Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-06-04

men and tho notes of the dancing tune
from the ballroom. aud amid these CO.
citing dclusionS of the senses n rest
less, drcnm-haunte1 slumber Mt last
overlook him.
1t was almost noon when he awokc.
At first his head felt confused and
empty, but gradually he collected his
thoughts. and now the experiences Of
the previous night again stood clearly
before his eyes. lie suddenly recalled
all his feelings during the walk
through the woods, and. while dressing
with the utmost haste, lie eXultingly re-
pcated in low tone again and again:
81 love her! And she returns my love!
And we will never part
His first thought was to seek Ada.
The niantilla, which he must return,
Afforded the preteXt. After several in
quiries he found her apartments, which
were next to those occupied by the mis-
rrcss of the ..ousc. Ada's maid opened
the door and looked at him in surprise
when he gavc her the package and
asked if he could see Mrs. burgess.
"She has a headache, lnd probably
won't be up to-day" Tas che curt an
s'ver, with which the 'loor was closed in
his face. This was disappointment,
ard ne felt very unhappy and forsaken.
let he enleavored TO combat these feel
Ings and mingled with the other guests.
At noon ne exchanged a hurried greet
ing with Frau Won Jagcrfcld, who
looked at him intcntly, but said nothing
when he avoided her glance. In the
afternoon he walked to Marktbreit and
through the 1cighboring villages on the
neighboring hills, but the longing of his
heart soon drove him back to the castle,
whore for hours he paced patiently up
and down the pillared hall upon which
most of the rooms occupied by the Wis
TORS opened. In the evening the guests
again assembled at banquet. Berg
mann hoped that Ada would be present,
and he was not disappointed. The sum-
mons TO the meal had been given for the
third time, nearly all the other mem
bers of the house party were in the
drawing-room when Ada's door at last
opened. Karl rushed forward and held
out his hand to her. She started,
paused an instant on the threshold,
then hurried past him without turning
her head, and swiftly vanished.
Karl stood as if he were turned to
stone, gazing after her retreating fig
ure; then forgetting the banquet and
everything else, he fastened to his room
and wrote Ada II letter, in which he re-
peated all the expressions Of love Law
ished upon her during the preceding
night, and begged for an explanation
of her recent conduct. This missive he
gave TO Ada's maid, 18th he urgent re-
quest to deliver it to her mistress that
very evening before she retired. Then
he went ont to try to conquer his agita-
ton by walk in the park, and when
he thought that he had regaincd his
conposurc, he returned to the drawing
room to see and to talk with Ada. The
meal was over, gaicty reigned through
out the various groups, and storm OF
reproaches for his absence from tho
table assailcd bin on all sides. But he
looked in vain for Ada. She had retired
Immediately after dinner.
So she was now reading his letter!
Perhaps now she vas answering him!
His heart throbbed wildly at this
thought. lie would gladly have
made another attempt to see Ada
in her own apartments, but he felt that
he owed her due reserve, and determined
to have patience until the next day.
When. on the following morning, he
came ont OF his bed chamber into the
ante-rooiu he instantly saw on the
table sealed package which bore his
address. He tore the wrapper with
trembling hands and found within his
own letter and Il gilt-edged book. 1t
was an English copy of Shakespeare's
midsummer Nights Dream" On the
first page in a woman's delicate chiro-
graphy were the words: "A Midsum-
mer Nights Dream. July3, 1856 Ada"
That was all. From the servant who APP
peared at his ring, Bergman learned
that the package had been left by Mrs.
Burgess maid early that morning.
Mrs. Burgess had been gone half an
hour.
TIE END.
Well Represented.