Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-08-16

!, Of course, iHUitcd nor to haze u glass Of
tCinC.
sides, l was apparently ON the full flood
lido Of fortune, having with me then u
very large sum Of money, some Of which
she could have had for the asking.
/ said Come, countess; let us go to-
gother first class 10 Wicsbadou, She
replied that she lived at Bieberich a
small town on tho Rhine, four miles be-
low Mnyeuce. and four miles from Wies.
baden. As the train was starting babe
her goodby, but asked permission to call
on her the next day, she giving her ad-
dress as Hotel Bellevue.
The next morning was very cold, but
| enjoyed that; SO, after light break
fast, | started over the hills for walk
TO the town, arriving there soon after
noon. found the hotel fifth rate one,
and, entering, was shown to the room
OF the countess. What change for her
from the past Her room was small
one, plastercd, but unpapered, and with
n fow articles of furniture of the cheap
est. Tho poor woman was too evidently
in state Of frightful depression, and
vol she might be-
Hers had been butterfly existence.
' life all ono summer holiday, no hos
tages given TO fortune. no bond taken
against future wreck or change Like
the butterfly, she had roamed from flow
er to flower, slipping the sweet only, or,
like the cricket had merrily piped all
the summer through, thinking sunshine
and bloom eternal, Even when youth
and beauty had fled and lovers no lon
gor stood ready TO attend and serve she
still found good aftermath in her hap
Ply harvest field on the floors of the Ca
sine, but when tho Casino lights at
Wiesbaden went out then for the
countess had the winter indeed come.
My walk had given me something Of
an appetite, and it now being 9 O'Clock
ut once proposed to have dinner. To
my surprise she said She had already
dined, and upon my remarking that it
was early for dinner she replied that il
was, but as she WINS owing quite hotel
bill sho feared to give any trouble lest
the landlord might present his bill, and
in default of payment she was liable to
arrest and very considerable impris.
onmont need hardly toll my readers
that they do these things differently in
Germany than with us. could easily
afford to be generous with other peoples
money and did not mean TO SEQ the
countess suffer for hotel bill Ringing
the bell, | told the waiter to bring mo
some dinner and bottle of wine. The
countess looked very uneasy over INV
order OF late years she had seen life
from the seamy side and had observed
somuch of the falseness and cruelty Of
mon that sho had apparently lost all
faith In them and no doubt thought me
an adventurer one who might possibly
dino aud order expensive wines, leaving
hor TO face an angry landlord While
dinner was being prepared she told me
she was in tho greatest distress, had not
even a single kreutzer to pay postage
and, worst Of all, was owing for two
weeks board. She had no means 10 Nv
no place to Fly to, and II she remained
incarceration awaited her.
She had for weeks been writing ov-
erywhere to every ons sho had known
former lovers, distant but long neol,ct.
ed relatives. The result--dead silence
no response from anywhere. She al last
was alone, caught in the worlds great
snare, with no friendly hand to Smell.
ter or TO save. II was a sight TO reaa
this woman's face There swept over il
all tho conflicting waves of regrets over
might have heeus and the gloomy shades
Of despair Both proprietor and wafer
appeared TO SGT the table; il WINS sor
one, but wineglassos for two woye
brought unsolicited They were on.
cloudy anxious> to please your hieh.
ness, as they christened mo
The countess sat looking gloo,niIv ont
OF the window across the Rhine. Will
watched her faco until an infinite ,i,v
for the shipwrccked soul filled INV MIND
Diminishing the waiter, l went No tho
window, and, standing by her chair
said, Don't worry any moro. conntsss.
will pay yunr billn At tho snr,s
time, drawing from m inner pookct y
book crammed with notes. l PLACED a.,