Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-10-05
countess had the winter indeed come.

countess had the winter indeed come.
Ny walk had given me something Of
en- appetite, and it now being 2 o'clock
at 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 it
was, but as she was owing quite hotel
bill she feared to give any trouble lest
the landlord might present his bill, and
in default Of payment she was liable to
arrest and a very considerable impris.
onment. I need hardly tell my readers
that they do these things differently in
Germany than with us. I could easily
afford to be generous with other peoples
money and did not mean to see the
countess suffer for a hotel bill Ringing
the bell, I told the waiter to bring me
some dinner and bottle Of wine The
countess looked very uneasy over my
order. Of late years she had seen life
from the seamy side and had observed
SO much of the falseness and cruelty Of
men that she had apparently lost all
faith in them and no doubt thought me
an adventurer, one who might possibly
dine and order expensive wines, leaving
her to face an angry landlord While
dinner was being prepared she told me
she was in the greatest distress, had not
even a single kreutzer to pay postage,
and, worst of all, was owing for two
weeks board. She had ne means to fly,
no place to fly to, and if she remained
incarceration awaited her.
She had for weeks been writing ev-
erywhere to every one she had known,
former lovers, distant but long neglect
ed relatives. The rcsult-dead silence,
no response from anywhere. She ut last
was alone, caught in the worlds great
snare, with no friendly hand to shell
ter or to save. 1t was sight to read
this woman's face. There swept over it
all the conflicting waves of regrets over
might have bcens and the gloomy shades
of despair. Both proprietor and waiter
appeared to set the table; it was for
one, but wineglasses for two We're
brought unsolicited. They We're Off
ciously anxious to please "your high
ness" as they christened me.
The countess sat looking gloomily ont
of the window across the Rhine, whilc
l watched her face until an infinite pity
for the shipwrecked soul filed my mind.
Diminishing the waiter, 1 went to the
window, and, standing by her chair, I
said, Don't worry any more, countess;
will pay your bill" At the same
time, drawing from an inner pocket a
book crammed with notes, placed sew
en- 100 thaler notes in her lap, saying,
"This one is for your board bill, and the
other six are for your pocket money"
need not attempt to picture her amaze
ment and delight. Certainly no woman
was ever more grateful. We had long
conversation, and was talking to her
like a brother. Perhaps had she still
been beautiful and young my manner
and language might have been less
brotherly. told her she had danced and
sung, but at last the time had come for
toll, and suggested she should go to
Brussels, which is ever thronged with
tourists, where her knowledge Of lam
guages and her savoir faire could be
made available in one of the many shops
where gimcracks are sold to travellers.
advised her to offer small premium for
q position. This she said she would do.
In saying goodby promised to see
her again the next night, but found a
telegram awaiting me on my arrival ut
my hotel which called me to meet two
| of my companions at Calais, and was
forced to leave by an early train. The
next time I saw the countess was in
Newgate. She visited me there and
was in perfect despair over my position
and her inability to serve me. For those
who may care to know more Of her
| will say that, following my advice, she
went to Brussels and obtained posi-
ton in a tourist exchange and within q
| year married the proprietor, who was q
| councilman and a man Of considerable
| local Importance. She made him a good
wife and became n true mother to his
five daughters. When he died he made
her guardian both of them and of his
wealth. She became very religious and
to the last was devout member of the
| Roman church. She died in 1856, IL
years after the episode at Bieberich. Her
ashes rest in the little graveyard of the
Convent des Soeurs de Ste. Agnes, on
the Charleroi road, two miles from tht
city, and ON her monument is engraved
TO ELIZABETR,
1 The Beloved Wife, Piou5 and True. She
| Served God Ind Has Conc to Live With
| the Angels.
(To be contInucd.)
|