Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1871-08-31

~ L
know all about me, even my engagement
to Charlie, that no one knows, YOU know
"why,' said Mabel, blushing at the rcco lee,
tion, che addressed me as Mrs. Caleph
and, when told him wasn't married yet
the horrid thing said must marry him
and right.otf, too, or we would both be
dead! And then he went on and talked
about all sorts Of the strangest, most in
comprehensive things, and read something
to me out of dirty note book he had
about groups and the law, and distribu.
tions, and literal idcntiti, =, and l don't
know what else. Wasn't it tcrrible?"
"But he is gone-he returns no more, >
said nursie, soothingly.
"Ah, but he does return" said Mabel
disconsolately "He's coming here to-
morrow night; he said he must come any
way to get my answer. Think of it! And
| told him to come, then because Charlie
will be here, you know, and he can talk to
him."
"What name has he, my Mabelein ~ in.
quired Christina
"Oh, some German name; remember
it reminded me somehow Of your last
name, nursie-' Lapech.' There was 8
'pech about it, and-oh, yes, l know, i,
was Pcchal-Dr. Pechal."
Christina started SO that, for almost the
first time in her life, she pulled Mabel'e
| hair
"Ah" screamed Mabel; then, catching
sight of the old ladys face in the mirror
"why, nursie dear, what's the matter?"
,, "Nothing, my Liebchen, nothing; only
] thof ba pn,,f <,1l f1h nc a
! time-long ago, before thou vast born, Ma.
belein-when she, too, was engaged to be
married. All, that was happy time!
sighed nursie.
"Tell ma all about it, DEAR" said Mabel
persuasively; all matters Of the heart were
to her Of paramount interest and import
ance.
There is little to tell, Liebchen. He
was stout, handsome and brave; he wore
students cap, and fought with the
Schlager. He was wis", also; he knew
more than all the professors And he
loved his Christinchen; and to me he was
very DEAR" said the old lady, simply.
"But why didn't you marry him ?" de.
manded Mabel
"Ah, that is sad history, Mabelein
| Thou know est we once We're wealthy, and
had rank. But time came-we had lost
our fOriune-we were poor and unf,rtu-
nate. But he was brave he said: Il will
go, Christinchen, and see. l will make
fortune for us all And he went. but l
never after saw him, and think he died,
for believe not he would ever forget his
Christinchen
"Poor, dear old nursie," said the tender
hearted Mabel, with tears standing in her
sweet eyes. "And was this before you
came to us?"
"Yes, Liebchen; your father and mother
were then boarding at our house and your
dear mother, who is now dead, liked me
and her; so when you went away, she
took me to be nurse aud to he]p her l
said: If he comes, must leave YOU But
he never came, and am always here"
"Poor, dear, old nursie," thought Mabel,
again, an hour later, as she lay with her
cheek upon her hand, waiting for sleep.
"And she never told me of it before
Well, some day perhaps he will come back
and marry her, and then she will be as
happy as-I shall be-"
Do pleasant dreams always go by con
traries?
"Do you mean to say, sir" demanded
Charlie, who sat with Mabels little trem
bling hand in his, "that you have evolved
the law which regulates the time. place,
and circumstances, of the death of every
human bcing?"
"It is precisely that" replied DR.. Pc.
chal, charmed at being SO well understood
"Were the room not so dark, sir, | would
ask you to look over my little book. AL
is explained there"
The doctor, calling late in the evening,
had come upon Mabel and Charlie Caleph
sitting together in the dusk and, being a
somewhat abrupt gentleman, he had en-
tered upon his business at once, without
waiting even for candles.
But how do you know your law is
true?" asked Mabel, detiantly.
"ls it not then logical?" said the doc
tor. "The insurance companies have gone
so far as to establish the average age at
which death comes: if man die here at
sixty, somewhere must die boy of twelve,
that the balance may be preserved. Is it
probable that this balance should relate to
age alone? Is there not also the balance
OF one sex against the other. of light against
dark, OF nation against nation, of temper
ament against temperament? Not even
here can we draw the line; the farther we
search the more the conditions that arise :
no trait, however subtle; no feature, how
ever insignificant-but bears directly how
ever lightly, upon mans destiny What
could be more clear, more inevtable?"
Charlie and Mabel were silent; strange
chill seemed creeping around their hearts.
The doctors voice, all apparently remain
ing OF him in the darkened room, sounded
solemn and mysterious as he gave
utterance to the thoughts which
he had been all his life revolving. Wholly
bound up in the contemplation Of his aw-
full theory, his words were not without an
1nrressivtness even more powerful than
ordinary elOquence.
ut Is indeed strange" resumed he,
THAT mankind, continually prying after
the mysteries of science and the laws of
life, should never have set themselves to
learn the most important and yet the
simplest law which tells them when they
are to die, and who shall die with them.
For no man dies alone. There is mys-
terions chain, formed of innumerable and
Invisible links, binding his life to that of
is one of a group; and the breaking OF
that one chain is the dissolution of their
common life"
"Can nothing hinder this law-if it be
law ?" demanded Charlie.
1T is seldom possible" replied the
doctor. "The only safety lies in mar
riage, which constitutes new condition
of things-annulling the old. But it must
be no ordinary marriage. TO be eftlcacious,
the most cxacting conditions have to be
fulfilled OF the many, it is only needful
| should mention two: the husband and
| wife must belong tn the same group, and
their names must be composed of the same
letters, differently arranged And this, u
added the doctor, "bears upon my errand
to night"
Mabel shnddercd, and drew nearer to
Charlie, who passed his arm around her
waist. DR.. Pechal proceeded:
Il have discovered, by the most exhaus-
tive calculations, that before this hour to-
morrow my death, and that of all nv
group, is destined to take place. NV cal.
culati0ns also showed that one at least of
the group must be resident of this city.
| knew there were but three besides nv.
self: one, whom l was personally nc.
quainted with"-the doctor cleared his
throat" was not to be thought of, though
she once might have saved us all of the
two others remaining, one I k new to be a
woman, and, trusting she might be the
New Yorker, came here to seek her, ard
in the person of this young lady l have
found her. She is member of my group
and she, as her name proclaims her, is
destined to save US both by uniting her
destiny to mine. Analyze our names
you find them literally Identical; aud for
the rest, the proofs are easy and IRE