The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-09-30

the hardest time OF ali, Tor her moJnel
was so nervous that she was always see
ing danger, and she insisted on the pool
girl spending the greater part of the day
down in the cellar, and many an after
noon l spent there, too, keeping her com.
I pany.
Look" said l, on one of these occa
sions, you can see straight into neighboI
! Dernau's garden through this little win.
dow"
But Lorehen blushed and turned heI
head without answering. One Whitsun
Eve, a lovely May Gay, Just like to-day,
number of the eHeIny's troops passed
through the town, and, of course, Lore
had to sit in the cellar and get through
the time as best she might. AS soon as
| the terrible "Parlevouhs," as we
called them, had all gone through and
| out of the town gate, the captive was let
out, and what must the silly girl do but
go to the sitting-room window and lean
out. After being in prison so long she
enjoyed the spring air doubiy, and it
amused her to watch what was going on
in the street. But misfortune never
slumbers, and, as it fell out, young
French officer came past leading his
horse by the bride and looking for a
blacksmith, as the animal had cast a
shoe. He had no sooner caught sight of
the lovely little head among the roses
which clustered round the windows than
he threw the reins to boy and dashed
up the steps like a nadman. 1t did not
take him a minute, but Lore was as
quiet as he, and had slipped back into
baY hidiunnIaoa Gill fI,a
use of that, when the Frenchman had
seen her and was bent upon finding her.
Il want to see the pretty demoiselle, "
he cried, in his broken German, and he
insisted on searching first all the rooms
in the house, then the garrets, and fin
ally the cellar! 1t was useless to say to
him nay, for he was master of the situa-
ton, and Lorchen's poor mother follow
ed him down the cellar-stairs trembling.
But, wonder of all wonders, the nest
was empty, the bird had flownl Find
and, snatching up a little ivory minia-
ing, therefore, that his search was vain
the young officer flew into a rage,
ture of Lore, dashed out the house, VOW
ing he would come back next day with
a whole squadron and stay till the girl
Lore's mother sank down in a chair and
burst into tears, feeling utterly bewild-
cred and altogether at her wits end.
But she had not wept long, when her
young Dernau, made his APP
pearance, and, to her extreme surprise,
asked her with all due form and cere-
mony to accept him as a sutton for her
daughters hand.
"Ach!" cried the poor woman, "Lor-
chen is gone-clean gone, she is not in
her hiding place, and, if could find her
to-day, where's the use, when tomorrow
the French villain is coming to carry
her off! Pm a poor, miserable, helpless
can do? Oh! tl1is ter
rible war;"
But the young man only laughed in an
sort of way, and then said:
only trust me, mother, if may call
you SO, and depend upon it shall be
able to take good care of Lorchen when
once have the right. In the cellar she
IS, however, at the present moment;
though not in yOurs!"
So saying, he led the astonished dame
INTO his house and down ever so many
stairs, and there sure enough was the |
captive in his cellar, doubIy a captive
now, and looking very happy as she fell !
IN her mothers reck and begged her to |
give her and Karl her blessing. And so |
t came to pass that they were betrothed !
n the cellar, and Immediately after all |
;orts of mysterious preparations were |
made in both houses, and at last the |
rood pastor himself was called in to give |
lis advice. At II o'clock that same |
hight there was enacted one of the |
trangest scenes which our peaceful, |
little town ever witnessed; !
or young couple were married in the
darkness in the old chapel outside the
Martini gate, and you may imagine my
litter amazement at being mysteriously
ent for at such an hour, and then find
ng myself taken to the chapel to be one
# the witnesses to my Lore's marriage,
he Others being her mother and Der
lau's most intimate friend, Fritz Berger,
1t seemed uncommonly dismal to
,irl of II, as was then, with my head
tuffed full, too, of all sorts Of tragical
tories. 1t was a wild, dark night; the
Ky vas much overcast, and ever and
mon distant fash of lightning an
bounced that a storm was coming mp.
The feeble glimmer from the two tapers
N the altar seemed only to make the
darkness darker, and the flames f1ickered
ncessantly as the wind came sweeping
n in gusts and making the bough of the
Id lime tree rattle against the church
1t was enough to make one
hudder, child, / can tell youl The ven
rabIe old pastor, who had married L.or-
hens father and mother and baptized
Iorchen herself, gave only a short adj
ress, but it was all the more impressive
or that, and we ysre eli very muck
ouched by it. When the ceremony was
YER / helped the sobbing bride to take
f her wreath of myrtle and put on a
cry large hood, which was part of
ne peasants costume, such as used to
g worn about here, which she was going
, wear as a diguise. Tho poor mother
as speechlees with grief, and seemed
ute dazed at the prospect of losing her
eloved daughter.
Meantime Karl Dernau, who had also
ressed himself like a peasant, had
rought a poor, miserable, one-horsed
oyered cart to the door of the chapel,
nd, after the most heartrending leave
skings, Lorchen was lifted IN, weeping
Utterly. The night had grown pitch
lack by this time the lightning flashed
nd the thunder rolled in the distance,
ut under the cover of the darkness, the
air safely effected their escape across
le neighkQrjng frontier, to where the
rench had not yet gained 2 footing,
orchen passing for a sick peasant girl
-ho was being taken to some famous
-onder- working doctor, As Karl Der
au drove off on his strange wedding
,urpey ne looked SO brave and
,nder and self-reHant that we who
ere left behind felt a comfortable as,
france that our little bird would be
lfely hidden in her nest with him for
er protector. Two years passed, and in
le meantime had been married In the
OCULAR, ordinary way, in broad daylight,
18th bridesmaids and wedding break
ast, and without any of the rather I'M
amy romance which had attended
l. ]