The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1852-04-01
we had quarreled. 1 have never touch

She ran to the old chest, and drawing
forth the purse, threw it out of the open
window into the river which flowed be-
meath. Her action was so rapid that
Fritz had no time to stop her, and he
leant forward, pensively watching the
bubbling waters close over the treasure.
&" Now" said Catherine, you see
you can have no reason for not loving
me-"
az see," replied her husband, hardly
concealing sort of disappointment,
4" that you have thrown your money into
the river, but l do not see how that ex-
plains this note" .-.. .. ....-
/" What note ?" asked Catherine.
GA note written by the same hand
that signed my commission-a letter
which / found in the purse you have just
thrown out of the window F"
ga letter from the prince - cried his
bcwildered wife.
" From whom else could it be 20
"The letter was not for me.''
" Indeed j" continued Fritz. "My
own dearly beloved Catherine, that name
is not yours, and the purse was not yours
either :"
81 do not know the PRINCE" sobbed
Catherine, | have never seen him. My
aunt sent me the money"
Eh-what Your aunt is then"
''Alas yes. My aunt was called
Catherine Vanburn, like me; now she
is the Baroness de B. My faith
er's last words were, that l should never
see or have anything to do with her
She often sent me presents, and [ always
refused them but at our wedding |
thought l might venture-it was for
your sake. If it was fault, it did not
deserve your cruel desertion."
$50, then, it was not to you that the
prince was sending his notes and his
gold - '' -..'.-' ''''
"No-it was to my aunt" replied
the weeping Catherine. 5a.i .t
/" 1t was not for your sake that I was
made corporal, received this medal, and
became an officer, after being well fog
ged :" .'' '-.
Ono. Perhaps it was my aunt's in
terest." .,.-.
Fool-threefold fool that 1 am u
cried Fritz, shifting his forehead, with
an energetic oath. TO think that
should have enlisted, have retired-and
that Catherine should have thrown my
money out of the window ~
He sank down, overwhelmed with
grief; but his wife's caresses restored
his equanimity, and all was soon forgot
ten. At last Fritz thought of asking his
wife why she had not written to him.
" "After your disappearance" answer
ed Catherine, L spent more. than six
weeks looking for you, tut I could find
no trace of you" .faaT ...' ..-''
g 1 was in the hospital then,'' he re-
marked. -...4. - ... 90. .. e..
WE'LL" she continued, "my poor
old mother fell i'll, and 1 was nursing her
necessarily till her death. Afterwards
| set to work again, and then l learned
that you had enlisted, and that your
regiment had been sent out of the coun-
try. l would have followed you, but
was so poor and took good care not
to do more mischief by going to my aunt
again. 1 made up my mind to wait and
hope, and here you are back again ~
Nothing would have been wanting to
add to Fritz's and GATHERINGS happiness,
after their full reconciliation had not pov-
erty come knocking at the door. Gather
inc had lost her customers. in running af-
ter her husband, and his soldiers life had
made him fit for nothing. The princes
five hundred ducats kept them going as
long as they lasted, but morning came
when they had neither fire, bread, nor
money in the house, and Fritz thought
of throwing himself into the river,
doubtless in search of his lost treasure.
He gained the bank, and was about to
plunge in, when his eye was caught by
the following placard: .t
GA purse of gold, containing ten thou
sand ducats, has been found near this
place. Apply to Ludwig, the fisher
man, Faubourg Neuf."
This announcement suspended Fritz's
suicidal projects, and he hurried to the
honest fsherman's, where he found his
purse intact. He could now realize his
first ambitious dream by taking a hand
some shop, in which he installed his
wife behind a mahogany counter. H
Happiness quickly restored GATHERINGS
beauty, and their shop became rem
devious for all the. young men in the
town. Our hero made his fortune he
strutted about the place in cane and
cloth coat--was elected alderman and
when death found him was on the point
of nroour;no Iotfore of pobi1;tu