Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-11-09
LOST HIS CHANCE.

people, / presume, that | have lived, on
m Independent income, for sixty years,
without getting married, But the fact
IL that | was once engaged TO DO mar
ried to very beautiful girl, and on the
eve OF the wedding lost my oppor-
tuaity up q chimney, No. I'm not
joking. II you like. will tell You about
II
Gretcl Won Wieland was the daughter
Of old Gen. Otto Won Wieland, whose
acquaintance had made while no was
vice.consul in London. ] afterward
met him at Intcrlaken, returning from
u trip into Italy for his daughters
health and amusement, The general
owned fine estate at Wandersleben, q
little east Of Gotha, and would take no
refusal OF his invitation to me TO 20
home with him, as | had many times
spoken Of doing. In fact ] was very
willing to go, for tho prospect OF spend.
ing month in the company Of Gretel
was ono that / could not resist.
She was, think tho most beautiful
creature ever beheld. II | could de
scribe her 10 yon, there would DO no
ueed to relate how or why fell in love
with her The moment that hor deep,
dark eyes met mine that night on the
piazza OF tho hotel ut lnterlakn, | knew
that had reached turning point in
my life and although it was not de-
creed in the book Of fate that | should
ever possess her for my own, can re-
fer to that one supreme moment the
change in every feeling, motive and am.
bition I ever had. ! have since met
women whose amiability pleased me,
whose wit amused me, and whose flat
terry deceived and cajoled me, but /
have never since met any creature that
aroused the strange and indescribable
fascination which the first glance from
Gretel Won Wielapd exerted over me.
She was one Of those women that make
men mad.
won't tire you with the history OF
my infatuation and courtship. I re-
turned with Gretel and her father to
their home, and my projected visit OF
one month was protracted into three.
At the end of that time Gretel was my
promised wife, and l had obtained the
generals consent that the wedding
should take place without delay, and
that | should take my bride with me on
my return to America
My happiness, however, was not Ell
tirely unalloyed. presume You are
familiar with the region around Gotha.
If so, you doubtless remember the three
ruined castles of the Gleichen, ,-"die
drei Gleichen, which stand upon the
hills like three grim sentinels guarding
the fertile fields aud vineyards below
and around them. The generals estate
was almost directly beneath the Wan
dersleben Gleichen, and the castle was
a. favorite objective point for our sunset
walks, and or object of interest to the
tourists and artists who were constantly
wandering over Germany.
Among the latter was cousin OF
Gretel, sort of esthetic vagabond from
Frankfort, who appeared at the gener-
ais quite suddenly one morning, smok-
ing huge meerschaum, and with his
portfolio and case of drawing.materials
under his arm. The general introduced
him to me ss Conrad Hartman, and
when the fellow had removed his enor-
nous slouch hat, saw thut he was
rather handsome. Nevertheless I
thought that Gretel greeted him quite
too etfusively, and have since suspect
ed that she had written to him to visit
her, although he declared himself to
be merely upon sketching tour, and
that he was going down in day or
two.
There was good deal OF this gentle.
man. Inever saw person who seemed
to be 30 ubiquitous. From the moment
of his entrance into the family, it was
impossible for me to get rid of him. If
I planned quiet excursion with Gretel,
he was sure to be before lis at o,lr des-
tination, with his internal easel and
water colors. If requested Gretel to
sing for me in the twilight, for she
was an exquisite singer, he was never
so far away but that the sound of her
voice brought him to her side before
the first stanza was finished. If 7 tried
to steal few moments alone with her
at any hour of the day or evening, we
were certain to be interrupted by the
fellow, whose easy manner and vivacious
conversation would Immediately mon.
opolize my girls attention.
At last this became perfectly intolem-
bic to me. and one day I upbraided
Gretel for encouraging the man. and told
her fatty that believed these interrup-
tions we're pre-arrang d by her in con
cert with Hartman. I shall never forget
the look that came into her beautiful
eyes as she turned toward me and gave
me an answer, every word OF which was
like the thrust of sword.
81 have promised to marry you," she
said, "aud will try to make you good
wife, but 1 cannot love you. I will
never love any one but Conrad"
"Then why, in heavens name, did
you accept me p I exclaimed, at