Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-05

Eyes; You have received a proposal
Of marriage"
The aunt clasped her niece's hands,
and averted her eyes. A smile fitted
across Marie's face-amused, incredu-
lous-as a stray sunbeam hickers upon
a wintry landscape. She had rarely
smiled since her twin brothers. death.
"But, mon pere, there is no one." she
said. Indeed, they had led secluded
lives since the war-since their terrible
loss-at the Hotel Archaimbault.
The able cleared his throat. eyes,
there u.s." he began.
"Do not tell her. I cannot bear it,
1t is an insult" muttered her aunt.
Marie glanced quickly from one to
the other, then she compressed her lips.
"Please tell me at once" she said
firmly. whatever it is I can bear it.
l have known grief"
II have had a letter from your father
this morning, in which he desires me to
inform you that he approves of a pro-
posal made for the honor of an alliance
with you by a young German"
The able repressed the contemptuous
term "Prussian" out of respect for the
approved aspirant. Still, so strong was
the Strasburgian hatred of their present
rulers, that he felt ashamed when he
disclosed the intelligence, and could
not bring himself to look Marie in the
face. Therefore, neither he nor Mile
Archaimbault, who sat, the image Of
despair, gazing into vacancy, saw the
beautiful blush, the droop Of the eyes,
the happy smile that dwelt one moment
upon the young girls face-one mo-
ment, for it was only q memory. Still,
the memory softened the "Ohr' with
which she greeted the announcement.
You perceive we have not quite
killed her with our intelligence" re-
marked the able to the aunt, somewhat
sarcastically.
"The idea is too preposterous for
her to realize" replied the lady, indig-
nantly.
"What-that a German desires to
marry me? Does my father desire the
alliance, mon perez"
81 am afraid think he does, ma
file"
What is this man-this German
like?"
"Well," the able paused, thinking
pitifully of the natural curiosity Of these
daughters of Eve, a curiosity so strong
that it seemed to smother their hottest
natural impulses-"he is, I suppose,
tall''-throwing up his arm-"strong'
Initiating his Notwithstanding
his eyes-"with a great mustache, red,
red as fire." t4.;..
emo, no, not red-fair!" cried Marie.
Then, as her aunt and her confessor
stared in establishment, her head
dropped and a blush mantled even her
fair throat with a tinge of pink.
"And he is-an otficer!!" coat least
this will arouse her natural luminosity
toward her brothers. slayers," thought
the able, himself growing almost an
noyed by Marie's unnatural ~demeanor).
Marie was silent.
"And his name," continued the able,
almost sternly, sis Karl Eichmann."
"Cruel! You have killed herr" cried
the aunt, terrified. Marie had risen to
her feet, and holding her hands to her
breast had staggered away. She
leaned against the wall, her eyes
closed, pale with the CHASTITY pallor of
a corpse.
"What have I done? Mon Dieu!
what have 1 done?" exclaimed the poor
little able, wringing his hands. 81
can assure you, MISUNDERSTANDING good
child, I had no idea-how was I to I'M
agine-"
"You have done nothing" said
Marie, solemnly, opening her eyes.
Chow could you knowp Mon Pere-
that name vas said to me-by my dear
brother-the moment before-he died"
An instant's silence. Then the able
murmured. ''This is, indeed, a mys-
terry"
"a most horrible mystery" sobbed
Mile. Archaimbault. cit is the worst
day of my life"
compose yourself, my child" said
the able, hastily. A servant entered
and presented a card to Marie on a gilt
salver.
"It is Herr Karl Eichmann," said the
young girl. "Ask Herr Eichmann into
the ante-room," she said, calmly, tothe
servant; land when 1 ring the bell
bring him in"
The footman bowed and retired.
"You, my aunt, and you, mon pere,
had better await us here" pointing to
an adjoining room, "and when you hear
me ring this bell twice you will come to
me-"
.She is right" said the able, consol-
ingly, offering his arm to Mile. Ar
chaimbault. And feeling half stunned,
he hardly knew why, he led the trem-
bling, weeping woman into an adj
joining boudoir.
After Marie had closed the big doors
upon them and had arranged the por-
there, she made a violent effort to COM
pose herself for the coming interview.
Mon Dieu! what does it mean?" she
first said, wildly, pushing back her
hair from her burning forehead. How
well she remembered the events of that
awful day when her twin brother-al-
most one with herself-her beloved
Alphonse-died. He had been brought
home to them, dying slowly Of some
injury to the spine, shortly after the
capitulation, and they had endured the
slow agony of watching him lie insens-
ible day after day, hour after hour.
That cruel time, when Strasburg lay
fettered, the enemy's strong foot upon
her neck, dearer than V to her dear
-I.1l.... . 1., Eoo1 ,,,, o,,o,