The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-05-06

quiet hour, Lorchen told me the story OF
| her betrothal. which / had never properly
| understood till then.
I You see. Christel,' said she, you and ]
were very intimate, and you did know all
NV secrets-aimost; but you did not know
that had cared for Karl for a long time
past | was ashamed to confess it either to
you or myself. But when he came to the
cellar window that dreadful day, Just when
was in the greatest danger and drove il
in-I was too dazed TO dare to open it my
salf-and when he lifted me up, and before
well knew where | was, took me into the
cellar of his own house, well, then | knew
did care for him, and began to cry. And
then he sat down by me and quietly took
hold OF my hand and when | was able to
speak thanked him and begged his pardon
| for having made such fun OF him before.
| You can guess what followed. Our be
trothal was not very romantic, ChriStel. fol-
we sat upon an old sugar chest, and my
dress was torn and dusty, and the air of the
| cellar was dank and musty. Bat what did
we care for that! There were roses all
round Us, and we were in Elysium; and as
for the romance, we had enough before the
| day was out TO last a whole lifetime
This was Lorchen's confession, and we
both thanked Heaven for making us SO
| happy and bringing us together again. We
| were happy, indeed, and this helped US TO
bear our daily cares for we were still in a
clouds hung thick and black over the politi-
cal sky. There were no christie ming feasts
| when our little ones were baptiSed and in
spite OF our real happiness, good many
| tears fell upon the little heads. But at last
! there was a change, Suddenly it was as if
a fresh wind had begun to blow. No one
knew whence it had come. but it was there,
and we all felt invigorated by it. Lore and
| |, too, soon noticed that there was great
deal going on behind the scenes, which
. gave us plenty of food for wonder and con-
! lecture WagOners who did not look at all
| like wagoners were constantly bringing
| heavy loads of merchandise to Karl, and
nv Fritz who was lawyer, and had moth
| ing naturally to do with such matters, WAS
| always present at the unloading, and
| helped to carry the goods into the cellar as
soon as it was dusk. 1t was quite clear that
| there was some secret which our husbands
were keeping from us, and after bearing it
| patiently for little while we determined
! TO put an end to Sucn an unnatural state of
! things.
| .'sVell, we found it all out, and learned
| that Karl and Fritz were members of q Sc
cret league which had branches everywhere
| throughout Germany, and was formed to
| deliver the Fatherland from her foreign
| masters. The ''wagonerSn were members
| too. and the goods they brought were arms,
which they stored in the cellar; and there,
| in what had been LOrchenS prison, the con-
| federates held their meetings. On these
| occasions now that we knew what was go
ing on, we used to do our part byslighting
up the chandeliers in the drawing-room,
| ciinling glasses together and carrying wine
! bottles and dishes 10 and fro, to divert at
| tentiOn from what was going on down be-
| low, and to throw dust in peoples eyes.
As soon MS ever our good King issued his
| appeal to my people, we saw the result of
| ali these secret preparations. The enthuSi-
aSm was tremendous, and every German
| heart was ali aglow. Oh, child, it was a
grand time, and shall never forget the day
| when the pastor read out the Kings procla-
nation in the market place-for there was
not room for the crowd in the church-and
called on all the men to come forward and
| take part in holy war to eXpel the enemy.
| There never was such excitement. before or
! since, Friends and acquaintanceS embraced
one another, and the most bitter enemies
| shook hands. The first to volunteer to figha
| for wife, and child and home were Kari
Dernau and my Fritz; and numbers and
numbers followed their example. Then
came the leave-taRsngS, and those were sad
| enough. tainted away, but Lorchen be-
haved like a little heroine.
1--WE two kept together through all that
time of terrible waiting and fighting and
misery. But at laSt-atl last came the news
OF victory, and all the hills blazed with
bonfires. The Fatherland was free, and
our loved ones were safe and coming home
crowned with laurelS! We had suffered
great deal, but we thought ourselves fortu-
nate i'll having been allowed to look on
while such great events were doing.
But where have | got to with my chat
tering? l was only going TO tell you"
80, Granny,"I interrupted, you have
not told me bit too much; l could listen
all day"
Well" said she with smile, ''you de-
serve something for giving up going to the
chapel to sit with an old woman. When |
/ IN fol
Deruau was imprisoned In the cellar. that
you might see what a dangerous gift
beauty is,n
lin, Granny, don'tlike your moral!'
answered. The French are far enough
off now, and for my own part L shouldn't
mind running the risk of being tolerably
nice-looking.'1
Granny was going TO scold, but the
corners of her mouth twitched, and before
she could recover herself, l had jumped up,
eXclaiming:
Listen, the bells have been ringing this
long time; the wedding is over and they
will be here directlyin
| went once more hastily through the
rooms to see that everything was in order,
and then l strewed flowers all down the
stairs to the front door, and then Granny
and waited at the window.
Soon the head of the procession made its
appearance-Such a long, long procession!
First came the old people, several couples,
and then the young ones, and lastly the
grandchildren all decked with flowers; but
the bridal pair, who were that day cele-
brating their golden wedding, were the
most beautiful sight of all.
Aunt Dernau looked lovely in her blue
lowered damask and three-cornered lace
handkerchief, with the golden sprays of
myrtle in her hair; and Uncle Dernau,
with his Snow-white curly hair and tall,
upright figure, looked most dignifed and
quite grand, too; for, besides the golden
sprig in his button hole, he wore the orders
and decorations which he had won during
the war. How tender and careful he was
of his little wife, too.
Just as tender and affectionate as he had
been to the young beauty when he ma rried
her in the sunny May-time fifty years be
fore I-H0Isehold Words