Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-04-15

own identity 8 is completely merged
Happy she! Most women's lives stag
nate for want Of an outlet"
Douglass carried out his intention O
calling upon the Wieses, and found then
living in house very small, very shabby
and forlorn, in the suburbs of the town
However, Mrs. Wiese and Hilda wer,
more delightful than ever, and Douglas.
sat on stiff cane-bottomed chair on {
carpetless floor, and his heart sung with
| in him. 1t was all so unconstrained anC
| bright and pleasant. The father was {
musician, a composer, an organist; now
in his feeble condition of body, very
querulous and irritable. But Douglass
conceived a hope that he should be able
to do something for his eyes Mr. Wiest
was a German by birth; he had never
learned to master his wife's mother
tongue. But he was exceedingly volu-
BILE in his own broken cultural. He
never wearied of pouring his complaints
into Douglass ears. And Douglass
listened with exemplary patience-nay
interest-for Hilda's sake.
Yes, for Hilda's sake. 1t had come to
that. He had yielded to sentimental
fancy at first sight; now. at second and
third sight, he had fallen in love des-
perately, with an absorbing energy
which colored his whole nature, impart-
ing sinew and muscle to his ambition.
1t seemed to him now that he had never
known before what was genuine ambi-
ton. He grew feverish with impatience.
He was a poor man; he could barely
support himself If he should sup
port wife, 1t must be in the simplest,
plainest way. Would Hilda be willingp
In marrying, Hilda would be called upon
to make more special sacrifices than most
women make when they marry. He al
most feared that she would never like
him well enough to make these sacrifices
for him.
He knew that Hilda was meanwhile
studying hard, preparing for her arduous
profession. Besides, she was giving les
sons in elocution. Poor little thing!
How he longed to work for them both
He was with her constantly; after a
while, every evening. Those delicious
spring days suggested country rambles,
boating-anything which furnished an
excuse for being together. As for Hilda,
she dared not stop TO realize how happy
she was in this constant companion
ship. She dared not realize that she
simply delighted in lite because it
brought Douglass to her at the end of the
long days.
Those days were shared almost as in
variably with nj. DE Bonne Fortune.
He had followed up his acquaintance as
vigorously as had Douglass, appearing
at the Wieses' dingy little house behind
a pair Of superb BLACK steeds in gold
mounted harness. He whirled Hilda off
oh Hnn dow
Her father stood in the little doorway
looking after them, shading his infiamed
eyes with his hand. "He is in luf nit
Hilda, can see dat," he said to his wife
1T will pc a goot ting for us alle.p
Mrs. Wiese's bright face clouded. Her
own choice for her daughter would be a
,lifferent one. Nor had she failed to no.
tice the lighting up of Hilda's face when
Douglass came and went. E
Mr.. Wiese was right. M. De Bonne
Fortune had fallen in love with Hilda
1t was nothing to him who she was,
who her people were She would be
above criticism as the Duchess de Bonne
Fortune He determined to marry her
from the outset. He considered it hardly
probable that the facts that he was yell
low and wizened and lame, and Hilda's
senior by certainly fifteen or twenty
years, would weigh in the balance
against the advantages of his title and
his wealth.
Nor did they when it came to the
point. 1t seemed to her that it was her
duty to accept him. Her father had said
as much to her from time to time during
the weeks that the dukes black chargers
swept his glittering chariot to. and from
town. Moreover, the duke made his
offer to the father in the first place, and
the father in repeating it urged the suit
in every way.
"He has promise to settle an Indecent
ent fortune on you," Mr.. Wiese urged.
INIT dat you can do vat you choose.
And he vii set Oscar up in business ven
he has finish school next year. 1t vii pc
a great ting for us all, Hildachen."
- Yes," Hilda said, :" / suppose it will.
I will marry him, father;" and having
given her consent, she felt as though she
had locked herself into prison
That evening Douglass came. M. De
Bonne Fortune, who dined late in the
city, rarely spent an evening at the
Wieses', and it so happened that he and
Douglass had never met. Hilda felt like
a traitor as she followed the young man
down to the boat-they had an engage
ment to go rowing. The language OF
love is easy of Interpretation she had
read it in his looks and in his voice a
hundred times. Besides, she could inter-
pref it by the key of her own feelings
But she made up her mind that he should
learn of her engagement from her own
lips. If he was panied, no one but her
self should see his pain.
When she had told him, Douglass
rowed on in silence for while. Then he
said, Il have no doubt you have decided
wisely. The children of this world are
in their generation wiser than the chill
dren of light. You have my good wishes
of course; you resign some things
art"
Yes she replied, wretchedly. Bu
woman cannot always think of her
self" They rowed on in silence fol
another while. Presently she shivereG
and suggested that they should return
home. at is SO cold on the water to-
night" Poor girl she was cold to tn,
heart.
/ The tears stood in Mrs. Wiese's moth
erly eyes, and there was weight on he
heart. as heart and eyes both followed
the young man as he strobe down tn,
road, having said farewell that night
He was the mate she would have chosel
for Hilda, in spite Of waiting, in spite o
poverty. Alas! she believed, she feared
| that Hilda did not care for M. De Bonn
| Fortune. She was taking lrp the unutter