Alma record., 1916-06-22
Hildegarde
How She Decided Be-
tween Two Unruly
SuitOrs.
BY F. A. Mitchell


junction with the Mosele in quick sue
cession the ruins OF three castles, each
perched on an eminence.
There is nothing SO inviting TO a
dreamer as TO picture In its prime
what has belonged to a distant past
In gazing up at one OF these piles OF
stone he sees Its towers rising above
the battlements, its ensign floating
from the highest point A drawbridge
is lowered. and out pour a troop OF
armed men. Some merchant traveller
has been seen In the valley. and these
hcrsemen are going TO extract from
him the wherewithal for their suzerain
TO support this proud establishment or
perhaps a company OF a different kind
win emerge
A glimmering. gltterinE cavalcade OF
knights and ladies. and every one
In princely sheen arrayed
On what mission are they bent? Is
II merely for exercise and pleasure, OF
do they carry some important message
TO a neighbor or the emperor?
This may now be fancy. but there
was a time when 1t was not. That
heap OF stones was once what the
Imagination recalls. Time and again
less merchant As for the knights and
ladies'
- They rode and rode, and the steeds
they neished
And pranced. and the sun on their glossy
hides
F1ickered and lightened and glanced and
played
Like the moon on ripping tides.
These three castles were once occu
pied, one by Baron Hugemont. anoth.
er by Count Herbert Ballenstein and
the third by Baron Carl Steigler
Hugemont was an old man; the other
two were young. Hugemont, having
passed an age where man is ready
to fight for what concerns him. was
in an unpleasant position. He pos
sessed daughter that each Of his two
neighbors wanted TO wed. IL he gave
her to Ballenstein he feared to offend
Steigler; II he gave her to Steigler ho
would incur the enmity OF Ballenstein
And this IL the burden OF my story.
Hildegarde was kept at school In
Cologne till she was seventeen years
old Till then she had seen neither
Ballenstein nor Steigler, nor had they
seen her. When she had finished heI
education her father, In order that she
should make her debut in the social
world OF the region in which she lived
gave for her a hunting party, to which
the neighboring mobiles were invited
One bright morning a company oI
knights and ladies were gathered In
the courtyards of the castle, each with
Il falcon on the wrist; the draw
bridge was lowered. and the cavalcade
emerged.
From the moment Count Herbert
and Baron Carl saw Hidegarde each
was attracted TO her AS the company
rode out from the castle il was led by
her. with one OF these young men on
either hand. When they rode back
again she was still thus fanked. for
neither would give way to the other.
On the face Of each man was II
S"owl flashed now and again at his
rival, while between them. like an an.
gel between two devils. rode the smil
ing maiden.
When her father heard OF this rival.
ry he was sore distressed. He was Il
shrewd old man and foresaw that since
he had the disposition OF his daugh
ter's hand the burden OF a decisio
would fall upon him. and him alone
Ii would avail nothing for the rivals
10 fight each other for Hildegarde. be
cause the victor could not claim the
prize. The baron that same evening
called her into his cabinet and said
MY daughter. this rivalry that has
sprung up between Count Herbert Bal
lenstein and Baron Carl Steiger ma
result disastrously for us. II | give
you TO the count the baron. incensed
will pick quarrel with me. and !
shall not be able TO protect myself
against him. III i give you 10 th,
baron ! shall have the same to feal
from the count. l am thinking OF solv
Ing the problem by sending you away
Calm your fears. father. II thes,
young men apply to you for my hand
tell them that alone will decide which
| Will take for n husband that you
have nothing TO do with the matter
! VIII manage II so that neither will
have cause TO be wroth with you OF
even with me, and yet ! will marry
the one | want"
Then you have a preferencei''
II have"
as II the baron or the countT'
ITO tell you that. dear father. would
not be wise. In fact. you must reves
TO no one that / have already chosen.
VERY well. my daughter. | sincere
ly hope that you may succeed in avert
ing a catastrophe"
With that be kissed his daughter an(
she returned to her apartments.
The very next morning Count Her
bert rode into the castle courtyard and
asked to see the baron. He was ad
mitted TO the old mans presence and
made a formal application for Hide
garde's hand. He was evidently aware
that bis rival would make the same
ton. He did not say that he would
not be refused. but his manner con
veyed that impression. When he was
Informed that Hndegarde woulc
choose for herself I'm the matter Of a
husband he was surprised. for In those
days girls were not consulted as to
whom they would marry However.
he made a virtue Of necessity and ac-
cepted the situation. Indeed. he could
not very we'll do anything else.