Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1896-11-27
happy girls voice, followed him every

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"Gute nacht!"
He couldn't stand it any longer.
"Gute nacht." The words called him
back to 3 May street, and he packed
his traps that night, and to 3 May street
he rushes Us fast as train. boat and
cab would take him.
The same maid, apparently with the
same dirt on her face, answered the
bell.
"Air Squalp? 'E's deadw
::Dead?"
Eyes! e died. e got worse, and then
e died."
"And-and-the young lady?"
Left"
where's she gomez"
Don't Know"
A sovereign shone in her hand.
I'm very sorry, sir" she said, star
ing, excited, "but the frowloin never
said u word to nobody. She just paid,
and left"
"When"
''Three weeks last Toosday."
"Do you think she was going to Gerti
many?"
I'm sure, sir, I haven't an idea. She
paid the week and left. She seemed all
of n daze."
Alexander knew what he had done.
He had run away from his chance
Of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. was
Hedwig?
BY night London looked to him like =
couchant beast, stuck over with cruel
eyes-a beast that swallowed lives
down, and kept the secret; by day the
sunny streets Knocked him with passing
faces, with trim figures that in the dis
lance looked like hers, with glimpses
of yellow hair.
Or was she back in the fatherland?
Safe with friends; With a betrothcd
lover perhaps?
If it were so, and he could but know
of it, he thought he should have the
manhood to thank heaven.
He had been returned to town four
days. AS he came in late from a weary
stretch of walking his valet met him.
"a person to see YOU, sir"
"What sort of a persona"
AleNander's nerves were in a queer
State. He turned very pale.
"a woman, sir"
"a lady?'
II think. sir. she's n nun"
Alexander walked into his stuuy.
Amazed lie saw rise before him n figure
in black, with Tapping sleeves and
flowing skirts.
A calm, good face looked from under
the white band and sable veil.
lis it you:" said the nun. quietly,
"wlo have been advertising to discover
the address of Hedwig Schwalb?"
His heart sank.
"Yes-yes."
"She is with u.s."
"Hedwig! A nunw
She shook her head with a grave air.
"Nuns are not made so quickly. Our
order has a chapel and intirmary near
Soho. We work there. Two days ago
1 found the poor young woman lying
on the chapel steps. l am Sister Fran
ces. She was i~ll-insensible; we took
her in. Her name is on her clothes;
we could not find out anything about
her. She has fever-it is on the brain
she doesn't speak sense. But we see
she is Il good girl and has been we'll
cared for-innocent. refined. If you are
Il relative and wish to see her you can
come With me-"
Not a relative" gasped Alexander,
ian old friend..'
The nun bent Ter head.
II am sorry to have to a it. but
there is no time to lose if you want to
see her alive!"
Beds. narrow beds, white beds. sick
beds in rows. Walls-gray walls. si-
lent walls. glimmering~ walls-with pic
lures. Lights-dim lights, kind lights.
holy lights-like flowers. And on a pill
low Hedwig's face, with the roundness
and the roses and the splendid hair
gone from it, and Hedwig's voice bah.
bling in German wildly.
'She won't know you." said Sister
Frances.
But she did know him. He took l.
hand and bent over her and she began
talking in English at once. A light
came into the sunken face.
"It is you. l am pleased to see YOU.
Mt all. l was knowing you would come.
What a fine day! What a blue sky!(
Happy. happy!' Her gaze wandered.
"And look only-the beautiful tame
deer! Can l give him bread? No, no..
His eyes are too sad! Take him away.
l am tired. Cute nacht"
Perhaps Sister Frances had had y
love story in her youth.
She turned her back when she saw
how Alexander's tears rained down
and how he held the poor. delirious lit
tile girl in a passionate, yearning clasp.
Was it the warm tears. the warm.
clasp that brought Hedwig back to
life's shores from which she had been
fast drifting? Who can say?
AS soon as she was better Alexander
asked her very timidly if some day she
would marry him.
In n whisper came Hedwig's reply:
~ will-at all."-Answers.