Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1920-01-08
the surrounding territory tor as mucn
as ten square miles.


groom, was busily engaged in a dra-
matte border war with powerful
duchy the size Of Nantucket, so there
was naught for it but to dispatch the
handsome younger brother, Fritz, to
plight his brothers troth by proxy.
The dates were set, and all seemed
moving along its appointed course,
when post-haste comes trusty mes.
senger and delivers himself Of the
tale he has ridden all day to bring
that Oscar has been smitten through
the helmet, thereby losing nose, an
upper lip and chin; and was now In
the throes of dissolution.
CONSERVATION reigned in the castle,
broken by the sobs Of the fair Elfreda,
the shy glances of the bereaved broth.
er-who would become the heir appar.
ent-and the wise silence Of the old
kinglet.
1t was not long before decision
was reached satisfactory to all per-
sons-except Oscar, lying in his tent
comforting himself with thoughts of
the grief Of his beautiful betrothed,
whom he had never set eyes on; for
the two young people, Fritz and Ell.
freda, knowing that marriage be.
tween the families was greatly to be
desired, and warmed with high sense
Of duty to the fast-departing Oscar
and it may be, natural shrinking on
the part of the lady from the embraces
of husband minus an upper lip, a
nose and a chin, and plus some sixty
various and sundry other wounds and
scars to boot-hastened the ceremony
and were united by the castle priest in
the bonds Of holy matrimony before
the sun rose.
Imagine the messengers feelings or
arriving at the castle and finding Os
car, instead Of lying at peace in the
family chapel with solemn candles al
his head and his heels, making fast
recovery by the aid of his devoted
mother in spite Of his nose and his
chin and his lip!
Still, the news Of the unprecedented
marriage was a tonic all around-es
pecially to the messenger. Oscar cut
off his head and hung 1t out of the win
dow to air and then promptly got well
in way that gave him grim satisfac
tion and his mother considerable I'm
easiness for her darling; and no soon
err was Oscar able to sit his horse thar
he directed his attention and his army
against her whom he was pleased tt
call "faithless" and the brother whom
he designated as ian unholy bandit"
Then did the fair lady call unto hel
her own private scribe and she inditet
beautiful letter in her own hiret
handwriting, and in 1t she told thu
noble warrior that the mistake wat
hers-as she saw by his gloriousl,
Scared face-and she took all thu
blame and offered herself and hel
: blood as sacrifice in the appeasing o:
his righteous wrath. Then she callet
her most faithful maid-of-all-work ant
said: "I.ady-in-waiting,. deliver THU
into thy keeping. Now fetch me m!
GOLD goblet, lock the door and asl
no questions"
And with this attended to, Elfreda,
stationing the lady-of-all-work in the
proper attitude with the goblet in
readiness to catch her hearts blood,
plunged dagger in her bosom and
died.
The faithful lady-in.waiting obedi-
emily caught the blood as it fell
seven great drops. But, OF, miracle
when she looked into the golden goblet
what did she behold? Seven drops,
unmixed as when they fell from the.
gaping wound of her beloved mistress
seven glorious blood-red diamonds!
But she was strictly honest. The
letter and the diamonds, still in the
golden goblet, were conveyed to Oscar
at the appointed hour. and at sunset
the two brothers united their tears
above the bier Of the beautiful Ell
freda.
Such was the legendary origin of the
most wonderful diamonds in the world
"a collection created by miracle; and
thenceforth, in keeping with their
mystic origin, they assumed peculiar
role in the history Of nations, binding
bargains and sealing treaties of peace.
But now the later legends had en-
dowed the stones with occult powers
which We're impaired to their possess
sors-the renewal Of youth, wealth,
untold energy Of mind and spirit.
A century after. the stones were
taken to Venice and cut and their real
glory was revealed to the world; and
at last they excited the envy Of Bis
marck and came into the possession of
the emperor, grandfather to the pres
ent William, thence to William the
present.
To this legend Billy and I had lis
tened with unblinking interest. Mon
sieur told it in the sustained manner
Of one immured to secrets Of state. It
was he who broke the spell Of our
silence by asking me for a glass of
water.
carried the water to him and
turned away my eyes while he held the
glass with his two hands to his lips.