Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-12-26

e<IS The old h e h
bailiff of Krohn pushed away the pref
ty little hand that his eldest daughter
sought to place over his mouth.
No" he said, Il will not keep quiet.
i repeat that the whole custom of send
ing New Years cards is a cursed bad
one. and it is time to put an end to it.
What are the results of such nonsense?
First, l get my mail bag an hour
later than usual, and, secondly, it is
crammed so full with the stupid stuff
that can hardly get it opcn!"
At length the old gentleman's efforts
were rewarded, the bag sprang open,
and he emptied its contents with i'm
patience on the breakfast table.
ITO Fraulein Katherine Won
Krohne,'" he read. MY God! are they
all for you, Kathinka"
Don't be so unbearable, papa, and
please don't call me Kathinka."
The old gentleman replied to his
daughters request with an unintelli-
gible growl and went on drinking his
coffee.
Just look what lot there are for
mel" cried Katharine, piling the let
ters upon the table in front of her and
her face lighting up with pleasure.
Are they all for you?"
Eyes, all. Now you can see what it is
to be known as beauty"
And an heiress," added the father.
Yes, and an heiress," she repeated,
thoughtfully.
But is there nothing there for my
little Lili?" asked her father.
Katharine shrugged her shapely
shoulders impatiently.
"Why, of course not. If girl expects
to be shown much attention she must
be little more pushing and impor-
tant."
'And an heiress, too" vas the fathers
laconic addition to the sentence.
II really should be very grateful, IA
Their, if you would not allude so much
to my money" was the rather curt pro-
test.
Il can't help it, Katharine, when l
see my little Lii here, as beautiful as
the flowers that gave her the name, and
well, she is not an heiress, do you
understand? That's the whole thing"
Katharine made no answer. She was
busily studying the handwriting on the
envelopes.
A young girl who had hitherto sat
opposite to her in silence left her seat
went up to the high bailiff, and putting
her fair young arms round his neck,
gave him kiss.
A world of love shone in his eyes as
he looked at her with pleasure and
Stroked her soft cheeks.
Never mind, Lili," he said, slowly
81 am glad that you don't get such a
pile of letters. I'm grateful, too, that
you're not an heiress. Perhaps then nc
one will take you away from me-"
Tears came into the girls eyes, for
though she said no word, yet the thought
that no one had remembered her OF
cared enough for her to send her New
Years card made her sad. But she
forced herself not to cry, and tried to
conceal the few tears that would not be
kept back by kissing her father again
lovingly on the eyes and lips.
The high bailiff of Krohn, the father
of these two girls, had married twice
His first wife, lovely, proud, but vair
woman, died soon after the birth of 6
little daughter and left her the whole
of large fortune. His second wife
the daughter of country clergyman
brought him no wealth but sweet ant
beautiful disposition. When she, too
died after two years married life h,
felt overwhelmed and had never sine,
wholly recovered from the blow.
Katharine, the elder of the two step
children, had just finished her goth year
and, as she was as proud, pretty, anC
just as vain as her mother, had already
laughed at many proposals for her han'
and money. No one had so far beer
able to take her fancy.
Lii was in almost every respect thu
opposite of her sister. Small of figure
quiet and retiring, it happened that sh
was often entirely overlooked. 1t Ger