The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-08-18
FRANZ NuLLBn.s WIFE.

Kant. or Dugal Stewart?
None Of them. I am reading
Faust"
Worse and worse. Better wrostle
with PHILOSOPHERS than lose your
self in the clouds. At any rate, If
the poets are TO send philosophers
to the right about. stick 10 Shake
speare.
"ITe is too material. He can't get
rid OF men and women.
"Thev are little better, ! should
think. than Mephisto. Come Fran;z,
condcsccnd to cravats ard kid gloves,
and let Us goand seemy cousin Chris
tine Stromberg.'
Il do not know the youre lady.
~Of course not. She has Just re-
turned from a Munich school Her
brother Max was at the Lyndon 5
great party. YOU remember?
Il don't remember, Louis. In
white crayats and black coats all men
look alike"
but YOU viii go?'
If YOU wish il, YES. There are
some uncut reviews ON the table
amuse Yourself while / dress
Thanks. ! have nay cigar case. ]
VIII take a smoke. and think OF
Christine"
For some reason. quite beyond
ANALYSIS. Franz did not Ike this
speech. He had never seen Chris
tine Strambcrg, but yet he half re-
scented the the careless use Of her
name. It fell upon some soul con-
sciousness like a familiar and per-
sonal name. and vet he vainiy re-
called every phrase Of his life for
aav clcw TO this familiarity.
lie was handsome fellow. with
large. clearly cut features, and gray,
thoughtful ewes. In a conversation
That interested him his eyes lighted
up with singularly beautiful ami
nation. but usually it was rs still
and passionlcss as if the soul was
away on q dream or a visit. Even
the regulation crayat and coat could
not destroy his individuality, and
Louis looked admiringlv at him. and
said: You are still Franz Muller.
No one is Just like You. I should
think Cousin Christine viii fallin love
with you.
Again Franz's heart resented this
speech. Ii had been waiting for love
for many year, but hc could not
Jest or speculate about it. No one
but thc thoughtlcss, favored Louis
ever dared 20 do II before Franz, and
no one ever spoke lightly Of women
before him, for the worst of meH
are sensitive 10 the presence OF a pure
and lofty nature, and are generally
willing to respect il.
Franz dreamed Of women, but
only OF noble women. and even fol
those who fell below his ideal lie had
q thousand apologies. and a world
of pity. 1t was strange that such q
inqn should have lived thirty years
and never have really loved any
mortal woman. But his hour had
come at last. As soon Us be saw
Christine Str0mberg he loved her
) strange exltation possessed him
lis face was radient: he talked and
sung with a brilliancy that amazed
even those familiar with his rare
exhibitions of such moods And
Christine seemed fascinated by his
beauty and wit. The hours passed
like moments; and when the girI
stood watching him down the moon
lit avenue. she almost tremblcd to
remember what questions Franz
eyes had asked her, and how strange.
~ familiar the clasp of his hand and
the sound OF his voice had seemed
20 her.
4 wonder where / have seen him
before, " she murmured--I wondei
where il was ?" And TO this thought
she slowly took oil one by one hen
Jewels. and brushed out her long
black hair may. when she fell asleep.
it was only to take it up again in
dreams.
As for Franz, he was in too far an
ocstatic q mood to think Of sleep
"Onc has too few of such god-lile
moments to steep them in uncon-
sciousncss." he said to himself. And
so he sat smoking and thinking, and
watching the moon sink lower and
lower, until It was no longer night
but daWning day.
In a few hours now | can 90 and
see Christine" At this point In his
love he had no other thought. He
was too happy to speculate on any
probability as yet 1t was sufficient
. present to know that he had found
his love, that she lived at a definite
number on a definite avenue. and
that in six or seven hours more he
might see her again.
He chose the earlier number II
was Just eleven o'clock when he rung
Mr.. Stromberg's bell. Mrs. Srom-
berg passed through the hail as he
entered, and greeted him pleasantly.
Christine and I are Just going to
have breakfast" she said. in her
Jolly, hearty way. Come in. Mr..
Muller. and have a cuD ofcoflcc with
Us"
Nothing could have delighted
Franz somuch. Christine was pour
ing it out as he entered the pretty
breakfast parlor. How beautiful she
looked in her long loose morning
dress How bcwitching Were It's nu-
merous bows of pale ribbonl He
had a sense Of hunger Immediately.
and he knew that he made an cx-
ccllent breakfast; but of what hcate,
or what he drank, he had nc. the
slightest conception.
4 cup of coffee passing through
Christinc's hands necessarily suffer
ed some change. 1t could not. and
il did not, taste Ike ordinary coffee.
nthe same mysteriou. way chickens
eggs and rolls became -ublimated.
SO they ate, and chatted, and ! am
quite sure that Milton never i'm
agined a meal in Eden half so de-
iightful as that breakfast on the
avenue.
When 1t was over. it came into
Franz heart to offer Christine q
ride. They were standing together
in the bay-window. and the trees