The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-03-28
friends, 50 that 1 soon found myself most


delightfully."- situated.
And the daughter of the house?
There stood Eyeline with her friends,
her graceful figure moving with bewitch-
ing grace among the guests; for she was
obliged to assist that aged, somewhat con-
ventional-looking lady In doing the honors
of the house-the Generals wife had been
dead many years-and l could not help
admiring the tact and self-possession with
which she, in spite of her youth, so charm
ingly filed her position as hostess. Here
she asked an old gentleman after the health
of his sick spouse; there whispered some
pleasant remark to young lady about her
tasteful toilet, or repelled too gallant cav
alier with scornful glance or saucy
answer. With each and all she knew just
the right tone to take. She was sur
rounded by ALL Every one focked about
her, who, ike an apparition out of story
book, moved around among those nodded
fashion plates And yet there lay in her
violet eyes, when she believed herself to be
unobserved, sad expression which did not
accord with the conventional smile of the
sweet, small mouth.
At length the signal for dinner was
given. Eveline laid the tips of her dainty
fingers on the arm of tall blonde cavalier
cousin of the family. To my great
annoyance my portion was Countess Sound
SO, no longer in the first bloom of youth.
l must add [ had secretly hoped to see
Eveline's angelic head at my side. With
a mien which was certainly not very amia-
BILE | offered the Countess my arm and led
her to the places designed for us. Though
otherwise most estimable lady, she almost
drove me to despair with her loquacity, and
while she even before soup inquired about
my recent journey in the East and ex-
pressed a. desire to hear something about
my last new work, my glance strayed i'm
patiently past the questioner IN vain
search for EveIine | had not had the
opportunity to exchange one word with
her. She had only nodded to me from
across the room, pleasantly and confdingly,
as to an old acquaintance.
Pretty soon | felt a gentle touch on my
arm, and voice only too well remembered
asked slyly and at the same time saucily:
'Does mein Herr no longer recognize
his protege?"
l turned quickly, and yes, there indeed
was Eveline, who had been sitting next to
me for full FIVE minutes without my having
observed her. My neighbor, the Countess,
and Eveline's escort, the cousin in the
Guards, very soon understood how much
they might expect to be entertained by
Eveline or myself during the four or five
hours passed at the table. How the time
sped and what were the general topics of
conversation we never knew. But [ was
entirely happy during the whole time.
Not once did | discover in her eyes that
melancholy dropping which had before
made me anxious. Oh, if could only sue
ceed in making her forget Paumwolf To
this fond, proud thought [ concentrated all
nv mind and efforts. With rapture [
noticed how her eyes hung so earnest on
my lips as | told her of my distant travels
and Of my restless wandering about from
one distant land to another And when L
spoke of my dear solitary Barwalde, with
it's sombre fir trees, and its rush-grown
ponds; of my immense library and the
beautiful grand piano which often trusted
to the hands of my overseer, just to have
some accompanying instrument to my be-
loved violoncello; when | said "Surely,
Fraulein Eveline also plays on the piano,
and very much better, too, than my over
seer" thoughtful smile spread over the
dear, sweet face. She loved music very
much she replied, and it would give her
pleasure to accompany me some day.
II hope you will do that at Barwalde,
l cried passionately. She dropped her lids
over her clear violet eyes and deep blush
spread over her cheek.
Eight days afterward Eveline was my
betrothed What did | care for all the
PaumwoIfs in the whole world I?
On one of the very first days of our en-
gagement we met the betrothed, Maier and
Paumwolf, on the street
aShall we turn back, Evi? ?" | asked,
playfully, though [ could not prevent a
Slight feeling of anxiety from rising in my
heart. She became very grave for mo-
ment; then nesting closer to my side
looked up at me with her innocent child
like eyes.
"You know 1 have left all that behind
me" she said softly.
| pressed her arm more closely to me
"Oh, Evi my own sweet Evil" | was SC
happy, so proud that even the bold curiosi-
ty with which Lieutenant Paumwof stared
at us in passing could not irritate me-
Eveline and [ have lived many years al
our quiet old Barwalde, where the sur
never seemed to have risen until Eveline'f
blonde head fitted through the house and
grounds. But the happiest hours in oul
bIissful life are those in which we sat con
fidently together after the cares and duties
of the day are over, and the tones of the
piano and violoncello mingle their sounds
on the still evening air.