The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-01-07

AZ OHCS lie VIII Jake care OF YOU ana
will go out TO America and fight for the
Onion"
"Never!" cried Eric. 81 will go
You must stay aud take care of Oitilia
l could do some good there. / could
turn my training ne a military engineer
to some account, for the first time.
viii do something worth doing, and
make Ottilia proud of me-"
'You foolish boy. dOn'i you think OF
tilia would rather have you with her
than in danger?"
''Let US ask her. Let Ottilia decide y
eide"
''Oh no, dear father; no. dear Eric.
Don't ask me to decide! Oh. I wish l
had not spokeni am aifuid now OF
what have done! How could posi-
bly, part with either of you? How
could bear tosee our happiness bro
ken up? 1t is a great cause. wish !
could give myself up TO it; but how
could l give up my father aud my Eric y
Indeed, Ottilia's sudden burst of chiv-
alric energy had for the moment almost
collapsed. She dreaded the thought oil
parting, really parting, from her father
or her lover: and her eVes were filed
with tears and her limbs trembled.
Both the father and the lover persc-
| vered. One or other would go and
each urged more and more Vehementiy
his own claims. Both combined in
pressing decision upon Ottilia.
"COme, Ottilia, my child, said her
father at last, in an urgent and decisive
tone, " we expeet little firmness and a
little sacrifice from you. Don't ask Us
both to draw back from a good cause to
which we feel in our hearts that one al
least ought to be dedicated. This is the
true cause of all free men, aud all men
who wish to be free every where over
the world. Truly America could well
do withoutus. But that is not the Ques-
ton our duty is not the less clear. She
could probably have done without
Rochambeau and even Lafayette. One
of Us must go-decide, Ottilia-and re-
membe Erie is TO be your husband"
Eyes, decide, Otiilia y cried the young
man land remember that my rival III
this dispute is your father"
Ottilia's heart beat fiercely and her
eyes grew dim, and for a moment she
could not see or speak. But, if she
must choose, her decision was clear.
She made one or two efforts TO speak
and failed; then at last collected all her
strength and sense, and said:
Gather. dear father. you must not go.
Eric, my own love, l send you."
Eric sprang forward and caught her
in his arms. For the effort had overtax-
ed her, and she was falling in u faint.
Before week was Oh Eric had sail
ed from Bremen. A brave little hand
iul of sturdy Young Swedes went with
him, all eager to offer their strong arms
10 the service OF human freedom and OF
the American Union. Eric, who had
been many times in England on eugin-
eering projects. and spoke Eng ish flu
emily, occupied himself good deal du-
ring the voyage in teaching his comprn-
ions little OF the language. He hoped
by his and their eXertions among
Swedes in America 10 raise di>tincI
Swedish regiment, which should make
ITS mark on the battle-felds of the re-
public.
He was to have written to Ottilia ever
so often and lie did write many letters
full of love and high spirits and hope.
Then there came long blank. She cx-
peeted, poor girl, every day to find the
papers full oil some wonderful exploit
performed by her young hero; but the
stories OF battles brought no record OF
his deeds or his name. The last letter
she received from him was written on
the eve of the great fight at Aniietam.
Ottilia and her father followed on the
map every movement of the war. She
knew more of its scenes aud its prog
ress than many a New York girl did.
Indeed, her whole soul was i'll it.
So the days, and weeks, and months
wore on, and Ottilia never heard of her
lover. She and her father hardly dared
to speak the doubts and fears that tor
tured them. Westfeldt wrote to The
Swedish consul in New York, who
made careful inquiries, but could find
no trace of Eric's movements or even
of his existence after Antietam. He
had served in the German regiment, and
his name was returned with those of the
missing. The only scrap of comfort
was, that the list of the killed or the
wounded had no name like his.
II ought 10 have gone" said West
feldt to himself very sadly one day. Il
ought not to have left it to her decision
he was gazing ot the pale face Of his
ed him 10 go. She would have got over
the loss of me, and been happy with her
husband. Him she can never forget.
Her life is ruined from its very spring
time"
He thought for few moments, and
then he went over to his daughter, and
took her hand in his.
'Ottilia, my child, let us go in search
of him."
A flush of light that seemed almost
joyous came in her deep blue eyes. She
pressed her fathers's hand rapturously,
and cried, "Oh, father. dear father. let
US go! Let us leave this place at once.
We shall find him-I know we shall. -
Their preparations were not very
troublesome, and they hoped to leave
Stockholm OH their love pilgrimage in
few DAYS. But fate sharply interpOsed
and dealt them both heavy, sudden
blow.
westfeldt, who had always seemed in
noble health, was seized with convuls-
i've spasms one day, and appeared to be
stricken with something like paralysis.
His condition apparently baff1ed the
doctors, and he became steadily worse
and worse. The very morning of the
day when he and his daughter were -
have left Stockholm for their voyage he
suddenly called her over to him, clutch
ed her hand, murmured conyulsivrly.
"Oh, OttiIia, my daughter! o God.
watch over her!" and then sank back
and Otiilia was alone in the world.
Her gIief, his burial her inter pros
tration " hen the excitement of fresh
agony was over, kept her long in Stock
holm. Then her friends endeavored to
retain her with them, and dissuade
her from carrying out alone the enter
prise she had resolved on with her faith
er. The American war was by this
time obviously drawing to a close. Even
the London Times was beginning to be
less confident about the utter failure o!
Grant and the disastrous retreat OF
sherman. One OF the Young Swedes
who had sailed and served with Eric &C
.ually came back to Stockholm wound
ed and wasted; and he reported that
Eric had long been given up by such OF
his compatriots as still survived. There
seemed little use. indeed, in Ottilia'S
quest yet 20 TO America and seek for
her lost lover she would. At last TO
escape the advice and importantly OF
her friends, she literally broke away
from Stockholm; fed, without giving
any notice, or saying a word of fare
| we'll, TO Bremen and thence sailed away
across the Atlantic, more lonely and
less hopeful than the wife of CameralZu-
mar, in the Arabian Nights" when she
starts on her brave, sad pilgrimage. 10
| find the husband who had SO lnysteri-
eusly disappeared from her side
When Ottilia arrived in New York
the war was all over, aud President
Lincoln lay dead What was this poor.
solitary Swedish girl, who spoke but
| little English, to do in this strange, vast
cify-in this almost limitless land
where she had come to find an obscure
Young man who had dropped out tot the
sight of the living world years ago
She took an odd, girlish, romantic
l She ont an A