The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1869-01-15
fetlanfous.
THE BEAM.
II. ZSCIIOK X T..
Concinded.

Instantly l was up and away. They
showed me beautiful country-seat sur
rounded by gardens laid out with great
taste. "There she llves"- trembled
again as / had formerly done when a
lieutenant, and as l nevor had me be-
fore the Turks.
l got out OF the carriage. Already l
saw the lovely one, and how full of
heavenly grace and emotion she would
receive me. All! woman's heart! Does
she love me still? thought I, and pro-
coeded with an uncertain step through
the garden.
Before the house, under an arbor of
blooming red acacias, sat two elderly
ladies, and two young ladies. They
were reading. But Sophia l saw not.
l apologlzed for the interruption l
had occasionod; for they all seemed
surprised at my sudden appearance.
"Whom do you wish to sce?" asked
one Of the elderly ladies.
'May have the honor to pay my re-
spects to the Countess Sophia Of Oben-
dorf?" said l.
81 am She" replied to my amaze
ment the lady whdappeared to be some
what near forty. felt as If should
have an attack OF vertigo.
"Permit me to sit down; I am not
well !" sighed I and seated myself
without waiting for an answer. What
change! Whittier had flown the most
blooming of all beautics7 The illusion
passed away bethought myself OF q
quarter OF a century. 1t was Sophia,
yes, it was she! but the faded Sophia.
To whom have the honor to spcak?"
asked she. Alas she Knew me no bet
ter than l knew her.
l wished to avoid a scene before the
two ladies, and therefore begged for a
short tete-a-tete. The countess led Inc
into the house, and then into large
room on the left. The first thing that
met my eyes was full-length portrait
Of her father-I could find no words to
speak, my heart was so full. l gazed at
the picture till my eyes grew dim with
tears.-"Yes, old man." / stammered
in a low voice, 'looll now at thy So
phia!-Oh, thou hast not treated Us
| we'll"
The countess stood near me, embar-
rassed, and apparently alarmed at my
declaration. / wished to release her
from her painful situation, and yet
could not speak. A feeling of sadness
had completely overpowered me.
"You are not well, sir? said the
countess, and she looked uneasily to-
| wards the door.
ooh not" sighed /; "do you not know
me?"
She now fixed her eyes more earnest
ly upon me, and then gently shook her
head. l snatched the bean from my
bosom, knelt before her, and said, "Ah,
Sophia, do you still know this bean,
which separated us four-and-twenty
years ago? have kept it faithfully
Sophia, you said then, There Is provi-
dence;' yes, there i, one,"
so Heaven! !" stammered she, with a
faint voice; and, turning from me, went
towards sofa, upon which she threw
herself, and sought to conceal her pale
face with her hands, but she tainted.
She had recognized me. She loved mo
still.
called for help to the ladies, who
We're alarmed at the sight of their friend
in IL fninting fit, and strange officer
kncclng before her in tears. But be-
fore water and smelling-bottles could
be brought, the countess came to her
self. She Rubbed her eyes as if in II
dream. Then a flood of tears broke
| forth she snbbed as if she were incun-
solable, threw her arms around my
neck, and called me by name.
Enough, gentlemen, that was Il mo.
mcnt! Angels might have wept over
Us. | had no thought of taking my
leave. The countess received me as II
guest. Oh, how much had we to say
to each other, how faithfully she had
loved me What the colonel once pre-
vented, neither he nor his family could
prevent any longer. Sophia became
my wife; somewhat late it is true, but
yet not too late our souls still loved
with youthful fervor. My history, or
rather the history of this bean, is now
at an end, nota bene! not quite. For
the child that my Sophia bore me
brought into the world with hera mark
upon her breast just like a bean. Strange
freak of nature! But the maiden is
only 80 much the dearer to me.
u
Here the lieutenant-c colonel ended
but / heard no moro. Every thing
swan around me in my ears there was
buzzlng and humming like the sea.
Only in the midst OF it all, the ma me Of
Josephine sounded.
The colonel's carriage was announced,
"You must not think OF going" said
the councillor; 81 cannot let you go in
the night"
"Oh!" said the colonel, sit is lovely
night and bright moonlight"
My carriage was announced also. |
arose, went to the colonel, took him by
the hand, and said, "Your name is
Won Tarnau."
IIe bowed in the Affirmative.
81 beg you to spend this night with
me-" said l much depends upon it.
You must not go. l have something
important to say to you"
| said this SO earnestly, and | might
add so unconsciously, and at the same
time trembled 50 violently, that the
old man did not know what to make of
me. Still he remained firm, and in
sisted upon going. His obstinacy al
most brought me to despair.