Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-07-01
ALegendof
Switzerland
By F. A. Mitchell

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 Inter
walden, formed the original nucleus
of the Swiss republic. Now, there
was time when both Rudolph and
the four cantons We're anxious to form
an alliance with Zurich.
The heads OF the four cantons got
together and sent spy to Rudolph's
court with view to heading him off
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 at what was on
her canvas. So pleased was he that
he bought her picture and gave her
orders for others. Thus did Thorwald
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 fer. the purpose of
persuading the authorities to submit
themselves to the house of Hapsburg
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 Rapperswill.
Count Rapperswill was soldier as
we'll as a diplomat and In one of his
battles had lost an eye. which had
been taken out of its socket Thorwald
no sooner heard that the count was TO
go 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
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 glass eye and Sit for her to
paint 1t 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 number of sittings. The
truth is her father had instructed her
to put of 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 1t 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 sent by the Duke
of Hapsburg. Thorwald could not go
himself. for he would be recognized by
RapperswlI. So one Thunwalder was
sent at Thorwald's suggestion, not be-
cause of his shrewdness, but because
he possessed very amiable counte-
nance.
The two diplomats arrived at Zurich
at the same time, and meeting was
called of the government authorities
to hear their arguments and decide be-
tween them. RappersMiu with trna