The Penn's Grove record., 1884-06-28


she mended the rent in the m~uch-reviled
stocking, and rose lightly to her feet,
scarcely touching Conrad's arm offered
in assistance.
81 am very much obliged to YOU"
began the young man, IN earnest tones,
"and /"
'Oh, never mind thanks for such a
trife ANY n would have done as
much. Now you may go back to the
little Alsatian peasant with whom you
have been flirting all the evening""
Won Rosenhain seemed in no hurry
to 60.
pearance here this evening ? Surely L
see you for the first time o 7" he
said wonderingly.
eyes, l was among the lookers-on in
the gallery, near the musicians, and 1
watched you particularly during the
hour that l was allowed to stay. My
aunt declares that l am too young to
appear at the ball Is a guest-do you
not think it a shame ? l shall be SIX
teen next birthday, and I love dane
ing !"
at is an objectionable shame ~ ex-
| claimed Conrad excitedly, as he looked
into her p~laintive violet eyes,dewy with
tears. 81 Will go and beg your aunt to
let you come. Describe her to me, and
1 Will search till 1 find her."
"Pray do nothing of the kind, Herr
Won Rosenhain," said the girl, laying
her pretty hand on Conrad's sleeve ;
| the whole household would be scandal
lied If it knew that you had visited me
here. 1t is kind of you-very kind
to interest yourself in me but is too
late now"
II must do as you wish, Of course"
returned Conrad reluctantly. "How-
ever 1t f1atters me that you cared to dis
cover my name"
"You would like to know mine, | sup
pose," she said, with a saucy smile /;
but l am not going to tell it to you.
| Call me Penelope, or n of the Fates,
or any one who sits working busily
while others are amusing themselves,
and weave some kind of interesting ro-
nance about me. Now leave me, I
beg of you. l hope you will enjoy the
remainder of the ball, and l am very
| glad | have been of service to YOU"
l. lldHh JOu lSdi bIlys ouId SOhldNs
pressing one Of her soft white hands
CALAMITY to his lips.
Upon his return to the ballroom the
festivity seemed to have lost all its
charm for Conrad Won Rosenhain the
guests voices were noisy and discordant
compared with the low girlish tones to
which he had just been listening, and
there was not a face in all the thrOng
that did not pale before the delicate
loneliness of the mi he had seen bend
ing over the heap of colored silks in the
little boudoir. He sauntered alone
about the Conservatives and ante-rooms
for the remainder of the evening, ask
ing himself who the lovely little fairy
could be whom fate had thrown in his
way he dared not inquire without act
ing contrary to her wishes that their in
terview should remain a secret-and her
wish was law.
The next day was a dark one for
Schloss Marburg the news spread like
wildfre that the Countess Linden was
stricken down with a violent fever, and
the frightened guests were begged to
dispense with all possible haste. Won
Rosenhain was obliged to take his de-
| pdlIulC WILL lilC ObilCIo, luz bllObSu
he yearned to find out who his bene-
factress was, of whose childish violet
eyes and lovely pink-tinted face he had
been dreaming ever since. 1t would
have been heartless to pursue his in
vestigations at such time, and he could
not stay and be a burden upon the
stricken house.
A few weeks later Conrad Won Rosen-
hahn, together with many another brave
youth, was called upon to assist in the
defence of his fatherland against the
French, and in the excitement of army
life his mind had less time to dwell upon
the pretty little unknown who had so
fascinated him.
In an engagement near the village of
Kirchfelt Lieutenant Won Rosenhain
vas wounded in the shoulder-not Sc
verely, but enough to make him unfit
for service for some weeks. AS nc hos
pital was in the neighborhorhood ,Schloss
Hohenstein, the home of a certain
Baron Won Remsthal, was chosen as
quarters for the invalid, and thither
| Won Rosenhain was sent to await re-
covery.
Schloss Hohenstein was a fine old
DduolOl Idpluly tdllluS luGO ueCd9 , Vhc
strawberries were tangled and unkempt,
the statues crumbled unheeded. And
within doors the desolation was nearly
as great the once beautiful furniture
and tapestries were worm-eaten and in
tatters, Moreover, there were very
few servants and rumors reached
Conrad's airs of the Baron o Rem
sthal's being deeply involved in debt.
One bright sunny day, as Conrad vas
walking in the garden, rejoicing at the
thought of soon being able to rejoin his
regiment, some one advanced towards
him whom he bad not seen before at
Schloss Hohenstein-a graceful young
girl in a pretty fur-trimmed dress, her
cheeks flushed with the cold crisp air.
Surely he had seen those eyes before ?
Was ne dreaming, or was this really the
same mysterious fairy who had mended
his stocking at the fancy-hall
Good morning, Lieutenant Won Ro-
senhain !" she said, with the lovely
smile he remembered so well. 81 am
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