Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-03-21

men were taking their midday rest. With
hesitating steps she entered the house and
found what she had hoped for. Diethart lay
stretched out on the floor asleep. Nobody
else was about The maiden bent over the
sleeper to kiss his red lips, but just then her
eyes fell on the gold ring ON the young
mans right hand Jealousy blazed up in
her heart. Cautiously she took hold of the
ring, slipped it gently from the seepers fin
ger and concealed it in her dress
Then Diethart awoke from his sleep. He
arose in confusion when he saw the master
builders daughter standing before him in
great excitement. He did not notice the loss
of the ring; with the ring everything con
nected with it had disappeared from his
memory, like writing erased from slate.
Therefore, for the first time, he was aware of
Elsa's captivating beauty, and as he, seized
by sudden love- held out his arms towards
the beautiful form, she fell glowing with love
on his breast, and embraced his sunburnt
neck.
From the tower of the church, which was
now completed, the bells were ringing for the
first time, and old and young were Fastening
towards the new house of God, which was to
be consecrated to-day. But the feast of con-
secration was to be followed by second, and
that seemed quite as important to the people
as the first. Elsa, the architects much
courted daughter, was to give her hand to-
day at the altar to the young stonecutter
Diethart, and the brides father had provided
the richest and most brilliant wedding the
city had ever seen. 1t was a good omen for
such handsome pair as Diethart and Elsa
to be the first to be united at the new altar
For both of them were beautiful and stately;
that was admitted even by those who envied
them and they were not few.
The church festival passed off according to
the established custom Then the bridal pro
cession marched to the gayly decorated house
of the brides father, and soon its walls re-
sounded with music and dancing
When the wedding supper was over and
Elsa had danced the last dance of honor the
brides garter was unfastened and each one
of the guests had piece of the blue silk rib
bon as a remembrance. The brides father
filled great silver bumper with sweet wine
and drank the health of his children, the
fifers and kettle drummers began to play and
in the midst Of the merrymaking the bridal
pair fed from the hall
Weary of the wedding festivities, the new
ly married couple sat together in the quiet
bridal chamber and exchanged words of love.
Teasingly Elsa said, Before | become your
wife you must tell me one thing. Am the
first to whom you have spoken such words,
or has another held your heart before me-
That you must confess to me, for now there
must be no longer any secrets between you
and me-"
"Grieve me not with such suspicious, thou
dear delight of my eyes" replied Diethart.
Surely, | have laughed and made merry
with many pretty maid, but no other has
won my heart, and to none other have my
lips ever sworn love and fidelity"
"Ah, then, tell me, " continued Elsa, where
did you get the ring that you used to weari
Did it come from some tender womans hand,
you wicked fellowl"
"A ring, a ringl' asked Diethart in per-
plexity, and he shook his head. Il have
never worn a ring before you placed this one
on my finger"
"What" said Elsa, becoming excited.
Twill you deny that you wore a ring on your
right hand when l first saw you at my ia
ther'sr'
you are mistaken, Elsa" replied Diethart
growing red.
"Oh, you false man ~ cried the angry bride.
''SIall hold the ring before your eyesf'
And with a swift movement she drew the
ring, which she had taken from her sleeping
lover, from her bosom, and held it before her
eyes. w III you SIllI ueny IL!
VERY strange!" said Diethart is it pos
sible that | have worn that ring, my Elsai
Let me see it." He took the ring and placed
it on his finger.
Then he drew deep sigh. "Yes," he said
softly; 81 know the ring. SiSune, Sigune
what have done to thee"
Elsa screamed aloud, "Oh. you faithess,
you deceitful mani Depart from me and
never let me see your face again"
Suddenly she stopped speaking, and cold
shivers chilled her to her marrow They were
no longer together in the bridal chamber, but
a third person was with them. In the door
way stood the form of beautiful, pale wom-
an who beckoned with her white spirit hand
"Sigune!" cried the bridegroom, thou call
est me, and must come to thee" He sprang
up and turned toward the apparition, but be-
fore he reached her he fell to the floor.
Elsa's cry Of distress had been heard in the
hall, where the people were still making
merry. When the brides father, followed by
the wedding guests, entered the room, he
found his children lying lifeless on the floor.
Elsa came back to life, hut the confused
words which she uttered while the fever kept
her for weeks on her bed nobody understood,
and when she was well again, and people
questioned her about the incidents of that hor-
rible night, she had not word to say
All efforts to restore the bridegroom to con-
seriousness were in vain He had followed his
first love to that silent place from which there
is no return Translated from the German
of Rudolf Baumbach by Mrs. Nathan Has
kell Dole for The Boston Transcript.