The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-16
AN UNLUCKY GIFT.

b, In one Of the small prinoipaiities Of
Germsny, were closed.
1t was not st. Crispin,s day, but Fritz
Hoebber was going to marry Catherine
Vanburn-Fritz, the gayest and most
skillful journeyman shoemaker In the
town; Catherine, the loveliest and bright
| est little seamstress In the neighborhood.
When Fritz and Catherine returned
home after the wedding, Catherine opened
an old fashioned trunk. and pulling from
| the bottom of IL q handsome new leather
bag she opened IL and displayed to the
| eyes of her astonished husband q purse
filed with bright gold ducats.
"But how did you get such a treasured"
exclaimed Fritz, dazzled at the sight of 90
much gold.
"What does II matter to you, dearests"
she replied. "Can you not accept gift
| from heaven?"
Their conversation was interrupted by
loud screaming and laughing In the ad-
joining room.
"Here are my friends" said Fritz i'm
, patiently. "They como for US. 1 beg of
| you, Catherine, tell me-
mot word today" replied the young
bride by and by, II you are very kind
and affectionate husband and not at all
suspicious or jealous, will see"
LET us take the bride away" replied
| some one. ~ warrant he will soon fol-
low"
He opened the purse, and his eyes spar
| kled at the sight of such riches The
bright metal was glittering in the sun and
seemed to promise a thousand unknown
| joys
While thus dreaming Fritz plunged his
hand in the bag, and among tho ducats he
| encountered small piece of paper closely
rolled up.
"Dear and beloved Catherine Fritz
| could not believe his own eyes. He read
again: "Dear and beloved Catherine, I
send you this small sum for the purpose
| which you mentioned to me. wish, dear
angel, / could as easily crafty your least
desires. Will ever be able to return half
the happiness you have given me since we
first loved?
"Adieu, dear Catherinel 1t is not your
prince who kisses you, but your most obe-
dent and devoted servant
And the billet was signed by the prince
regent, exactly as proclamation or an
ordinance would have been.
Seized with a kind of furious insanity,
he rushed out of the room bareheaded, the
fatal purse In his hand, and painting and
| out of breath he entered the ballroom.
"Here, miserable wrctchp' he exclaim-
ed. Here is your gold. Keep it to enjoy
1t with such as you are. will not tako
the price of infamy."
Fritz did not hear from his wife for the
two years following this adventure. After
| the violent scene he hurried out Of tho
town and walked at random until evening,
when fatigue compelled him to stop. A
tavern was in sight. Fritz could never re-
member afterward how 1t was that man
came in and sat down at the same taole
with him, and how he could have been in
duced to relate his misfortune to q stranger.
He could not, either, account for having
signed paper which his new companion
had presented to him, nor how, after copi-
GUS iibations, he fell asleep on the table
and woke up the next morning In q bar
rack
Germany was then at war with France,
and Fritzs regiment was ordered to the
frontier. His courage was rewarded with
the cross of honor, and he was promot
to the grade of captain--another fa' n
which he attributed to the Ill fated inf :
ence of the prince, and which lay heavily
upon his heart
Not feeling qualified to I'LL his post, he
decided upon resigning his commission,
and making last effort to restrain his
feelings he wrote a respectful petition to u
| prince praying to have his resignation ao-
oepted Fritz accordingly received the visit
| of one of the princes aidde-camp, who
informed him that his demand was grant
ed and that the prince begged him TO az
! cept present OF 500 ducats as token of
| his esteem.
Then he started back to his native town,
| f<or Of Ert<
last found himself before GATHERINGS
house, and, while promising to himself at
| the time that he would never enter 1t
again, he found that he had been knocking
| at the door,
How changed she wasl Her eyes were
| sunken, her cheeks were pale, and yet how
handsome she was still Her grief was SO
true and her Joy at seeing him onoe more
| 90 great that Fritz felt his feelings deeply
| moved
"Yes, madam, have returned. But to
love you still, should have forgotten
certain purse"
ooh, yes, that unfortunate purse! That
| gold knew that must have been the
cause Of your displeasure. But there 1t is
all have not touched It."
| She quickly ran to the old trunk and
pulling out the purse threw IL out of the
open window into the river, which flowed
directly back Of the house.
II see that you have thrown your money
into the river, but do not see how this
prodigality win explain the contents Of
Tho noto. " r'
"What notef" inquired Catherine.
"This letter from the prince regent"
II do not know the prince" replied
Catherine, with tears. II never have seen
him. This gold was sent TO me by my
aunt
"whatp' interrupted Fritz, amased.
"Alas, yesl" said Catherine my aunt
was called Catherine, like myself. But
now she IL the Baroness of B.. My a.
ther, on his deathbed, made me promise
never to see her, nor 10 receive any pres
ents from her, But that time, on account
Of her marriage, thought might acoept.
II was all for you. II have committed
fault, did deserve such ppnishmen1"
Catherine had lost her work while rum
ming after her husband, and since he had