The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-06-21
ANNE'S STRATAGEM.

Capt. Lucien Gauthier, having been
ordered to report himself to the General
commanding the French forces in Stras-
burg, had found very comfortable quar-
tiers there. He had been billeted in the
house of a stately dame, widow, who
bore the sounding name of Won Stralen-
dorff, but she was evidently of French
extraction, although her name was so
decidedly German. Her sympathies
were also French, as the cordial hospi-
tality she extended to the young officer
amply proved. She lived in quaint
old mansion, whose spacious garden
overlooked the river Rhine. Her domes-
tics were few, consisting of an ancient
couple named Pratzner, and their slug
gish but good-natured daughter, bux-
ON, robust young woman of 20 years of
age, called Katrina.
Capt. Lucien Gauthier was treated
with as much consideration as if he had
been a relative of the widow Won Stralen-
dorf. His personal merits, however,
may have had something to do with this
treatment. He possessed, in an eminent
degree, the art of pleasing possessed
it naturally and unobtrusively. He had
good figure, tall and commanding,
and made frank and open expression of
countenance. He became uniform adj
mirably. He looked like real soldier,
not one dressed for a holiday parade.
The dark, heavy mustache that graced
his upper lip added to his martial ap-
pearance. His few of animal spirits
was great, and his small talk inexhausti-
BILE.
The widow Stralendorff found him a
most entertaining guest, and the interest
she took in providing for his comfort
rather surprised our young Captain,
though he never troubled himself much
in the way of reflection. He took the
world carelessly as it came to him, and
made the best of it under all circum-
stances. The thought did occur to him,
however, that she might have design
upon him in the way of matrimony, and
wished him to fill the place of the de-
parted Won Stralendorff; but, when he
considered that she was 60 and he was
25, he discarded the idea as preposter-
GUS.
He had been but week beneath this
hospltable roof when the Dame Won
Stralendorf informed him that a niece
OF hers was about to pay her visit
the young lady being the daughter of
her youngest and only surviving brother.
6 am glad she is coming" said the
widow, for think you will enjoy some
feminine society younger than mine"
The Captain thought there was sly
significance in these words, but then he
might have been mistaken.
Gamma has been well educated, and is
tolerably pretty, and so I think you will
like her, continued the old lady.
1t Dame Won Stralendorf had intend
ed to excite the Captains curiosity in re-
gard to the forthcoming visitor, she fully
succeeded in doing SO. He looked for
ward anxiously for the day of her arrival.
He had not long to wait. Anne came the
second day after the announcement that
she was coming. #o7
Capt. Gauthier was duly introduced
to her, and he did Like her. She was
pretty, as her aunt had sad-pretty.
petite, piquante. Her figure, though
small was nicely proportioned, and her
features were of the Flemish type. She
had the kind of face that Rubens loved
to paint. A peachy complexion, small
mouth and pouting lips, nose that
turned upward slightly at the point,
laughing blue eyes, andluxuriant hairo
deep lemon hue, or something of that
glossy, shiny tint that the silk displays
when it hangs from the cocoon.
Anne was IN her twentieth year, and
was sef-possessed young lady. She and
Capt. Gauthier soon became the best of
friends. They rode together, they
sailed together upon the Rhine, they
sang duets together, to the great de-
light of the relict of Won Stralendorff.
and they took walks together in the gar
den by moonlight. All this was very TO-
mantle, and you will naturally suppose
that it led to the inevitable result. It did,
Capt. Gauthier soon found that the
pretty and agreeable Anne had awakened
new sensation in his heart, and he be-
gan to fear that he was falling in love
with her. I say ''fear," because Gau-
thier, despite his carelessness and light
heartedness, was man of honor. He
knew that he had no business to fall in
love with Anne, on induce her to fall
in love with him. So he took her into
his confidence as preventive against
both these evils. He was the afianced
husband Of Che daughter of rich citizen
IN Paris, named Ayrault, and their nup-
tials were merely awaiting the termina-
ton of the campaign.
Napoleon the Third expected to make
a very short war. And SO he did. But
it did not end in the manner arranged on
his programme.