The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1872-03-29


tory. II this had been such blow TO
her husband, what must have been the
feelings Of Kate, whose every thought
was bound up in the acquisition of
wealth! And she had married below
her station in society for this To be
reduced to poverty, and be cut by all
her acquaintance las she knew she
would be), was too much for her to bear.
She determined to faint away, SO that
when Johann came home he should be
duly appraised OF the enormiIy Of his
guilt toward her. Accordingly, before
the neighbor (who was trying to find
some way OF gently breaking the news
to her) could say another word, Kathrina
swooned gracefully away.
II would, Of course, be wrong in me
to say that the death of her husband
did not affect Mrs. Kate. If she ever
loved him, it was at the moment when
told that she should see him no more.
She went into deepest mourning for
many months. Ii outward calmness is
a symptom of internal grief, she was the
victim of the most violent emotion. IL
she ever wept, it was in the privacy Of
her own chamber, where we will not in.
trude. Hers was no common loss.
Some husbands love their wives, their
children, their parents, their horses,
their money-in fact, everything about
them. They seem to have an unlimited
capacity for loving. Johann loved
Observation-Disclosures alone. And this
husband, who loved her had been
snatched away in terrible manner, and
without even a chance of saying good.
byew or "God bless you - Not to
mourn the loss of such o husband would
prove her an migrate of the lowest type.
Of course, the idea of thinking about
her husbands property was at first in.
tolerable. When she came to look into
matters, however, she found that while
there were no outstanding debts, vet all
the business property had been de.
stroyed in the fire, and she and her
mother left with only the cottage which
they could call their own. She indig-
nantly refused to touch the life.insur-
ance money. 1t seemed to her, she de.
clsred, like a sacrilege. But after a
while she felt that, as it had been her
intention to provide for her,
she should accept it.
Twenty thousand dollars in cash was
no small sum at that time, and Kathrina
had little difficulty in investing it safe
ly. Much of it she caused to be put in
real estate. This increased greatly in
value, and in due course of time Mrs.
Kate Bierslinger attained the reputa-
ton of being rich young widow. The
little cottage was rented, and its former |
mistress purchased fine house on a
avenue. She kept splen-
did carriage with driver and footman in
livery. Her business was all transacted
by her agents, and she was apparently
in want of nothing to add to life of
ease Friends, of whom she had many
ss she grew weather., advised her to
marry but she kept her own counsel.
She had reared a stately monument to
Johann, and this she visited often. At
ter while she began to figure on the
charity lists, and her name was syno-
nym for benevolence. She founded a
hospital, and visited the poorer districts
Of the city on errands Of mercy.
One day while riding in her carriage,
by several of her lady
friends, they passed party of labSrers
who were at work mending the pave
ment. Kathrina was in the midst of an
animated conversation, but happened
to catch the eye of one of them, dressed
in ragged blouse and smoking : hort
pipe, who looked so like her deceased
husband that she tainted outright and
in good earnest for once in her life. She
was taken to the house of one Of her
~ lS II on1< Il %
be driven back Immediately to the
group of laborers. Her second thought
must haye convinced her that she had
been the victim of a silly illusion: for,
before reaching the spot she ordered the
coachman to return to the house. She
did not consider it necessary to obtain
certain proof of her weakness by again
facing the cause of her agitation. Hav.
ing recovered her spirits, she proceeded
with her friends on their original er-
rand and they soon forgot the incl
lent. Kate, however, for Il long time
scanned half fearfully the
faces of all the laborers she met, proba.
bly, with the vain hope of again see
ng the one that had gazed up at her
out Of her dead husbands countenance.
Ten years drag along very slowly,
even with the rich, who have every con.
Tenience for killing time. Mrs Kate
felt very lonely after her
death, which occurred one
hight, not altogether Unexpectedly, for
he had long been confirmed invalid.
Kate was young (hardly thirty yeti, and
better looking than when as girl she
Won the affections of the simple weaver
n Golgau. She moved in very high
circle Of society, and was admired at
Newport and Saratoga. Among her
numerous lovers was Mr.. -
wealthy Chicago merchant. To him she
inally yielded her hand and heart, at
lis urgent solicitation. Who can blame