Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-09-21

'i'' lltt't ltiliilllNi NltuulINl uIlll II Illi
was appointed officer.
This promotion and this honor wer,
n new source of bitterness TO him. be
cause he could only attribute them &c
he influence Of his wife; and he thought
that each new honor, the same as the
purse of gold, was paid for by her inf
deity.
"Alas!" said he, 'if | must every
day receive n new promotion in this
way, where shall stop?n
When he became captain he resolved
to leave the service, and il was not with.
out struggle that he wrote to the
prince asking his permission to resign
his office. The resignation was accept
ed. The prince also gave him five
hundred ducats from his private purse.
The sum was paid him the same day
he received his dismissal. At sight of
the gold Fritz clcnched his fists, but he
took the gold without dcnouncng the
giver.
After taking leave of his comrades
Fritz departed for his native city, where
he had not been for two years. On his
route he thought of Catherine and the
love she had profcssCd for him, and he
believed il was far better to be happy
in being deceived than so unhappy by
knowing too much. Fritz went to the
house occupied by Catherine and while
he was saying that he never would en-
ter it again he had already knocked at
the door. 1t was Catherine herself who
came to open it. But how changed she
was. Her checks were pale and ema-
ciated, and frequent weeping had
dlmmed the luster of her eyes. But
she was still pretty.
She started back in surprise upon
seeing her husband, extending her
arms, uttered one cry and then fell
senscless upon his bosom. He bore
his wife to n couch and felt strongly
inclined to pardon her. But an idea
occurred to him.
"What good has it donc,n thought
re "to have worn for two Yeas the liv-
{ y of state, to have received a hun
Ctred and fifty laShes, TO have bvouack-
ed and paraded in the dust, to have
slept in the open air and then pardon
my wife?"
Catherine finally opened her eyes.
as it you, at last" cried she, "have
you then returned, and do you still
love me?"
eyes, madam, you see me returned.
W',h respect to loving you still, it is
necessary for me to lose first the re-
membrance of n certain purse of gold"
Eyes, that gold-that purse!' cried
Catherine. 81 knew it was that which
set us at variance; beside, have not
touched tit is all there"
She ran TO the'old chest, drew out the
purse, and threw it from the window
into the river that ran near the house.
This action was done so rapidly that
Fritz had not time TO prevent it. He
stopped forward rather sadly to gaze
at the bubbling of the water which
noiseeSsly closed over the treasure bu
ried in its bosom.
Now" said Catherine, ''you see
you have no longer any reason for not
loving me-"
Il see,n replied Fritz, cndcavoring
to conceal his disappointment, that
you have thrown your money into the
river; but | do not see how your prodi-
gality will explain this note"
"What note?" said Catherine.
"This letter, written by the same
hand which signed the nominations and
commissions; this letter that | found in
that purse
"a letter from the prince" she cx
claimed, confounded.
"And from whom should it be?"
cried Fritz
"This letter was not for me-" was the
reply.
''Truly," responded Fritz. "Dear
beloved Catherine. Is it not to YOU that
these words are addressed? And the
purse-was not that sent to you?n
81 do not know the prince" said
Catherine, weeping. 81 never saw
him. That gold was sent to me by my
aunt"
"Ah-whatr' replied Fritz, utterly
stupeiied. "Your aunt is then"
"Alas, yes!" said Catherine; ''my
aunt is named Catherine, like myself;
but now she is the Baroness dc Brent.
My father when dying ordered me never
to see heror receive anything from her.
Several times she has sought to make
me presents, but have always refused
until this once, because of our marriage
| believed it right to accept tit was
for you. If | committed fault, did |
deserve such cruel abandonment"
"So," said Fritz, sit was not to YOU
the prince gave the gold and sent the
notepn
"No; without doubt it was to my
aunt"
at was no thanks to you then that
was appointed corporal, and then made
captain after having been whippedp" ;
'No. 1t was perhaps through the
influence of my aunt
Fritz fell down perfectly overwhelm-
cd. The caresses of his wife reanimat-
ed him, and the husband and wife for
got for a moment their sorrows in q
fond embrace
"After you disappeared" said Cath
crime, 81 spent nearly six weeks trying
to find you; then my poor old mother
fell ILL., and Itendedher until her DEATH :
After | recommended my search |
learned that you had enlisted, and that i
your regiment had left the country. '
| waited-l hoped-and at last YOU s
have come"
Nothing would have been wanting to
the happiness of Fritz and Catherine ,
II poverty had not knocked at their
door. One morning Fritz thought of
throwing himself into the river-doubt- i,
less to seek for the gold his wife had !!
thrown away. Arriving at the brink,
he raised his eyes and perceived upon
The wall of the wharf a placard, which
no read; There has been drawn from
ms place purse containing ten thou
sand ducats in gold. The owner can
Ninth Eouhourc, ~ Q u