River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-10-14

/ tains glistened and statues stood out
cold and white in the light of the moon.
1 gathered the sheen of my ball robe
about me and seated myself upon the
. ledge of an artificial grotto. "Oh,
why | murmured, had my old love
, shown himself to me for one fleeing
moment and then vanished? Why
speak to me when he was no longer
mine? Did he ever think of me, or had
| been merely the toy of the passing
hour? 1t would seem that / had; and
yet how strangely he l.. ked at me to-
night! Would it have all been well if |
had but sent him a note when | left
Paris But surely Irene would have
told him where | was. Surely she would
not be so cruel as to withhold my aid
dress had he asked it! But why do |
talk thus, forsooth? Foolish heartl do
not h&rbor such thrill of hope. He
is bound TO another-he cannot be
yours, TO you he is lost-lost-lostl"
And the shuddering night-air soughed
away through the frs in sad echo
that sounded its sepulchral murmur
dee p within my soul
From my despair | was startled by
The sound OF voices approaching. They
were male voices, and as | was hidden
from view, | believed | could remain
undisturbed. Very soon they reached
a spot near me were the path assumed
a sudden curve, and instead of passing
on they stopped suddenly, and recog-
nized the voices as belonging to the
Bavarian and his companion. They
were angry and were disputing, but |
could not hear their words Presently
their tones grew louder, and | heard
the Hollander say, Il know your ways,
Holstein of old, you are misleading her
you Glide me for your own advance
ment. heard Il start and fierce
hiss from the Bayarian, instantly follow
ed by mighty oath and the rattle of
his sword. | leaped from my seat and
rushed out between them, crying,
HOldn Would you kill each other?"
only III time, however, to see the sword
of the Bavarian cleaning over his head
as he fell dead ut my feet. Although
quicker than the Hollander, his stroke
had been too rash and missed its aim,
and before he could regain himself for
another, the first cool stroke Ofthe Hol-
lander had pierced him to the heart
The latter, seeing he was discovered,
Immediately fled, and | essayed to
reach the house, but fell midway up
the path in swoOn.
When consciousness returned. il was
to feel some one lifting me tenderly in
his arms and to hear words uttered in
vote" strangely familiar to my ears.
MY God Is she killed my little
love! my darling cried the voice
| orened my eyes and they met
Lord Stolholm's. ooh, it is a dream"
| thought, and closed my eyes again.
But no. it could not be. | felt his arms
about me still, and his face bending
close over mine in the quiet solitude to
which H. had borne me-
Did ihey find him." | asked, ex-
citedly poking round.
ri whom p he asked
It'll avarian. The Hollander killed
him. and he Is lying by the grotto"
lie thought | was delirious, and
tried to >ooth me- At last ! made him
understand the scene | had witnessed
He conveyed me to the house, and,
after notifying the proper authorities,
again sought me alone. The news he
had communicated caused great ex-
holm's caution, my name was kept out
Of the tragic account
II cannot hope to com fort you over
the loss Of one to whom the love of
your heart was given" began Lord Stol
holm.
The love ofmy hearth" repeated,
bewildered. II don't understand you.
Lord StoIholm."
Pardon me, but were you not atfi-
anced 70 the Bavarian, 1t was so re
ported
'Nevcr," l exclaimed, 'nor ever cared
for him III the least, though am sorry
for hin. now"
"And it is possible you are then
free?"
quite free, ard have always been,
Lord Stolholm."
Strange, Your cousin Erene told
me when you left Paris that you were
summoned to the sick-bed of your
lover. and hearing that you were be-
trothed to the Bavarian, it seemed, of
course, only too true"
II have never been betrothed to any
manu. exclaimed, Erene's duplicity
impressing me for the first time. Had
Erene said that"
she had"
"And he had never loved Creme
never been betrothed to herr"
"He had never loved IRENE, or liked
her in the least. Nor had ever been be
trothed to any woman. | was the
one woman he had loved from the
first time he saw me. He loved me-,
and ontY me, he exclaimed, passion
atcly. IF | were indeed free, would |
not be his--his own little wife?"
"Ah, aS he thus speaks, how plainly
see it all-Erene's infdelity, to serve
her own vanity. Well, she was too
shallow Ia know the misery she had
caused | think not of that now-I
only think Oft sweet present. 1t is
true that my lover stands by my side
that | hear him say DER and DER that
he iDveS me, and has loved me
more truly still! The spell ii the hour
is sweet, The halfmoOn shifting over
the church tower near, the faint music
issuing from the hall, the languid per
fume Of rare blooms waited over the
air. | fam would suspend all things
as they are-why must it change, dis
solve Why must life move ON?
\ Ionth later | received wedding
cards from my cousin Irene. The
name accom- panving hers was that of a
Frcnchlnau. an old admirer.