News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-11-26

Hef nedu, sui wearing the Drlgn
poppy wreath, rested on his shoulder
while she whispered, in a pleased
happy way, 81 love you! | do low
you, Caspar!"
He smiled, content to hear her voice
81 must 90" she said, at length.
''The good mother will be lOOkins
for me-"
She was holding a bunch of the deel
red pOppies near her face.
Your lips are like the poppies, m,
Lois" he said, pleased at the com
parison.
"They say that death is hidden il
these flowers; so be careful of mylips
Caspar, if they are like them," shC
said, laughing gayly.
For answer he caught her in his
strong arms, and kissed again anc
again her lips and forehead ana hair
He was holding her SO, when some
one, coming up the river path, halted
tor a second to gaze at her.
Their eyes met. 1t was Herr Lo
ammi. He hurried away as he came
unseen by Caspar.
With a cry, Lois sprang away from
her lover.
"What has hurt you, Lois?" he
asked, tenderly.
But she did not answer.
When he repeated the question, ali
the brightness had gone from her
face, and she answered wearily, "Noth-
ing, Caspar, am just nervous and
tired
II wish | could go away. | wish
could go so far that | should never
again hear the buzzing sound of a
spindle or see a skein 0fflax."
Lois threw her arms over her head
and sighed.
"Why do the spindles and fax Of
fend thee, Lois! That is a Door
speech. | wonder what Herr Loammi
would think, could he hear you?"
GA fig for what Herr Loammi
thinksl" said Lois, Grossly. "What
is it to me? There is a whirring in
my ears all day, and a buzzing in my
brain all night. l hate it! Myheart
feels like a bird that is Gagged. Iwant
to be free, Frida-I want to be free !!
Ali to fly just once far enough away
that at night the shadow of the
mountain would not fall upon me-"
Frida looked at her wonderingly-
stupidly. She felt a dim conscious
ness that she could not follow Lois in
thought, so she wisely refrainPd from
the undertaking. She spoke soberIy.
''Lois, my mother tells me they
catch no game who run from it,"
"Catch no game? Who talks of
catching game, Frida?"
''DOst thou not think to find happi-
ness somewhere, Lois? What we seek
my mother calls the game, and thou
wOuldst be running from happiness.
The pretty lips parted to give an
impatient reply to Frida, closed sud
denly as Lois became aware of
young man standing near and look
ing at her.
1t was Herr LOammi. There was
troubled look on his face which Lois
failed to see as she bent quickly over
her work. Her cheek flushed. She
was thinking of the night before, and
the look of Herr LOammi as he turned
back on the river path.
Lois and Frida were coming out of
the factory as Madam de Burgraffs
carriage was passing. The carriage
stopped, and madam beckOned to
Lois.
To the other occupant of the ear
riage madam said, in quite an audible
voice:
''She has such a pretty face-quite
a beautiful face"
She cOnversed with Lois for some
time and t'rida was growing tired of
waiting, when madam exclaimed:
"Now that is right; remember we
start at Z O'Clock. Good-by, my
dear" Again she addressed her COM
panions; "Such a pretty face, eh?"
Flushed and excited, Lois returned
TO Frida, and her first words were,
81 90 with madam in the morning to
to Carlsbad"
ooh, Lois, art thou wise to go?
Thou
"Hush, don't preach to mel" said
Lois, in a tone that eftectually silenced
Frida.
The following day Lois's place was
vacant at the factory. Herr Loammi
came to inquire the cause.
"She has gone to Carlsbad as com
panion to Madam de Burgraff,'' said
Frida, without stopping her work.
"Herr Loammi has gone wrong in
the head" said some one that day in
the factory.
Caspar waited on the river path for
Lois. He heard a light step and
sprang to meet her.
1t was Frida. She smiled, saying,
"You miss Lois already"
''Miss her." he said, inquiringly.
eyes, since Madam de Burgraf'
took her off to Carlsbad"
Lois gone to Carlsbad?"
He looked like one who disbelieved
his ears.
Eyes she went this morning." said
Frida, walking on. She looked back
once and saw him standing in the
same place. "They were all wrongin
the head since Lois left," she NUT
tered
No one knew how the story came,
yet only three weeks after Lois's de-
parture the burning breath of scan
dal flew over her native village. 1t
was talked of openly over their beer
by the men and whispered about by
the women. Madam de Burgraff's
pretty companion had left Carlsbad
with the noted rOue, Count Grieffen-
camp.
Madam was in Mysteries, and socie-
tv was asking, ''What offence next
will that vile Won Grieffencamp COM
mit?"
Herr Loammi heard the rumOr,
and his face grew black as a thunder
cloud.
at is a Iiel" he exclaimed.
Caspar heard it, and like q wild
beast, he rushed down the river path
to the spot where he had last seen
Lois. Some bright-hued pOppies still
waved their frail petals. He spat up
on and trampled them to the ground.
"Ah! she said there was death in
the poppies," +" he hissed; death for
her-death for her! l could trample
her so! II see her again with her
pretty, false. traitOrous face. Curse
her-ay, curse her !"
And he tore away from the spot.
Into one house the scandal did not
penetrate. 1t was the little vine-cov.
cred cottage where Lois and his
mother dwelt.
Caspar was tearing along the river
path when some one overlook him
and clutched his arm. 1t was Herr
Loammi's voice that addressed him
His face was pale and drawn, and he
looked ill.