Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1891-07-09

CHAPTER XVI.
FAREWELL TO LIEF


II Count Won Hohenfels refused to
practice pistol shooting, not so did
Ralph Warringham.
On the morning Of the day that inter
vened between the interview of the
seconds and the time set for the fatal
affair. he bought pair of revolvers and
with them in his pocket sought the most
secluded spot he could find in the forest,
far remote from all human habitatiOns.
There he improvised a target on the
stump of a tree which the ak had cut
down and began to practice. He con-
tinued long time until he knew thor
oughly all the characteristics Of the
weapons Then he threw himself down
on the moss and began to think.
During his occupation with the pistols
his attention had a turned only to
the work in hand, but now it relaxed.
1t was spot of grandiOse beauty on
which he found himself From the edge
of high, forest covered plateau he had
a wide view over the country before him
Just beneath his feet he could see the
valley, with the carriage road, and
wagons, horses, and people on it, so
small that they appeared only as insig-
nifcant black specks. Not a sound of
the multifariOus, busting life below
reached his solitude.
Beyond the valley he saw the Thurin-
gian Mountains rise, chain behind chain,
ridge after ridge, all clad in their mag
nifcent mantle of beech and fir. Far
away on the horizon rose another and
higher mountain range, scarcely dis
Jinguishable through the faint blue haze
that yelled it. Those were the Rhoen
Mountains, many, many miles away.
All this Ralph saw, as he lay on the
moss under the gigantic canopy of beech
trees There was a strange silence all
about him. The wind itself hardly pro
duced a noise as it blew through the soft
foliage of the beeches. No birds inhabit
these forests, where there is no under
brush for them to hide in. Once in a
long while a squirrel darted from tree to
tree high over the solitary mans head.
Presently all was quiet again.
The awful silence of this sylvan will
derness had a soothing effect on the wild
uproar of passions and emotions in
Ralph's breast Gradually softly mel
ancholic mood took the place of the
fierce despair and savage desire of re-
venge that had hitherto animated him.
All! That was the end of IL all. All
the enthusiasm and beauty and joy OF
youth to end only in the bitterness OF
disgrace and DEATH
He thought CT the night when he had
first seen the woman who had become
the ruin Of his happiness. How he had
seen her among the splendOrs OF the the
alter, radiant, graceful, with a smile SO
sweet and a voice so softl How he had
joined in the rapturous applause of the
audiencei How he had lOnged to be-
come acquainted with her, and, when
his wish was fulfilled, how she had ap-
peared to him still more beautiful, more
admirable than before. And that never
forgotten moment when he was allowed
to plant the first rapturons kiss upon her
fair brow!
Oh, why had she so cruelty betrayed
himi
And still he loved heri Would to God
that he could restore her picture to the
purity in which she had first appeared
to himl
But he would never see her more. His
love-dream was all over, and soon his life
would be over also
Then he thought of his home, of his
beloved mother She was dead nowl
She died before he could see her again,
or listen to the words of forgiveness
from her lipsi Yet she had loved him
her last thoughts had been OF him, who
had left her for one so utterly unworthy
oh, cruel fatel
All the places he had known in his
youth appeared again before the eyes OF
his imagination, and with them the faces
OF all the dear friends at home
ne lAuo lutm AL ldE0Weli- MS lie
had reached its goal
But among all those faces there rose
one sweeter than all the others II
| looked upon him with soft, blue, plying
/ eyes, so full of love, oh, so full of love.
| That one face filed his whole soul The
others all disappeared. Was 1t the face
| of An angel?
He was thinking of his cousin, OF
Hattie Beclxfordi Her image appeared
to him as the ideal of sweet, loving.
heavenly womanhoodi Oh, II he had
possessed the love of such one, how
/ different all would have come
But he had been led astray by false
| glitter and passion Here was the end
a long, long time Ralph lay in the
! deep shades Of the forest, high up in
the mountains
At last he rose to return TO the valley.
He had made his final reckoning and
struck the balance. Now all that LAY
behind him was gone forever. Not with
l . thought would be return 70 L,