Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1920-01-24
N Jane Bunker
Copyright The e0bbs n Co


upper lip and a chin; and was now in
the throes of dissolution.
CONSERVATION reigned in the castle,
broken by the sobs of the fair Elfreda,
the sly glances of the bereaved broth
er-vhO would become the heir appar-
ent-and the wise silence of the old
kinglet
1t was not long before a 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 a marriage be-
! tween the families was greatly to be
desired. and warmed with high sense
of duty to the faSt-departing Oscar
ana l. may be, natural shrinking on
! the part of the lady from the embraces
| Of a 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 on
arriving at the castle and finding Os-
car instead of lying at peace in the
family chapel with solemn candles at
his head and his heels, making a fast
recovery by the aid of his devoted
mother in spite of his nose and his
chin and his lip!
Still, the news of Ire unprecedented
marriage was a tonic all arOund-es-
pecially to the messenger. Oscar cut
off his head and hung it out of the win
dow to air and then promptly got well
in a way that gave him grim satisfac-
ton and his mother considerable I'M
easiness for her darling; and no soon
! er was Oscar able to sit his horse +ban
| he directed his attention and his army
against her whom he was pleased to
call "faithless" and the brother whom
he designated as IAN unholy bandit"
Then did the fair lady call unto her
her own private scribe and she indited
a beautiful letter in her own hired
handwriting and in ii she told the
noble warrior that the mistake was
/ hers-as she saw by his gloriously
Scared face-and she took all the
| blame and offered herself and her
blood as a sacrifice in the appeasing of
| his righteous wrath. Then she called
her most faithful maid-of-all-work and
said: "Lady-in-waiting, I deliver this
into tny keeping. Now fetch me- my
! golden goblet, lock the door and ask
! no questions"
And with his attended to, Elfreda,
statiOning the lady-of- all-work in the
proper attitude with the goblet in
readiness to catch her hearts blood,
/ plunged a dagger in her bosom and
died
The faithful lady-in-waiting obedi-
emily caught the blood as it fell
seven great drops But. on, miracle
when she looked into the golden goblet
what did she behold2 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, stiI in the
golden goblet. were conveyed to Oscar
at the appointed hour and at sunset
the two brothers un IA 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 ity miracle; and
thenceforth, in keeping with their
mystic origin, they assumed a 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 were impaired to their posses
sors-.he 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 10 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. II
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 wish his two hands to his lips.
That's quite a yarn" observed
Billy, blowing out a cloud.
"'YsrtF" questioned monsieur.
"StcTy--tale-narrative," Billy ex-
planned. "Une historic" on which |
monsieur frightened and declared |
"C'est uue veritable historic"
True when it happened" translated |
Billy. But what don't see is, where
sou come in on the diamond deal"
IT, said monsieur. giving me a look
that asked: as there anything have |
not beautifully explainedT