Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-09-21
THE RED FLAG.
BY NJ. II. BRADDON.
CHAPTER L.
Gretchen In The Garden.

night; leaves whispering; low faint
sounds of falling waters form a fOun
tain hidden in the foliage; and across
the dim shadOwy night the f1arine
lights and gaudy cOlors of a painted
and gilded temple, in which the band
is playing one of Strauss tenderest
WaltZeS.
The melOdiouS strain is drawing to its
close. The players attack the coda
with crash and hurry, the pace inten-
styling as they near the end. All the
walters have fallen out of the ranks
except one couple, and those two waltz
as if it were impossible to TREAS if
they were the very spirit of dance and
melody, creatures of fire and air
motion incarnate
The girls golden head reclines
against her partners shoulder, but not
with an air of WEAKNESS; the attitude
expresses only repose; the graceful
gliding step, the harmonious flowing
movements, are as natural as the fall
of waters or the waving Of forest
bOughs The rosy lips are slightly part
ed, the sweet eyes look starwards with
a dreamy gaze. There is far more of
spirit than of gross earthliness in the
slim willowy form, the fair and
radiant face, which the stars and the
lamps shine upon alternately, as those
revolving figures circle-nOw in the
glare of the orchestra, and then under
those solmn worlds of light which are
soon to look upon strange, Sadder,
darker, crueller sights than this Sun
day evening dance at the CloSerie DIES
Lilas.
There are some who think it is a
wicked thing to dance on a Sunday
evening, even after one has wOrShipped
at ones parish church faithfully and
reverently on Sunday morning; some
there are who think it is wicked to
dance at all; and there are others who
worship in dancing, and are moved to
wild leapings and WRITINGS by the
spirit of piety; others, again, who are
devil-dancers, and worship the princi-
pal of evil in their demoniac gyrations.
But assuredly, Of all who ever danced
upon this earth, none ever danced on
the edge of a more terrible volcano
than that which trembled and throb-
hearted jewellers to-night-happy, I'M
fOrseeing, rejoicing in the balmy breath
Of summer the starlit sky, the warmth
and the flowers, with no thought that
this fair Paris, whitley beautiful in the
sheen of starlight and moonlight, was
like n phantasmal or fairy city-a city
of palaces which were soon to sink in
dust and ashes, beauty that was to be
changed for burning, while joy and
love fled shrinking from a carnival of
blood and fire.
Even tonight there were byStanderS
in the lamp-lit garden who shook their
heads solemnly us they talked Of the
probability of war with Prussia. The
battle of Sadowa had been the begin
ming Of evil. France had played into
the hands of her most dangerous rival,
and had been swindled out of the price
of her neutrality. To have allowed
Austria to be crushed by Bismarck
was worse than Il crime, it was a
blunder. And now all the signs and
tokens of the time pointed to the likeli-
hood of war The day had come when
the overweening ambition of the house
in the opinion Of the BonapartistS the
ion among the people was divided; and
there were many who were friends of
ones to fight upon was France. Opin-
peace. A campaign would be a tri-
umph for French arms, of course; but
such triumphs, however certain, are
never won without loss. For France rs
Il people there must needs be profit
and fame; but for individualS-Well,
even in a succession of victories some
French blood must be shed, some
French corpses must lie scattered on
distant battlefelds-there must be cy-
press as well as laurel
Yet the idea of impending war was
not unpleasant. 1t electrified the intel
Iectual atmosphere, set the hearts of
men and women throbbing with new
hopes, new fears. To elderly people it
seemed only the other day that the
army was coming home in triumph
after the Italian War, and France was
crowning the Gberators of a sister
land; but to the young people that
Italian campaign seemed to have hap
pened a long while ago. 1t was time
tn1I france SHOULD ARISE Ill Her DulSHI
and strike a great blow.
SO the niddle-aged folks, mere
spectators of the evenings amusement,
put their heads together and discussed
the political situation--some arguing
from one poin of view, some from
another; and those two walters circled
faster and faster with the closing bars
of the coda. With the last chord they
stopped. The dark-haired young man
withdred his arm reluctantly from his
partners slim waist, and then they
went off arm-in-arm towards the
shadow of the trees dark-haired
youth, and fair-haired youth, all the
world to each other, and infinitely
happy.
Faust and Marguerite" said a cor
pulent citizen, who had been watching
the dancers while he talked of Bis
marck and the Due de Gramont.
Happily 1 see no Mephistopheles,"
replied his companion. IF the young
people go to perdition it will be their
own doing"
The girl is very pretty" said the
other, land | think l have seen her
lovers face before tonight"
He is to be seen any day at the
Cafe Malmus. He is Journalistic
sprig Of nobility, l believe, but as poor
as Job. He writes for the papers. He
ranks as an esprit fort and something