The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1859-04-13
Indeed somebody, then, has been up stairs
since I have been asleep"
ono Monsieur


Are you sure!''
"Quite sure, Monsieur
''Now speak the truth, Bertha; some one has
been here; you are paid to deny it. Only tell
me who it was, and I will give you double for
your information
The servant looked both alarmed and aston
ishAd
Indeed, there has not been a soul. Does
Monsieur miss anything from his apartment?
Shall send for the gens-d arms?,'
The count looked searchingly in the girls
face. She looked wholly sincere and truthful.
He tried every means yet left-adroit questions,
insinuations, bribes, sudden accusations-but
in vain. She had seen no one-heard no one;
the door of the house was closed, and had not
been left open No one-absolutely no one had
/ been there
Puzzled, troubled, bewildered, our young
friend dismissed her, believing, in spite of his
surprise, the truth of what she stated. He
locked the door and counted the money. Ten
thousand forins not groschen more or less!
Well, it was there, but whence it came re-
maineda mystery. "a mysteries clear them
selves up in time" said he, as he locked the
money up in his bureau. Il dare say 1 shall
find it all out by-and-by. In the mean time
shall not touch single forin of it,
He tried not to think of it, but it was so
strange thing that he could not prevent it
from running in his head. It even kept him
awake at night, and took away his appetite by
day. At last he began te forgetit; at all events
he became used to it, and at the end of week
it had ceased to trouble him.
About eight days from the date of its occur
renee, he awoke, as before, thinking of Emma,
and not at all of the money, when 10! there it
was again. The table was once more covered
with glittering gold!
His first impulse was to run to the bureau in
which the first ten thousand forms were stored
away. Surely he must have taken them out
the night before and forgot to replace them. No,
there they lay in the drawer where he had hid
den them, and there upon the table was Sc
cond supply, larger if anything than the first!
Pale and trembling, he turned them over.
This time there was some notes-Prpssian and
French-mingled with the gold-in all, twelve
thousand forins.
He had locked the door-could it be opened
from without by skeleton key? He had bolt
fxed within that very day. Honest Albert Won
Steinberg! he took as much pains against for
tune as others do against robbery!
Two days later, however, his invisible bene
factor came again, Notwithstanding all his pre-
cautions; and this time he found himself four
teen thousand forms the richer! 1t was an in
explicable prodigy! No one could have entered
by the bolted door, or from the window, for he
lived in a garret on the fourth story-or by the
chimney, for the room was heated by a stove,
the funnel of which was no thicker than his
arm! Was it plot to ruin him? or was he
tempted by the powers of evil? He had a great
mind to apply to the police, or to.a priest for
he was a good catholic, )-stil be thought he
would wait little longer. After all, there
might be more unpleasant yisitations
He went out gently agitated, and walked
about the entire day, pondering this strange
problem, Then he resolved, if ever it REQUIRED
20 state his case to the chef de police, and to
set watch upon the house by night.
Full of this determination, ne came home and
went to bed In the morning, when he woke,
he found that fortune had again visited him
The first wonder Of the thing had now worn off
and he rose, dressed himself, and sat down leis-
urely to count the money over before lodging
his declaration at the bureau de police. While
he was engaged in making up little rouleauz of
gold, twenty in each rouleaux there came a
oNANA0SlA hiiSSAiAlSS az I4o dOOi-
He had no visitors, no friends in Ems; he
started like guilty man. and threw an over
coat hastily upon the table, SO as to conceal the
gold. Gould it be that this summons had any
thing to do with the money? Was lie suspected
of something that? The knock was repeat
ed, this time more loudly, more imperatively.
He opened the door. It was the baron Won
Hohendorf!
How The baron Won Hohendorf in Ems!
am rejoiced- honor-I-pray be seated"
The poor young dragons heart beat so FAST
and he trembled Sc with pleasure and hope, and
astonishnent, that he could scarcely speak,
The baron looked at him steadily, but sternIy
thrust back the proffered chair, and did not
deign to take the slightest notice of the extend
ed hand.
eyes, Herr Count he said drily. Il ar
rived yesterday at this place. You did not ex-
peet to see me"
'Indeed no. It is pieasure-a-deligh
a." He was so agtated that he forgot his
visitor was standing, and sat down; but he rose
up again directly.
"And yet saw you, Herr Count, yesterday
evening as you came out Of the conversation
reoms''
"Me? Indeed sir, l never visited the conver-
sation rooms at all yesterday; but I am very
sorry that | was not there, since should have
had the honor of meeting with you"
''Pardon me. Herr Count | saw you.. 1t is
useless to argue the point with me, for stood
close behind your chair for the greater part of
an hour. Do you know why am here this
morning in your apartment?"
The young man blushed, faltered, turned
pale He knew but one reason that could have
brought him visit from the baron Had he
relented? Could it be his generous design to
make two lovers hearts happy by granting that
consent which he formerly refused? There were
things more impossible. The baron was capa-
Bile Of such goodness! Something to this effect
he stammered in broken sentences, his eyes
fixed upon the ground, and his hand playing
with pen.
The baron drew himself up to his full height. .
If he had looked stern before, he looked furious
now. For few moments he could hardly
speak for rage. At last his wrath broke forth /
"Impertinence such as this, Herr Count,
lid not expect! l came here, sir, to give some
words of advice to your fathers son-to warn
to interpose, if possible, between you and
rour destruction. / did not come to be insult
Id"