The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-12-16

was a competence, If not a fortune for
every brave man here. Then I repeated
my well-tried motto, "For every woe
there Is some compensation and Just
then we discovered that we were out of
sight of our companions. Herr Schen-
ming touched the horse, and we sped
over the road at a pace that promised to
soon bring us up with them but, to
our surprise, we neither saw nor heard
them. The way began to seem strange.
Herr Schenning adjusted his spectacles
and took survey of our surroundings.
1t Is altogether the wrong way" he
said, " but II we make haste backward
We may reach home before it Is very
late"
I My heart sank . little. for the way
over which we had come was particularly
| mountainous. There were places which
| l hardly cared to pass after dark. and
! Herr Schenning, with his short sight.
was. as he himself said, "not a pretty
! good driver" And how they would
! laugh at us However, there was
nothing for 1t but to retrace our way as
| swiftly as possible. Our conversation
| drooped somewhat; we both seemed to
| have good deal of thinking that would
! not bear putting into words, although
we made brave Joke, now and then, to
! keep up the illusion of not caring.
- But you are getting chilled" said
! Herr Schenning, anxiously.
was indeed shivering in the cold
night wind that came rushing down the
! c,.nOus.
''Will you please to put on my coat ?"
| he Implored, In cOmical distress.
stood but a moment upon ceremony,
then allowed him to wrap the warm gar
ment about me.
Now" I said, laughing, If you con-
tract an acute bronchitis through your
| 5allantry, L shall take you home and
take care of you"
f Thank YOU" he answered. fervent-
Iv. "To be taken home and taken care
OF seems to me, Just now, to be the
greatest good. If You would kindly con
duct me to some asylum for the I'M
becillious 1 should be forever grateful.
What compensation, think you, there
can be for our present Woe ?"
Let us await developments" re-
Piled, with, 1 confess, q sort of tremor
IN my faith.
1 looked at the frowning cliffs and
glanced Mt the yawning CULTS below.
The sun had set long sipce-the night
was deepening. L felt all courage fad
ing, did not care now "what they
thought" l wanted to he out Of the ter
ror of this way, safe under some roof.
Herr Schenning, do you remember
that snug ranch we so much admired as
we came along this way
eyes. we must be near it, and there
indeed Is the light from the little
house"
We soon reached the gate. The moon
at that moment rose grandly above the
'aao'lutains. aud poured her radiance down
upon the cottage with its clustering out
buildings, Its empowering shrubs and
trees, theorchards and vineyards stretch
ing far along the hillside. The fragrance
of mignonette and roses came down
from the garden like old friends to well
come us.
How lovely exclaimed involun-
tarily.
cit is little Blumenwald, said Herr
Schenning with tremble in his voice
Our first greeting came from the
porch, cloud of smoke from a gener-
ous pipe, and from its neighborhood
came an unmIstakable German voice.
making an answer to Herr Schenning's
salutation. A rapid conversation In their
own language seemed to put Us in the
right light for our host ushered US cor
daily within the cottage.
81 dinks you mOost pc quite shilly,"
he said, placing a chair for me near the
hearth, where a pleasant fire added its
glow to the hospitality of the kindly
voice. "It is 20 cold auf der mountains;
1t IS peter you taste dis vine. Mein frau
viii pooty quick come; she Is NIT der
shildren. Ach, she Is come, he added,
as fair-haired, rosy young matron en-
| tered. " Katrina, desc pc ZONE young
people vat got lost from a pignig."
each 20 :" exclaimed Katrina, COM
passionately looking at US, as if she
| thought we might be the veritable Babes
in the Wood, grown up. At that, and
the touch of womanly sympathy IN her
look and tone, 1 burst into hysterical
weeping. Her arms We're about me IN
moment; and. what with her drol En-
gllsh, her humorous expressions and
comforting assurances, L soon recovered
my composure and glanced at Herr
Schenning to see how 1t was with him.
Pale, and with lips tensely set, he was
gazing at Katrina as ii intent upon PEN
| etrating some mystery.
Katrina, in her enthusiasm, was run
ming about the room, and putting sup
per on the table, quite ignoring the fact
that we belonged to a picnic. Taking
up book that lay upon table beside
me, / started at reading the name,
"F Frau Heimsteher," and gave Katrina
such look that she came to see what
was on the page.
each, yes that is pring me from
Germany by mein sister. She comes
pooty soon. She makes asleep mein
kleine mann, mein leetle Ulrich, what
she gave him de name. 1t is, she add
ed, confdentially, de name of Won she
lofe long, long ago. He is dead now
poor Ulrich. Ach, what a peety SO
nice he vas, so wise, and she 20 much
lofe him She viii never get married to
any odder Won. Ach, no p said Katrina,
pensively returning to give another
touch to the neatly-spread table.
Herr Schenning sat with bowed head,
his face hidden. l heard soft footsteps
approaching, and faint odor of violets
came through the door. L looked.
There in the doorway, with the little
Ulrich slipping from her arms and
clinging to her dress, stood a golden
haired woman, fair and sweet as any
pictured Marguerite, although little
past the time of blooming youth. She
looked beyond me, her blue eyes slowly
dilating, to Herr Schenning, who had
risen and was gazing at her as if spell
bound by an angelic vision. Her sweet
face flushed like any rose, till, with an
ineffable smile and cry of JOY, she
reached out her arms to him.
"Ulrich r
Barbara, iebling Ach, Gott, i'm
Himmel %
When, some months after this, Herr
Schenning had taken out citizens pa
pers, and, with his little frau, settled
upon some Government land adjoining
Herr Heimsteher-who, after all, hadn't
stayed at home. and hadn't married
Barbara-and, as a climax, discovered
upon his ranch gold mine that prom
ised to pay for working, I asked him