Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1871-12-28


over towards him in the shadow of the
wall, and sundry dry thistles kept watch
at mis- feet.
"Ah, you rascal" said Theodore to him,
''is this the way you pass your nights?"
The idiot turned his head carelessly,
partly shut his eyes with a mocklug air,
and without taking his lips from the
grapes. "Ah," said he, 'it is you, is it,
Theodore? Come and taste ofmy grapes. "
"Who gave them to you9"
Kasper stretched out his hand and said,
Down there. There's plenty of them
there"
"What, there? You have stolen them
then from Reebstock's garden?"
eyes; Theodore" replied the othof
simply.
"And if tell of it?''
"You won't do that"
"Why not?"
"You would have to say what time of
The night it was when you saw me-"
AS Kasper said this he winked in an
odd fashion, and laughed as the artist
hastily recrossing the yard, murmured,
Eyes, yes; the fool is right"
But as he passed, Moss seized hold of
his coat and cried, "Stop thief, stop! 1
have caught you, you came to steal away
the heart of Gretchen"
Theodore grew pale. "Let me CO."
ssNo; sit down."
'Noss, I beg you, let me CO."
''Eat some ofmy grapes"
ssListen. will rouse the house."
"Lend me some tobacco, Theodore, and
I will make Gretchen come out" said Moss
in strange tone, full of attention and
conviction. "She loves you.. She thinks
only of you" "There," said heS raising
his finger, "listen! She dreams Of you in
her little chamber. She says, "Theodore,
my Theodore, love thee!"
The idiot had loosed his hold on Theo-
dore's coat; but he no longer thought of
escaping. He listened to the words OF
Moss with an infinite joy.
'Oh my good Kasper, are you sure OF
what you say"
"And why not?" said Moss. care you
not the handsomest man in the village,
and the best one too? Don't you give me
all your old pipes and tobacco always,
when ask for itp Yes, yes; she dreams
of you every night There, sit down, and
I will make her come out"
Theodore sat down like one fascinated,
and the fool gave him cluster of grapes,
sEat that,n said he, "you have given me
bread often enough for me to give you
something now."
Theodore to please him, took grape
| Io I,,r la1ininna TThau
were the real Markobruner.
Noss laughed. Joining his hands before
his mouth he made sound like the wax
ing cry of quail. 1t was so true thattar
away in the fields quail was deceived,
and thinking in the middle of the night
that it was morning, called three times.
"What are you doing?" said the young
man.
II am hurrying the hours" replied
Moss, ioyously. "It is four O'Clock out
side of the brewery"
He repeated the same cry at long inter-
walls, and from the fields around there
came thousand confused murmurs.
"Let me do it," said he to Theodore,
s'let me do it. Gretchen will come out;
and old Reebstock sleeps so soundly he'll
not wake up"
Then leaning over the fence he initiated
the first crow of the cock-slow and grave,
hoarse in the morning fog. You could
almost see the cock shake his feathers and
balance himself on the railing. Five or six
hens came down the steps Of the hen
house, looking at the moon above the roof
"You rogue" said Theodore, "who
taught you these things?"
! But Kasper Moss laughed gently and
whispered, "Don't ask me. am fool. {"
The hens, surprised at their error, start
ed up the steps again; but the idiot, full
of mischief, chased them and made them
fiutter and cackle.
Then, turning suddenly, he initiated
The song of the lark saluting the morning.
! He put in it so much of tenderness that
Theodore, with tears in his eyes, stretched
out his arms and murmured 80 Gretchen!
come, come, Gretchen; my love! my Joy!
my life! Gretchen, it is my heart which
sighs for thee! it is 1 who call thee!"
| He leaned against the wall, his head
| bent down, dreaming of Gretchen, while
| Moss continued his sweet, trembling notes.
"a. Gretchen, in her light sleep, had heard
the Growing Of the cocks, and it seemed
still dream; then the noise of the hens,
and her eyes opened. No light came in at
the little window, and she turned again to
dream of Theodore. But when she heard
the lark; when the soft, trembling notes
reached her heart, she rose gently, saying,
''yes, it is morning.
She slipped on her pretty dress and
started to open the window.