Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-11-17

bsg OF golden coins, every one of which
hey carefully counted, and then put
back again, covering the place with a
chest of drawers, containing their cloth
ing, which they had before removed to
get at the hiding place of the money.
All this was simple enough 50 far, and
somehow, stay to consider that looking
through brick and plaster walls, and
windows with heavy blinds over them,
was anything out of the ordinary course
of things; and would have passed, I
suppose, to something else, if my at
tention had not been arrested by the
sudden appearance of a man whose
countenance was the most forbidding /
had ever laid eyes on. I should know
that face thousand years hence, if I
might live SO long. It now seemed to
me that he had watched the
movements of the old man and
his wife, before I had observed
him; and that this sight of the gold
had maddened him. His face wore the
expression of fiend OF hell; and, while
I seemed to know his intent, had no
power to speak, CIR to give warning of
any sound whatever to his doomed vic
TINS by the utterance of any sound
whatever. Even motion was taken
from me, and I could give no sort of
signal to the unconscious pair of the
dread fate which now knew awaited
them. How the ruffian entered the
house, I cannot tell. He seemed to be
there as naturally as I was able to see
whatever occurred there; for the doors
and windows were, in vision, still Sc
cure. I do not understand this, but SO
it was. At last, the evil-faced man
drew his knife, and, whetting its noise
lessly upon the feshy part of his left
hand, rushed into the bedroom,
and struck a furious blow with
his weapon, at the wife, who
was nearest The door. The wound,
though CHASTITY enough, was not at the
moment mortal; for the shrieks of the
poor woman, in her endeavor to alarm
her husband and call him to her side,
still ring in my ear. The old mans
fate was at once decided; for, though he
made bold front against the villain,
the cruel knife entered his heart at the
first blow, and, after bound like that
of lusty youth, he fell ifeless upon
the floor. The cries of the woman, now
becoming weaker from loss of blood,
were then quickly stopped; for the de-
mon, as he seemed to be, plunged his
knife, with bitter curses, again and
again into her vitals. Why, oh! why,
should neither speak nor move? As
soon as he was made sure
that both his victims were dead,
the monster pushed aside the chest of
drawers, drew forth and counted the
money, just as the old couple had
done so shortly before, grinned hor-
ribly. and replaced everything. It
seemed to me but moment more when
the bodies were taken to the well side
in the garden, and both thrown into the
water; the stones from the little wall
around the well thrown in too, and q
mound of earth, in which shrubs and
flowers had taken root, and were
fourishing as if they had always been
there, had risen above them all.
Such, in substance, was the recital
which Kasper Graetz made to his wife
of the dream which had SO greatly dis
turbea him. It was " indeed wonder
full dream" thought the good woman;
but how her husband conld have kept
himself $50 quiet through such excit-
ing scenes. while 'sshe would have made
things ring again. was, in her estima-
ton, more wonderful still.
But the nine days usually allotted for
the lifetime of admiration soon pass
away, and Kasper and his household
have well-nigh forgotten, amid the cares
and concerns of their rustic life, what
was so lately the continuous theme of
their thoughts and of their simple talk.
Besides, Fritz, the oldest son, had be-
gun to speak of matrimony; for how,
pleads he, can he properly manage the
farm without wife? To be sure, he
does not yet know-not he-where he
will go to find one; and then it is sud-
denly remembered of all that, for
months past, he has been making even
ing visits to Koernholz, not, he per-
sists, because Katherine, his old
schoolmate, lives thereof! no!
but because her father would
bargain fer wool, to be delivered at the
next steering; and every one knows
there was no better a weaver than Al
brecht Stein to be found anywhere.
All sly young Fritz ! tbs OF no use that
you thus beat about the bush. In due
course a wedding came off, and Fritz is
married to Katherine hard and fast as
Mother Church can tie them; and every
one is happy with them at this Christ
mas time,-for SO fair and loving a
young pair it is very good to see. And
they will manage the farm notably be-
tween them, never fear.
The winter soon becomes of the past,
and the circling year rushes in that
sweet season
When wheatis grain, when hawthorn buds APP
pear;
and Kaspar, at the solicitation of his
friend Stein, who has new and urgent
business there, contemplates his first
visit to the Capital. Solemn leave is at