The Dickinson press., 1894-10-13

"Frahlein," I said, II do not know
what to say. I did not seek to come
this journey myself. Herr Steinhardt
asked me to undertake 1t. He thought
and I thought. too, that your advertise.
ment, in which, of course, you could
not use many words. signified that you f,
were very Ill, and alone perhaps, and
that you needed al did not quite
know how to put It; I added hurriedly)
Ia friendly hand"
He did not think I could wish to see
him for his own sake-I mean for the
sake OF his own peace?"
Her German was becoming too rapid
for me to follow without an effort; 1
was not sure I understood her.
HE has business" l said, (which
prevented him from coming himself"
II suppose" said she with some
touch Of bitterness. I thought. "he is
still always very busy making more
and moro money in your rich Eng.
land"
ut is now" I answered. 80 lawsuit
that keeps him in England" "
"a lawsuit? A trial?" she exclaimed
with q strange anxiety. us he in dan
ger?"
Indeed. Fraulein, I do not know.
The other party in the trial thinks him
self In danger from Herr Steinhardt
he accuses Herr Stcinhardt of using
and making much money by using, his
patent for chemical dyes"
II Think" said she, simply, you are
not I~!Mmanucls friend"
TO this l had nothing to say for a mo-
ment. l took refuge in an evasion.
Herr Steinhardt," l said. has sent
me to act as his representative. But
it appears there is nothing for me to
do" II was standing uncertain, but
ready to Co., what shall l say to him
when | return?:"
Il WONDER said she. more than half
TO herself. IF you are the person I
have seen lately?"
I was startled. l stared in blank be-
wildermcnt. Was the woman Il man.
lac? The pupils of her keen eye seemed
to rapidly dialate and contract. while
she gazed into vacancy. and at the
same time kept a referring glance on
me.
"a man." she continued, 'who goes
about and about and evidently causes
Emmanuel great anxiety about some
thing"
Conceive the sudden turmoil Of
thought and feeling Of Imagination and
hope into which l was thus thrown!
The Ialcroix mystery was until then
almost absent from my mind; l SEEM
cd to have left it in England, and
though l certainly thought of it some
times, it was as of something waiting
in the distance for my return. Now
here was l presented with an allusion
to it-a vague and uncertain %allusion,
perhaps, but still Enthusiastically for me
M ~allusion-here in IN attic of an old
house in Basel! What strange coinci-
dence was this? Who was the woman
that brought 1t before me again? 1 was
afraid to speak o to stir, lest l should
break or dispcl that tilmy something
her fancy o. her vision had got touch
of.
You are Il PASTOR" sha continued,
looking at me with more natural eyes;
"Em1aaLue l calls YOU Reverend Mr..
Irwin 1t is surely, sir, Il pastors
duty to bring repentance and forgive.
and not pride and fear and condemna.
toni:
You say very strange things, Frau.
lein." ! answered; II think-I hope
understand what you mean. Perhaps
l deserve your rebuke. But are you
sure you altogether know the terrible
mystery"
"%..rl..." she cried. There is, then,
mystery-and part of the burden of II
is with me! Ach! mein Colt! mein
Gott!"
IF you know 1 impulsively be
gan, III i'll suppressed excitement.
II do not know %anything"! she cried
suddenly interrubting me and spring
ing to her feet. She paced ~nervously
up and down the room, her fingers
wildly playing with each other, or about
her arms and her head. She stopped
and looked at ME, trembling in every
limb and nerve. "You must go away
sir"
I fingered uncertainty.
"Please to 20 away, STRIP she urged
x cannot bear more now! Come agair
tomorrow! 1t may be that my God
has sent You to mel"
1 withdrew without a word, some
what awed by the emotion of the
strange woman. As I closed the dool
l caught a glimpse Of her with hands
clasped and face raised, as If in en-
treaty or thankfulness.
After leaving the house I walked fol
q long time, without knowing whittier
I went, about the streets of Basel and
along the Rhine bank. A northwest
wind swept up the valley, rufaing the
waters Of the famous river; 1t sounded
to me as the voice from England OF
that divine vengeance witch surely
| had sent NE to this distant Foreign
town rs its messenger! Strange and
awful it would be If fresh or confirma,
tory evidence of a deed done in obscure
Timperley, in Lancashire, were indeed
forthcoming 81 far away as this! ]
exhausted all my ingenuity in guesses
as to what Fraulein Haas could know
and how she could have come by the
knowledge. But she had declared she
knew nothing. Was that the truth? o,
was it, merely: an emphatic use Of thu
word know: Or was the woman
perhaps. n harmless maniac-a mania,
of the pietest kind?
--s,-..---