Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-11-04
A SOMNAMBULIsT AT CARDS.

and | never saw the kind-hearted fellow
since we parted one night, years ago Oh
the bridge Of Mayence--I to shave off
MoustacheS, and become member of the
Honorable Society of the Middle TEN
pie; and my friend to enter the 81 Uhlar
Regiment ef his Imperial Royal Majesty
the Emperor ee Austria Ny mind was
made up in a minute. | wrote a few let
ters, thrust half dozen shirts IN my KNAPP
sack, hunted eet nay passport, and by neon
next day was pleasantly steaming down
the Thames in the Antwerp boat, After
a lounge through Belgium, made my way
II Heidelberg, and engaged voiturier to
drive me over TO the village where my
friend resided. To my surprise en- reach
ing W, and inquiring the direction of
the house, mine hest Immediately assumed
an air of profound respect. He was de-
ligted, he said, to be of ST rice to friend
OF the noble Baron Won H, and would
himself accompany me to the schloss
| but Just at this instant a handsome open
| carriage drove up to the door, and gen
tleman alighting, inquired whether any
] English traveller had recently passed thro'
| the village-that in case such a person
arrived. he was inmeditely TO be convey
ed to the castle, as a visitor from that
| ment [ coUld scarcely believe that the pol
! lshed stranger before nae was the verta-
bic Fritz of yore; but all doabts were
speedily removed by his recognizing and
welcoming me with a warmth that would
seem exaggerated to an Englishman ac-
customed only TO oar own undermonstrive
manners.
Fritz was formerly the son Of poor
officer, who made the campaign of Mos
COW under that German hero, Prince En-
/ lille of Hesse-D e-Darmstadt, and had by strict
economy, been enabled to send his son to
| the university of Heidelberg, where we
! first became acquainted. But nature new
er intended that my friend should become
| a doctor of philosophy, and 50, after neg
lecting his lectures, fighting a score of
due Is, and making grand reputation at
/ the knepe, his father removed him In dis
plir, and, with some difficulty, procured
him a cadetship in the Austrian hussars.
| Here, as elsewhere he became a leading
f .vori e; his handsome person and gen
erous qualities rendered him the admira-
lion of the ladies and the pride of his
| corps; he ate, drank, dan, e l. made
merry like hon hearted dragoon as
he was and got into debt Two wears
ago, he wrote me very desponding let
ter, wherein h. stated his embarrassed
| circumstances, and his intention of SEX
ing active service IN some other land so
that his present afiiuence naturally aston
/ lshed me, ald | could only account for his
good fortune by ascribing 1t entirely to his
wife. However as he never evinced any
desire 10 be communicative on this point
of his history, | felt a deli ;acy IN alluding
to the subject, and gradually dismissed it
from my mind.
One evening tc the close of my visit,
Fritz and were sitting alone in the ran
| chXIlner chatting pleasantly over our early
! friendship and recalling our burschen
| life with al. its finished Joys and sorrows.
1t was a wild night. My friend was ev-
| identity distressed and uneasy: and after
an unusually long pause, during which he
| pulled out enormous mouthfuls of smoke.
he turned sudd tnly around and said
Harry since you have been here. YOU
have often wondered how became pos
sessed of my pr essnt fortune. | know it.
L could see 1t IN every look. | cnioyed
mistifying you: but never intended let
ting you depart without telling YOU how
made my money. You remember Wer-
tish sort of letter | wrote to you a year
or two ago. About that time, | was in
considerable trouble Our regiment had
been stationed some months In a small
town on the Bohemian frontier, and, as |
had nothing else to do, | managed to fall
in love, veritably over head and ears in
love, with the daughter of a neighborinp
nobleman. At first, ell went on prosper
ously enough, ard had already con-
structed some very magnificent chateaux
en- ESpagne for our future abode. NV
love was amply returned and the conf
ding Innocence of a young country girl
fresh and pure as on of her own mountain
flowers, contrasted so favorabIy with the
artificial graces of the great ladies had
recently in left Vienna, | felt tremuIous
rapture, difficult to describe, in possessing
the affections of SO pure heart Matters
went on In this way for sometime but
always TO WOO and never to wed, altho'
good IN a song; becomes sore In reality,
so | screwed up sufficient courage one at
ternoon, as we were sitting alone chatting
across the walnutS and the WINE TO ask
the counts consent 10 our marriage. He
seemed perfectly astonished, and asked
me what fortune | had to support wife
upon. Here was a knock-down blow to
all my arguments. Fortune my for
tune! Surely 1t must be Joke for any
one TO ask Lieutenant Fritz Won H
what his fortune was. But | resolved TO
use no deception, SO | gave the old gem
tie man a minute and graphic account of
my worldly possessions. AS | concluded,
he rose, saying quietly:
Il wish to avoid all recrimnatons.-
If you have been wrong In playing the
role of the adventurer-pardon the ex-
pressior-I was equally to blame in en-
couraging your visits; II Is what men of
the world and romance writer's would ap-
plaud. Now let there be no further doubt
on this subject You are stutor for my
daughters hand her affections, you say,