Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-09-06

be frightened, and was going in search
of Wilhelmina when the house-keeper
came in.
"Oh, Herr Bethmann" she cried.
care you comeP
"What is the matter, Frou WeidelP
entreat you to tell me.h
At that she began to cry. | was dis
tracted.
"Fraulein Wilhelmina has disap-
pearedl And then Herr Baron is near
ly crazy"
Disappeared! When did this hap
penp"
Last night" she sobbod. paced
the room and tore my hair. What did
it tmean! Hadshe preferred death to mel
knew not what to make of il. She
had been so kind to me, and | thought
she liked me. Then began to get an
cry. It's rather aggravating to a man
to be left in the lurch on the very day
of his betrothal; but my wrath gave
way to pity and regrets when l thought
of the wistful eyes of my sinless Will
helmina, now perhaps closed in the
long sleep. Hark! the Baron's voice.
fastened toward it, but my uncle did
not appear. Down the hall, however,
| perceived an open door, from which
the voice seemed to issue. In flash |
stood before it, and there found my un-
cle-in that room. Oh, pitiable sight!
so altered from the courtly, smiling
gentleman of yesterday, that l at first
thought him out of his mind; but he
beckoned me with the ghost of his
former smile.
Wilson," he whispered, "she is
goner' clasped his hand. 81 know,
my dear uncle. | have heard" He
gazed at me with bright, awful eyes
Il know who did tit was my brother
Karl! His ghost. Listen, Wilson," he
went on rapidly, " our choice fell on the
same maid. He was to have married
her, but l loved her, and l stole her
away on the eve of their bctrothal, and
she was Wilhelmina's mother. He
never forgave me-"
He still held my hand, and as / me-
chanically led him from the room, lock-
ing the door behind me, | made a sol
emn vow that not one stone of this
house of mysteries should be weighed
in the ballast against me. Better that
a milestone were hanged about my neck
and | cast into the depths of the sea.
l wrote to Haps at Halle, saying that
| would remain at Steinau with my un-
Gle for week, perhaps longer, and
asking him to call upon me there. The
week heightened to a month, still there
was no tidings of Wilhelmina, and Hans
did not appear. My uncle had long
since abandoned all hope of ever re-
gaining his daughter in life, and was
fain to reconcile myself to her melan-
choly fate.
At the end of the month my uncle
had so far recovered from the illness
caused by his misfortune, as to allow
my absence, and | returned to Halle,
being very anxious to meet my friend
Hans, and to unburden my mind of its
weight of secrets. But Hans had not
been heard from since my departure:
and to complicate matters, was sud-
denly called home by the illness and
death of my uncle Wilhelm whose heir
and executor | was.
On reaching New York, found my
affairs in such state as to require my
personal care for an indefinite period.
During the year that followed Jessie
and | somehow managed to make up
our quarrels, and we were married.
OF course l told her all about Wilhel-
nina, and she sorrowed with me-think
of it!-not the least bit jealous. But
what man could sorrow long with the
love of such woman as Jessie Big.
Bethmann, to console him? [ was be-
ginning to get over my GRIFFIN fact, L
was recovering rapidly, when some
thing occurred that effected my perma-
nent cure. met Hans Mintner!
Couldn't have been more surprised
than if had seen a ghost" cried, as
l grasped his hand.
He bestowed on me a look as enig-
matical as that he had favored me with
at our last interview. Then without
word he hooked his arm in mine and
awav.
A we strobe along, had an oppor-
tunity of observing him. He was ele-
gantiy dressed, and wore look of
quite foreign to the poor
student of Halle. My prophecy must
have come true.
" You seem to be prosperingm 1 re-
"Luckiest man in the country. Have
you seen my new bookP"
Book! | confessed my ignorance.
" Stop! You are not the distinguished
Professor Mintner, of Illinois, author
of the Philology of History?"
Hans laughed. "The same"
"Why, your name is in everybody's
Even So,
"And | never suspected it of being
my old Hans! Why, dear old fellow,
you are the most illustrious man in
| stopped and took him by
the hand in the excess of my enthusi-
asm.
"Well, it's all owing to you. But
for you | never should have seen Amer
lea, | suppose. And how have you
prospered. Married yetP'
"Yesr' answered, jubilantly. "My
wife and | are on our tour. Live in
New York, you know"
"Well, I'm married too. I-I-fol-
lowed your advice
"My ad-" ...... /
"Don't you remember, Wills? You
recommended an elopement; for which
can never be sufficiently grateful, or
my wife, either" He did it then!
. What was the manner OF itP''
"Why," said Hans, blushing as of
1ore, 81 had heard incidentally of a
ghost. ! borrowed the garments of
hat gentleman, and carried off the
bride in triumph. Oh, but it was a
uccess"
Hans hereupon ran up the steps of
,omfortable-looking city house, and
applying key, let himself and me in.