Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-04-03

q
WAS ALMOST STUNNED
wise or interfere with your 1t is de-
lightful,' said /, and for half an hour we
sat and talked about these delights and
kindred subjects. She was much inter-
ested in our castle, and urged me to
make sketch of it, so that she may
know what 1t now looked like. She had
seen 1t when little girl, but never
since, and had been afraid to wander
very far in this direction by herself.
told her that it would be far better for
her to see the castle with her own eyes,
and that | could conduct her TO an emf
hence. not half mile away, where she
could have an excellent view OF 1t. This
plan greatly pleased her, but looking at
her watch she said that it would be too
late for her to go that morning, but IL
happened to come that way the next
day, and she should be there TO finish
her sketch If the weather were fine, she
would be delighted to have me show her
the eminence."
II think" interrupted Aunt Martha,
''that she was very imprudent young
woman"
THAT may be-" he replied, "but you
must remember, madam, that up to this
time the young lady had been subjected
to the most conventional trammels and
that her young nature had just burst out
into temporary freedom and true life. 1t
was the Gagged birds flight into the bright
summer air"
"Just the kind of birds, said Aunt
Martha, shat shouldn't be allowed to
fly, at least until they are used to it.
But you can 60 on with your story"
well, said the young man, ''the next
day We met took her to the piece Of
high ground had mentioned, and she
sketched the castle. After that we met
again and again nearly every day. This
sort of story tells itself. became mad
ly in love with her, and am sure she
liked me very well; at all events was
companion of her own age and tastes.
and such one, she assured me, she had
never known before, and probably would
never know again"
There was some excuse for her." said
Aunt Martha; "butstill she had no right
to act in that way, especially as she was
80 soon to be married"
81 do not think that she reasoned
much upon the subject, said the young
man, "and l am sure did not. We
made no plans. Every day we thought
only of what we were doing or saying,
and not at all what We had done or
would do. We were very happy.
Zone morning l was sitting by Marie
in the very place where had first met
her, when we heard some one rapidly
approaching. Looking up l saw tall
man in an undress military uniform.
Heavens cried Marie, st is Colonel
Kaldhein'
1.-The situation was one of which an
expectant bridegroom wouldnot be like
ly to ask many questions. Marie was
seated on low stone with her drawing
block in her lap. She was finishing the
sketch on which she was engaged when
l first saw her, and l was kneeling close
to her looking over her work, and max
ing various suggestions, and think my
countenance must have indicated that l
found it very pleasant to make sugges-
tions in that way to such pretty girl.
Our heads were very close together.
Sometimes we looked at the paper,
sometimes we looked at each other. But
in the instant l caught sight of the
Colonel the situation had changed. !
rose to my feet and Marie began to pick
up the drawing materials which were
lying about her.
Colonel Kaldhein came forward al
his gold spectacles, and his close-cut,
reddish beard seemed to be singeing
with the fires of rage. had but an in
slant for observation, for he came di-
rectly up to me, and with tremendous
objurgation in German he struck me
full in the face with such force that the
blow stretched me upon the ground.
81 was almost stunned, but heard a
scream from Marie, storm of angry
words from Kaldhein, and felt sure he
was about to inflict further injury. He
was q much stronger man than was,
and probably was armed. With sud
den instinct Of self-preservation l rolled
down a little declivity on the edge Of
which had fallen, and, staggering to
my feet, plunged into q thicket and
fed Even had been in the full posses
sion of my senses l knew that under the
circumstances i would have been Of no
benefit to Marie had l remained upon
the scene. The last thing / heard
was a shout from Kaldhein, in which he