Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-04-26

gotten to bring you in and o!fe: you re-
freshment."
And she led the way into I cool room,
with the green blinds set outward at an
angle to keep out the suns neat. In
the corner of the room there was a
bowery of greenery-ferns and flow
ers. and a little jetted spray Of water
that tinkled in the midst. Behind
were bright love-birds and japanese
sparrows in a cage which nearly filed
one end of the little salon. A piano
was set in the angla. Music WAS streWn
here and there. A paper covered book
lay face down on the window seat and
a mighty wolf-hoUnd aroused himself
from the fireplace to sniff TIL new
conner all over. Then with silent, re-
luctant approval the beast went back
and lay down with sigh of regret that
the intrusion needed no Intervention
on his part Pervading everything
about the chalet there was the charm
ing sense OF feminine occupancy that
delicate refinement alien TO man. but
which is the more delightful TO him on
that account.
The Count sat down in wonder, All
Karl's house as he remembered 1t in his
bcyhoOd had been a bare clean place
in which a strong-handed, plain-favor-
ed Old peasant woman perDetually
washed and baked and scoded He
could near the ring Of her voice still as
she called in a certain ragged, coltish,
long-limbed lass away from the sweet
sawdusty smells of The saw mill down
by the St. Polten water. or sent her
voice up the hill to bring the same I'M
licensed waGderer down out of the
resinous silence of the pinewo0d, where
she had been all too happily playing
bo-peep with the squirrels.
While he thus dreamed Truda stood by
the window. her instructive reverence
for the Count st. Polten-her fathers
master whom she had watched and
worshipped many day as he strobe
past to the hunting struggling with
her training in the scholastic common
wealth of the far-off Silesian city
With quick intuition the girl caught
the wonder in the face Of the Count
as he looked about him.
1T is ny aunt" she said timidly.
She had been very kind-too kind. She
wished to keep me with her in Breslau,
but | could not leave my father for
longer time. So she gave ME the piano
and these things to remind me Of the
school in Breslau which had been my
home for five years"
The Count felt sudden and infinite
ly curious jealousy Of the city. This
maid was a flower of his gloomy for
estS, plant Of the free pine-woods and
dashing highland brooks. What had
she to do with pianos and schoolmis-
tresses and scholastic cities?
Not that l am likely to forget sweet
Slesia," she said and sighed.
The Count felt his gloom return more
fully upon him. He looked out Of the
window at the squirrels cracking the
sweet young cones on the larches and
biting the tops o. the young trees. The
plain-faced, strong woman he
used to see in the house OF Alt Karl
moved across the glade towards the
door with a basket in her hand 1t
seemed not day since he had seen her
last. Her hair might be a little grayer
that was all IF you will not sit down"
90 iN NitO Ob'illL at ieiots must SlduQ uD
also and then | must go"
Gertrud sa. down by the window and
leaned against the sill the heavy coil
OF fair hair she had wound carelessly
round her head instead OF allowing it.
as was the local custom, to hang down
her back. A spray Of scarlet creeDer fell
over it as the wind blew softly in. and a
tangle of swaying vine leaves cast flick
ering shadows upon it.
The Count thought of his journey to
Paris with sudden dismay and a sense
that he was leaving something inliin-
italy more desirable behind him. The
Count was thirty-fve, and today he
felt twenty years older. The brief seven
weeks campaign had touched the dark
hair above his temples with gray. His
life also had seemed all gray and weari-
some ever since the eagles OF Austria
had gone down at Koniggratz before
the carrion vultures Of the North The
Count awoke from a kind of day-dream
to find himself calculating how old this
girl might be who sat so innocently
with him in the house of Alt Karl
''Twenty-ore and a rose-bud?" he
quoted, thinking aloud