The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-10-28

ALL WE'RE LAUGHING AND TESTING
AROUND THE XMAS TREE.
ring, the givcr of which could easily
guess. also chatted about various
things. He listened 10 it all attentively.
what disturbed your holiday hui
mor?" he asked then "Will you not
tell me?" ....s tf
"You, rather than any other man.
You would sympathize with me the
best, but ] cannot make up my mind to
It. must tell some woman first"
"Speak with Miss Rennert; she Is
still awake. heard her voice In the
corridors q short while ago" ili ifHt
| knocked at Miss Rennert's door.
She opened II herself
murmured an apology for disturbing
her so late. ,.ti .iS
"Come in, baron. cannot sleep,
anyway. really expected you Sit
down by mo at the fre.r She looked
sadly at mo us sat opposite her. Poor
child" sighed she; ~ have Just left
her."
"How did you iind her9" asked 1.
II found her on her knees by the
sofa, weeping She was beside herself.
I took her In my arms and besought
her to compose herself When she had
with difficulty quicted down asked
her the cause Of her agitation She
buried her sweet face on my shoulder
and said she could not tell me, and she
kept her word, although urged her
I am In great trouble. What can have
excited the poor child SO terribly"
In few words described the scan.
dalous scene had witnessed She was
very much excited
"The miserable man." cried she, with
flashing eyes, Ito dispell in such man.
ner the young girls dream Of childhood
and TO allow her TO suspect the baseness
OF the world and the weakness OF man
at n time when all seems good and pure
to herl And just this child, too. with
her idealistic thoughts-it is disgustingi
Yes, now can fully understand her az
itation."
The old lady buried her face in her
handkerchief.
"You cannot imagine how the whole
affair works me mp" she said. "At
first when you told me about It, my
thoughts went back City years to q
lonely castle in Courland, whence !
went with my beloved young countess
when she married She loved her hus-
band devotedly, and he her, in his way
But the climate was too severe for her,
and she was III nearly all winter.
nursed her. At that time was n young,
happy girl. very much petted by the
family, for was brought up with the
countess. ! was not suspicious when
the count jcsted with me and paid me q
good deal Of attention. But once. in
the middle Of the night, when ! was
coming from my poor angel, who bore
her sufferings with such fortitude. and
always thought Of her beloved husband,
the count YVES waiting for me 10 the
hall, and was reminded OF IL by the
scene you just described tell you,
baron, at that time there was rift
made in my mind. and after that
never trusted anyone again. and IL dis
gusted me with men ! have seen much
and passed through much and often
thought TO myself; II is well that you
never married. The worst experience
is the awakening from childhood; there
fore am ! troubled on my darling's ac-
count"
The old lady stopped talking and
gazcd silently into tie Ere
rs not this case differently" said I.
miss Ellen is still such child, the
count is her uncle; she may think II
only q joke-though coarse one"
Certainly the matter is different here,
and Ellen will never allow word TO
pass her lips, for she is striving to look
upon 1t In that light The worst Is that
her fine feelings cannot be quieted-
that such thing should happen 10 her
Just herl" Miss Rennert stared be-
fore her. Her fine face looked so worn
and suffering that ! rose hastily and
bade her fnod night
"Good nlghtr' said she "A sad end
ing for such q merrily.begun Xmas
evei"
lTo DE coSrtNUED.
To KEEP paste for any lergth Of time