New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-07-31
After this the wonderful boxes were

utYtI OpcucO dSdlu. uAduduC ~ COlU duul
strs nge and silent, and one day the lum-
boring carriage bears them all away from
the little Wirtshus.
Then the days pass slowly for Gretch-
en-. There is feverishness about her
life which she hopes will be Gained by
Hans presence when he comes. Strange
fancies fit across her mind, and she is
not sure but that she is longing for the
great world about which she has promis
ed him never even to ask. In her day
dreams she sees the CLEAN of satin and
| simmer of pearls, and wonders in what
manner of place they are worn. She
hears again Angelique's stories of Kings
and courts and crowded halls, where
music rings, ana the air heavy with
the breath of flowers that grow neither
on hillside nor plain. Gretchen puts on
the marvellous blue dress, and then she
has tasted of the forbidden fruit, and its
subtle poison begins to steal through
| her veines.
At last there comes breath from that
marvellous world, not flower scented, but
| bitter and omiEous as the fierce blasts of
late autumn:
"Send back madame S ring at once, if
you value your safety. Send it, child, or
you will be branded as theft and cast
into the nearest prison. You do not
know its history. God grant you never
may! Why did you bring ruin on your
head by touching jewel she will Lot
! live without?''
| The note is written in Angelique's
scratchy hand; and as Gretchen reads,
her eyes grow wild with sheer amaze
ment. A ring ring? The only
one she knows Of is the slender little cir
Get that Hans put on her tiny finger
What has madame to do with that? 1t
is her own, her very own, part of herself;
and in her bewilderment she kisses it
convulsively, as though she and it were
in danger. Then she thinks of the great
blue jewel that matched the blue dress
But it was carried away weeks ago in the
great casket bound with brass and double
bolted, where all the treasures were be-
slowed. She Knows nothing Of it-noth-
ing; and yet she is called upon to give it
up! The blue eyes grow strained and
startled; then one by one the tears fall,
and old Christine, slicing a plethoric
aourst for the midday meal, is frightened
by the sound of smothered sobs.. Soon
she has the suffering little one in her
arms; but the faithful soul knows moth
ing of the wonderful exhibition that took
place in madame;s room.
''What hast thou to do with rings,
Liebchen? Thou knoWest naught of such
things, save Hans's little folly.'' IS
Then Gretchen tells the story, and a
troubled and indignant look comes into
the old servants eyes Grave Water
Schonfeld is called from his pipe, and
great lines of trouble marks the smooth
curves OF his face. It is too wonderful
for them all, and soon the sturdy Wirth
takes the great stick and brings the good
priest to Gretchen's side. At last note
is written back, denying all knowledge
of the ring, and the holy father testifes
to the innocence of the poor little lamb,
whom he has known and loved since the
the baptismal waters touched her brow
within few hours of her birth.
Gretchen sits down to wait, for what
she does not know. Christin never
leaves her side; the With sits no longer
in the little porch with pipe and mug,
but PAGES restlessly back and forth
through the little house; and the good
priest comes every day. and at parting
LAYS his hands on Gretchen's fair head
with tender blessing. It is ali very
strange and sorrowful, this terrible
waiting, waiting in alternate hope and
! fear. Madame may not crush their
Liebchen, or, best of ali, she may find the
ring.
At last day comes such as never
dawned over the little valley before.
Gretchen, sunny haired Gretchen, the
fairest of all the village maidens, beloved
of the little children, and first in the
heart of the cool priest, is torn away
from the old Wirthshaus and borne to
the prison in the neighboring town.
Loud outcries follow the officers of the
law as the shrinking child is led away
between them. :'Why had they not torn
the fair image of the Virgin from the
altar, and polluted her with their nasty
touch? What had Gretchen to do with
the gaudy trickery Of the foul creature
the Wirth had harbored in his home!
What had she to do with jewels fit for
shameless women, Gretchen, the child of
honest parents, the betrothed of Hans?"
In the midst of the tumult the good
,, priest lifts his hands, and willie the tears
roll down his Withered cheeks, answers,
"Be quiet, my children. Thus was One
led up from Jerusalm .
Then followed DAYS and nights Of
anxious suffering. Gretchen's far eyes
look out upon the world from behind iron
bars while the day lasts, and when the
evening falls her little hands are clasped
in prayer as she lies low on her prison