rudolph
rode by and. seeing the maiden at
work, stopped to look ut what was on
her canvas. So pleased was he that
he bought her picture and gave her
orders for others. Thus did ThorwaId
through Anna gain access to the duke.
Thorwald wormed himself into the
confidence of Rudolph, pretending that
though a Swiss by birth. he was an
Austrian in feeling. He endeavored
to persuade the duke to send him on a
mission to Zurich for the purpose OF
%persuading the authorities to submit
themselves to the house of HapsDurg.
But Rudolph was too shrewd to trust
any but one Austrian born on such an
important mission and sent one OF his
tried ministers. Count Rappersw1ll.
Count Rapperswill was a soldier as
we'll as a diplomat and in one OF his
battles had lost an eye. which mad
been taken out of its socket. Thorwald
no sooner heard that the count was to
90 to Zurich than he began to think
how he could cause his mission to re-
suit in failure. Meeting Rapperswill.
he asked him why he did not wear a
glass eye in the empty socket. The
count replied that he had tried. to find
an eye that would match the natural
one but had failed. !Thorwald told
him that if he would give his daughter
Anna a glass eye and sit for her to
paint it he would guarantee that she
would do the work to perfection. To
this the count gladly agreed.
The next day he appeared at Thor
wald's lodgings with one of the artifi,
cial eyes he had discarded and asked
Anna to paint it to match his natural
eye. Anna did so. but was not salts
fed with her work till the count had
given her a number of sittings. The
truth is her father had instructed her
to put off finishing her work till the
count was ready to set off for Zurich
Rapperswill was delighted with the
eye as it was and begged for it. but
received it only at the last moment
Count Rapperswill had scarcely de-
parted before Thorwald and Anna set
out in great haste for Lucerne. and
Thorwald told the governors OF the
four cantOns to send an ambassador
at once to Zurich to meet and defeat
If possible the one. SEN by the Duke
Of Hapsburg. Thorwald could not 60
himself. for he would be recognized by
Rapperswill. So one Thunwalder was
sent at ThorwaId's suggestion, not be-
cause of his shrewdness. but because
he possessed a very amiable counte-
nance.
The two diplomats arrived at Zurich
Mt the same time. and a meeting was
called of the government authorities
to hear their arguments and decide be-
tween them. Rapperswill with true
Austrian arrogance claimed to speak
first and last, and the amiable Thun.
valdez assented.
Count Rapperswill was an admirable
speaker and presented his case remark.
ably well. But he had not been speak
ing long before his auditors noticed a
very crafty look in one Of his eyes.
This naturally prejudiced them against
him. and the longer he spoke-his
crafty eye giving a crafty interpreta-
ton to everything be said--the greater
grew the prejudice.
When he had finished the opening
address and Thunwalder arose. the
envoy Of the confederates being a
very tall man, the audience expect
ed to hear him below like a bull. In.
stead. be spoke with a soft voice and
great complaisance. He had scarcely
opened his mouth before he won the
entire confidence Of his hearers. and
when he sat down he was greeted
with a round OF applause.
The Austrian ambassador. at a loss
to know why he was making a failure
vt the hands Of one who made no ct
fective argument. arose to finish with
a determination to meet Thunwalder's
AVAILABILITY in kind. He spoke with
frankness and a great regard for the
Swiss people and their interests.