The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-06-21
HER sTRATAGEM.

Deen ordered TO report nlInboll 70 Ine
general commanding the French forces
in Strasburg, had found very comfort
able quarters there. He had been
billeted in the house of stately dame,
a widow who bore the sounding name
of Won Stralendorff, but she was
evidently of French extraction. although
her name was 80 decidedly German.
Her sympathies were also French, as
the cordial hospitality she extended to
the young officer amply proved. She
lived in quaint old mansion, whose
spacious gardens overlooked the river
Rhine. Her domestics were few, con-
sisting of an ancient couple, named
Pratzner, and their sluggish, but good
natured daughter, a buxom, robust
young woman of twenty years of age,
called Katrina.
Captain Lucien Gauthier was treated
with as much consideration as if he
had been a relative. His personal
merits, however, may have had some-
thing to do with this treatment. He
possessed, in an eminent degree, the art
of pleasing possessed it naturally and
unobtruslvely. He had good figure,
tall and commanding, and frank and
open expression of countenance. He
became uniform admirably. Helook
ed like a real soldier, not one dressed
up for a holiday parade. The dark,
heavy moustache that graced his upper
lip added to his martial appearance
His flow of animal spirits was great
and his small talk inexhaustible.
The widow Stralendorff found him {
most entertaining guest, and the inter
est she took in providing for his com
fort rather surprised our young captain
though he never troubled himsel
much in the way Of reflection. HI
took the world carelessly as 1t came II
him, and made the most of it under al
circumstances. The thought did oc
cur to him, however, that she Nigh
have design on him in the way o
matrimony, and wished him to fill tn
place of the departed Won Stralen
dorff; but when he considered that sh
was sixty and he was twenty-five, h
discarded the idea as preposterous. HI
had been but week beneath this hos
pitable roof when the Dame Vo
Stralendorff informed him that nice
of hers was about TO pay her visit
the young lady being the daughter Q
her youngest and only surviving broth
4 er.
81 am glad she is coming" said th
widow, ''for 1 think you will enjo
some feminine society younger tina
mine.n
The captain thought there was a 81
J significance in these words, but then b
might have been mistaken.
"Anne has been well educated, an
is tolerably pretty, and so think 20
will like her," continued the old lady
If Dame Won Stralendorf had il
tended to excite the captains curiosit
in regard to the forthcoming visito
she fully succeeded in doing so. H
looked for ward anxiously for the day {
her arrival. He had not long to wal
Anne came the second day after th
announcement that she was coming.
Captain Gauthier was duly introdut
; ed to her, and he did like her.
She was pretty as her aunt had sal
very pretty. Her figure, theug
small, was lightly proportioned, an
her features were Of the Flemish type
] She had the kind of face that Ruber
loved to paint. A peachY complexion
? small mouth and pouting lips, a nos
that turned upward slightly at th
point, laughing blue eyes, and luxuriar
hair of a deep lemon hue, or somethin
of that glossy, shiny tint that the sill
displays when ithangs FROM the cocoon
Anne was in her twentieth year, an
was a self-possessed young lady.
She and Captain Gauthier SOC
became the best of friends. The
rode together, they sailed together upc
the Rhine, they sang duets together,
the great delight of the relct of Vc
Stralendroff, and they took walks tt
gether in the garden by moonlight. A
this was very romantic, and you wi
naturally suppose that it led to IL
inevitable result. 1t did.
Captain Gauthier soon found thi
the pretty and agreeable Anne hs
awakened new sensation IN his hear
and he began to fear he was falling
G love with her. 1 say fear, becau
y Gauthier, despite his carelessness an
light-heartedness, was a man OF homo
He knew that he had no business
fall in love with Anne or induce her
fall in love with him. So he took h
into his confidence as a preventi'