New Ulm weekly review., 1886-03-24

Lorchen is gone cleang gone; she is not
! her to-day, where's the use, when to-
morrow that French villain is coming
to carry her off! I'm a poor, misera-
bic, helpless Woman-Wnat can / do?.
Oh, this dreadful war!'
But the young man only laughed in
an embarrassed 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 yoursp
$50 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, doubly a
4 captive now, and a little shamefaced
and fearful, but still looking very hap
py as she fell on her mothers neck,
and begged her to give her and Karl
her blessing. And SO it came to pass
that they were betrothed in the celler,
and Immediately after all sorts of mys-
terious preparations, were made in
both houses, and at last the good pas
tor himself was called in to give his
advice. At IL o'clock that same night
there was enacted one of the strangest
scenes which our peaceful, sober-going
little town ever witnessed; for a young
couple were married in the darkness,
in the old chapel, outside the Martini
gate, and you may imagine my utter
amazement at being mysteriously
sent for at such an hour, and then
finding myself taken to the chapel to
be one of the witnesses to Lore's mar
riage the others being her mother and
Dernau's most intimate friend, Fritz
Berger.
It seemed uncommonly dismal to a
girl OF seventeen, as l was then, with
my head stuffed full, too, OF all sorts
OF tragical stories. 1t was a mild,
dark night; the sky was much over
cast; and ever and anon a distant
flash Of lightning announced that a
storm was coming up. The feeble
glimmer from the two tapers on the
altar seemed only to make the dark
ness darker, and the flames
t1lckered incessantly as the
wind came sweeping in gusts,
and making the boughs Of the old lime
tree rattle against the church windows.
1t was enough to make one shudder,
child, can tell you! The venerable
| old paster who had married Lorchens s
| father and mother, and baptized Lor-
| chen herself, gave only a, short ad-
| dress; but it was all the more impress
sive for that, and we were all very
much touched by it. When the cere-
mony was over | helped the sobbing
bride to take off her wreath of myrtle
and put on a very large hood, which
was part OF the peasants costume,
such as used to be worn about here,
which she was going to wear as a dis
guise. The poor mother was speech
less with grief, and seemed quite dazed
at the prospect of losing her beloved
daughter.
Meantime Karl Dernau, who had
also dressed himself like a peasant,
had brought a poor, miserable, one
horsed covered cart to the door ofthe
chapel, and, after the most heart
rending leave -takings, Lorchen was
lifted in, weeping bitterly. The night
had grown pitch black by this time;
the lightning flashed and the thunder
rolled in the distance; but under cover
OF the darkness, the pair safely effected
their escape across the neighboring
frontier, to where the French had not
yet gained a footing, Lorchen passing
for q sick peasant-girl who was being
taken to some famous, wonder-work-
ing doctor. AS Karl Dernau drove off
on his strange wedding journey he
looked SO brave, and tender, and self
reliant that we who were left behind
felt comfortable assurance that our
little bird would be safely hidden in her
nest with him for her protector. Two
years passed, and in the meantime
had been married in regular, or
binary way, in broad daylight,
with bridesmaids and wedding
breakfast, and without any Of
the rather uncalmy romance which
had attended Lorchen's wedding.
/ Still, who knows whether the
mere fact of our having taken part to-
| gether in this romantic affair did not
lead to our own marriage? Be this as
it may, it is quite certain that the
next time Fritz Berger and found
ourselves inside the little chapel, it
was for our own wedding.
CATER a time things went better in
the town, and as the French were less
favored by those in authority, it was
thought safe for the fugitives to
come cack; and, as by the death OF
his father, Karl had become the owner
of the house Lorchen's parents had
rented-the very house we are in to.
day-they came and settled here, and
her mother with them, and all lived
happily together. How happy we
were to be together again! and the
very first time we had quiet hour,
Lorchen told me the story Of her be-
trothal, which | had never properly
understood till then.
You see, Christel,' said she, you
and | were very intimate, and you did
know all my secrets-almost;b but you
did not know that l had cared for
Karl for a long time past. l was