Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-25
PROLOGUE.

around Gretchen Kappuch and her lover
Karl Krauf, and turned the threads of hel
fsxen hair to living gold, and tinged hel
pale cheeks with rosy flush, and fingered
lovingly in the soft depths of her big blue
eyes, suspiciously bright with the smart OF
unshed tears. which she bravely kept back,
lest their falling should pain her belovedi
that dear one who WAS about to cross the
frontier to join his regiment, which was
one of those investing Metz under Prince
Frederick Charles of Prussia, to fight for
the Fatherland, win honor and renown, or q
bloody, nameless grave in alien soil.
A fine, strapping girl was Gretchen;
broad, well-made and tall, nearly as tall as
her lover-and he was by no means short
man-as she leant against his breast and
twined her arms round his throat, as
though she fain would keep him there for
ever. in the safe haven of her fond embrace,
nor let him go to the seat of war where all
was carnage, death and desolation.
81 am 10th to let thee 60" she sighed
gently.
"And to go, nv Gretchen" he replied,
looking down tenderly at the fair face on
his broad breast; "yet when honor calls
must obey"
"Yes. dearest, thou must 60; but should st
thou come back, as poor Otto has, it
will break nv heart" and she shuddered,
for seven days agone her well-loved brother
and only relative in the whole wide world
had returned to the little vine-wreathed
cottage or the banks of the Rhine, griev-
ouslv wounded in the lungs.
At Worth, when the French retreated,
Otto Kappueh's regiment had been one OF
those sent after the flying fugitives, and
stray shot had pierced his breast and tum-
hled him off his horse in a heap. His COM
rades had borne him back to the Prussian
lines and after a while, it being seen that
for some time he would be totally unfit for
active service, he was allowed to return
home to see if he could recruit his health in
his native village.
''Ah, poor Otto" calculated Krauf
"How is he this day, better?"
'T fear he will never be better, ;" replied
the girl sadly. 'He has received his death
wound"
''Say not so, nv beloved" exclaimed the
Young man, whose grief at leaving the
woman he loved was augmented at the
thought that soon she might be without a
protector, lose the sole relative she pos
sessed, aud at the knowledge that he too
might soon be lying low, riddled by the
bullets from a mitrailleuse, or hopelessly
br a well-directed shot from the French
artillery.
'It is the truth. He will not recover"
"And he knows it?"
'Yes, he knows it. He told me only YES
terday that his days were numbered.
"He is i'll and weak, and therefore takes
dismal view of his condition." urged
Krauf
''Nav. Karl, thou can'st not saw Otto
takes dismal view of things. Merry he
81, ,,,I bo olu ha
till death stills mis- CAV laughter, freezes
the smile on his lips, dims the light in his
eyes"
Thou art right. He was ever merry
grig."
'And so he is now, though dying"
art sure?"
The girl nodded her head. Her heart |
was too full just then for words, and for |
while the lovers stood silent, twined in |
each others arms.
eff thou could'st only come with me-"
he said at last, with deep sigh.
''If, Karl, why not?'' she cried ioyfullv. |
81 am young, strong, so strong and active; |
other women have followed their lovers, !
why not I?''
"Mv dear one, there is Otto, |
helpless, dependent on thy care, |
and if there were not, think'st |
thou would let thee come |
amongst scenes of horror and carnage, such
as would turn thee faint and sick?"
81 have strong nerves, Karl, and were it |
not for Otto, I tell thee candidlv that nv
mind would be to follow thee
Thou could'st not love. Thou must
wait patiently until L return to thee here
Thou may'st never return she walled, |.
the long pent-up tears breaking forth, roll
ing down her cheeks and falling on their
clasped hands.
81 will, L will, best beloved; thy love
will keep ME safe. Twill be talisman
to bear me through the iercest battle un-
harmed, and he caressed her tenderly.
'If L could think that" and throwing
back her head she gazed at his well-loved
face earnestly.
Thou mayest. / shall think of thee
when the fray is thickest, and pray to God
to spare me to return to thee. All will be
we'll, beloved Gretchen"
''But if thou should'st not" she mur-
INJURED with bated breath, her eyes dilating
with fear, her cheeks blanching. "If, in
stead of returning, thou should'st meet
death, and find nameless grave, the spot
where thou liest even unknown to me, what
then. nv Karl, what them" and her arms
frightened convulsively round his throat, and
the big eyes grew dim and misty once more
Thou must not have these thoughts, my
dear one," he chided gently. Trust in
the goodness of our Heavenly Father, who
will protect me for thy sake. Think of the
happy day of my return, and how soon
then thou wilt be my bride, of our joy and
content in all the years that lie before u.s.
Be brave. love, as a soldiers bride should"
will, KARL" she said, dashing away
the blindin, tears with her strong, sun
Drowned hands, almost as strong and
sinewy as her lovers. "I will be brave
for thy sake, and think only of that future
which lies before US"
That is right, that is my brave girl"
and soon AFTER seeing that her endurance
was strained to the failing point, after a
long, long embrace, when lips met lips,
with all the clnging ardor such a parting
ss theirs called forth, he gently unclasped
her twining hands, and putting her from
him, turned and strobe away in the ruddy
glow of the setting sun.
Gretchen stood looking after him while ,
she could catch a glimpse of his tall figure.
When he disappeared from view she uttered
l heart-piercing shrek, and finging herself
ace downwards on the grass wept bitter
ears of passionate sorrow and regret,
srithing in her pain like one in mortal
agony. But when the violence of her grief
lad spent itself, she rose, and drawing a
oucketful of crystal clear water from the
veil, laved her flushed face and swollen |
,ye-lids in it, and smoothing her hair and |
lisarranged gown, went IN to the little vine
lad cottage to minister to that twin |
,rother who was so dear to her, next to
Karl in her heart and love; and he
laimed all her attention in the
lays that followed, and their few neigh
,ors, knowing how serious were his
Wounds, marveled not little one evening {
wo or three weeks later to see the young
Jhlan, dressed in his gay uniform, and ac-