The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-12-01

low thought, and seemed frightened some-
how. They didn't stay long Meta seemed
wild to get away, but when they were going
Dorothea gave her hand to-to the fellow.
you know, and put into it tiny scrap of pa
per-"
"Ahp
Yes, tiny scrap of paper. 1t had few
words on it. OF course he didn't read it
until he was safe out of the range of every
bodys eye. Then he read it. 1t only asked
him to meet her after dusk, in the old place.
that evening. OF course he went. He
walked long time, wondering, and in agony
lest some confounded stroller should come
that way. The place was as free and open
to anyone who pleased as that bank of the
Thames there, but it was just out of the reg
ular track of promenaders and oungers, and
thanks to the routine tendencies of the hu-
man mind, not creature ever did come
there but the poor fellow and these girls. So
he waited for an hour, and at last she came.
She was almost out of breath and frightened,
said she had great difficulty in getting away,
but she was resolved, come what would, to
see him alone-for tho last timer
For the last time ?"
Those were her words, and her firm, sad
face showed that she meant il. She told him
that she and her companion had been doing
a very foolish thing, and running terrible
risk, and that they trusted to his honor as an
English gentleman to help them out of their
fix by just keeping their secret, and forget
ting all about them. She was awfully in
earnest no aflectation, no coquetry; brave
and firm, but with the flash of tear now and
then in her beautiful eyes. She told the fell
low that she was the cousin and companion
OF the princess, who was to marry the young
Grand Duke of Liebesheim."
"Meta"
Meta, she told him, was the future Grand
Duchess. She was brought to Liebesheim
to marry the Grand Duke. She was the
daughter of mediatzed prince and put
under the care of his hard and formal old
mother. OF course Dorothea told the fellow
that the princess could not love her future
husband. How could she? Every one
knew that he was a selfish young cub. Doro-
thea's eyes filled with tears when she spoke
of the miserable fate of her friend. Il may
tell you, she said to the fellow, that she
loves ore she will always remember and can
never see again."
"But how about yourselt?"
| "4es, am afraid that concerned the fell
Iowa good deal more than the troubles of
the Grand Duchess that was to be. Dor
othea,' said the fellow, you know, this must
not affect US; we must not part nothing
must separate us; love you,' and all that
kind of thing He would have talked at
her like madman, and he caught her hand
and kissed it, and begged her to be his wife,
although the poor devil-God help him J.
had very small allowance to live on, and
was good for nothing, so far as money-mak-
ing goes, and he was only twenty-five years
old; but she stood there firm and patient
and suffering. All, by Jovel l know she
| was; it was her eyes, for-for the fellow told
me SO. She said My friend, we must not
see each other any moreover again. We
must part, You will not ask me why but
we must part Then she told the fellow
that the young princess and herself had
taken freak of going out for morning
walks dressed like city girls, and they meant
no harm; and that one day they heard the
fellow decaiming from Schiller, and t. ey
listened, and they got into talk with him,
and they rather liked the fellow, and 80 you
know. Now the princess marriage, and
there must be no more cakes and ale But
you will not be sorry to learn,' said Doro-
thea, that your friendship and our pleasant
talks sometimes gladdened the poor princess
and that she will remember you always az a
friend"
"But what had all this to do with herselfYp
asked little impatiently.
THAT was just what the fellow put to
her; but she said her fate WAS bound up
| with that of the princess, and she, too, hint
ed of some confonnded marriage engage
mcnt Oh, he talked, did the fellow, tell
you. His eloquer ce fairly astonished him
s"lf But it WAS all to no purpose. She
firmly declared that they must never meet
any more. Then he began to accuse her {
having PLAYED with bis love; but she looked
at him with such grirved and implurirg
face that he soon Dropped that game. de
begged her even to give him the comfort Of
telling ha, that she loved him, that il things
hal been different and all that. She only
said, My friend, some day you and will
both be glad that | sp's ak no too ish words |
now, iou will look back on NV memory
with all the better feeling II was growing
late; the woods were darb cning-all this, !
though it seems, didn't take a quarter of an
hour--she had To 20 away. She wouldn't |
even give him lock of her hair-no, by |
Jnyc nor the flower in her bosom. Not |
"0W,' she said, we have both gone ton far |
Adeu; | WON'T ask you Ia forget II e. and |
she held out her hand, He caught 1t aud |
kissed it. There WAS ring upon her finger |
which cane almost loose in is hand. He
almost thought Of pulling it off, aud keep.
ing it As relic, bat hc didn't. lie pressed |
it on her slender little darling Of finger
again, and in half a moment she Was gone
and the fellow va, alone"
"Po0r fellow what did he do?"
"DoY lie moOned about tue wood for an |
hour or two, with bis hands in his pockets,
thinking OF nothing in an odd, dazed sort
of way. At last he went home to his lodg.
ings, and think that he wished he were a
woman for once"
"Why that~
"Don't you see? Because if he were
woman he could have a good cry and ease
his mind little. But he could only smoke,
and when the fellows he knew made jokes,
he had to try and make jokes too. He went
with them to the beer gardens and the dam
cling places, and l don't suppose that any of
them ever knew the poor devil was
wretched."
"Did he keep up Yisiting the old nlaca In