Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-10-31
The smile fade. sudds1 " away from the young


The smile fades suddsI ly away from the young
mans face Gretchen puts on q very long face
too, and shskes her tCSG dismallY.
''What " it, Gretchen? Don't keep me in sus-
pense. Has anything happened TO her? Is she
~ is she-Whsts tie good of making IN ster-
les? Everybody knows howl love her - cries
Hans, gaining Sudden courage.
- e every oO0y except LOuison herself, ," says
Gretchen. Another tug at the dress-au ina
ElfIiTg tug this time. IOnison Tee IL her situa-
ton becoming extremely embarrassing. But
GrctChen's tongue j. not go easily stopped. The
very spirit of mischief zee ms 20 have Tak- n pos
seSsioh OF her. . Every body except LOUisUH her
s=f, she repeats.
Could yOu-could you not help me little
Whth che comes" asks Hans in an under tone,
which IL meant for Gretchtn's ear alone, but
which reaches yersl Othe pairs OF ears hes des
Gretchen laughs. " Not 1. Manage thine
own business, Master Hans. Besides, did / not
day after the fair % vehement pull at the
dTtss-'' that there are attractions at konigs-
buTg'-s still more vehement pull, and some
thing Ike groan from HaDs-'a farmer, you
must know handsome al rich"
This Is too much. LOuison's Iatience and
dscI e't,n alike gave way. She scrambles up to
her feet.
Gretchen, Gretchen, how can you, how dare
Yea she cries, her cheeks sll stsme.
OF course there Is laugh from the whole
circle. As for Hans. at the first sight of the
unexpected sppaIiiiOn lis new found courage
suddenly takes fight, and he with it. When
they look round Tor him to explain matters. he
/.
brance of his late holiness has produced a re-
action; possibly the last piece OF intelligence
about the handsome young farmer al Konigs-
burg has proved too rsuch for his nerves: or
possibly he nay be hurt OF offended at the little
/ tTick which has been PLAYED upon him. This
Is the fear which troubles LOUis0n.
"Oh, Gretchen, Gretchen, how unkind, TO be
SURF. Who would have dreamed 10 hear thee
say such things?' she cried.
What goose thou aTC to turn little limo
( cent bit OF fun into such scene, LonisJn.
Why didst thou not stay Qulet?"
- think thou vert carr ing thy nonsense too
far, Gretchen" says the widow. "See, thou
hast vexed Hans and made LouisOn cry"
And lie VIII think it is al true" sObs L0ui-
SCR.
Nay, nay, child" puts in the old graudmo-
treT, CODsOllugly, never fear. IL will come all
I.zht IN time. Most thirgs DO, If We will only
have patience"
He will know that IL was all Gretchen 3 non
SENSE" suggests the Old grandfather. al Will
go ana see II can and Linn anywhere abOut
and bring him in 20 thee
NO, no, grandfather" cries the little maiden
between her sOb5. - Is all my own fault.
Don't fetch him; DON 20 after him. 1t he is
angry It Is quite nigh, quite. He must think
me 20 hOrrid, 80 bold. He must think l only
wanted him to say
''Be loved you.' 1t is Gretchen, half mis-.
ehleyous and half rePentant, who ills up the
'He will never say so sga.n, F" sobs Iouison.
And wOulds,t thOu care 50 very, very much
If he did not? Eh?' asks Gretchen I.juisJn' :
face hidden in her hands. She does not see a
shadow that creeps steslthily every moment
nearer and near TO the open window. Gretchen
stands before her. "DOst thou indeed care
Cor him so much, little One?"
LouiSOn does not look up. The words that she
says are lot many, and are broken with sObs.
But, lew or many, they are TO the purpose.
More to the purpose than listening Hans would
have heard had he not played eaVesdrOpper in
his turn.
Before they are fairly out of her mouth, there
Is rustic OF the cTeepeT outside the house, a
leap through the window, and before LOuisOn
can turn to fly she i caught, Gagged, held fast,
in pair OF strong young arms. What nee1 of
mOIe lOye-making when the love was alread y .
LOuison protests. ''Oh! it was mean, unfair
Of thee, Hans, L could Lot have believed it,
she CIirs.
But she dries her tears, and Haushelps her.
But at least thou vert as bad" Hans re-
toIts. 81 never could have believed it OF thee
either"
Then 1 suppose we must forgive one
| another"
II suppose we must try"
And 20 they settled IL.
And very fOOn after the wooden weddiuI
| comes another, where, we may be sure, laugh
/ Ing Gretchen acts the part Of bridesmaid.
e Twas all thy fault, LouIson says TO her, as
| tBey walk home.
Entirely" echoes Hans. s'I never should
have thought OF such thing but for thee and
thy tricks But / forgive thee
And thou, LOuisOn,' asks the girl.
well, 1 will see how Hans behaves in the
future. 1 will tell thee On-On the day OF my
wooden wedding" But as she looks up into her
Young husbands lace she does not seem to have
much fear.
"AE. talking of wooden wedIings, thou hast
quite forgotten all about poor MargOs and LeI
bracket" says LOuiSOn.
IL will give her d pair instead Of one" saws
Hans.
And they were AL made happy.