The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-01-30
After twenty Years
"a German sketch from the New York
Evening Post. In Three Parts.)
PART Ill

"a German sketch from the New York
Evening Post. In Three Parts.)
PART III
Just for a moment it seemed to him
she must be there. He turned about very
slowly so as not TO shock himself too
violently II the vision of her should be
brought by a too vivid Imagination into
tangible shape. But no, there was not
woman present that he could see ex-
cept very fat and beefy-handed Ger
man woman, who was endeavoring 10
carve two sandwiches in such a way as
10 meet the approval of four hungry chill
dren. and q little further along two other
women, doubtless mother and daughter,
both plainly dressed and utterly unlike
the vision he sought.
He turned back and looked once more
down the valley. AS he did so the sun
shine came out again from behind the
clouds and turned the dead level of road
and valley into an undulating mass OF
color that seemed more brilliant than
ever for its temporary dimness under the
now departed shadow. There was some
thing ineffably tender and soul-moving
about all this, and the traveller was sur
prised at himself as he felt a great sob
come up in his throat
Ashamed of himself, he arose abruptly
and went into the castle. He would join
the little party Just entering. and be
shown over the great rooms and try 10 i'm
agine that he had never seen any OF It.
before, and that he could understand the
gutteral growl OF the guide as he explain
ed everything in that thunderous Bava-
rian dialect Of his.
So on he went, climbing the great stair
cases; wandering through the enormous
kitchen, where the barons of old were ac-
af
sheep and oxen; through the dining-hall,
where 100 people could feast together
while their shouts of laughter. and per-
haps the believing of their quarrelsome
shouting, too. were lost in the immense
recesses of the vaults and arches above
ard around them; through the halls o.
reception hung with their old tapestries.
from which, almost as dim with age and
dust as the legend of them, stood forth
the pictured assemblies of many centu-
ries ago and other scenes that had never
existed out of fable until the genius OF
the great musician had made them seem
realities. All. but there were those two
deep windows where the castle wall was
so thick that a window became almost
little room of itself. In one OF those win
dowss the traveller had stood twenty
years ago Was the hand that had
touched his then mouldered into dust like
that over Lohengrin's face on the other
wall? And were all these exquisite mem
cries only an illusion like the scenes Of
yonder tapestry-only a something that
might have been. but would never be?
Go where he would. then. about this
castle, he could not escape that day of
twenty years ago. Even when they came
down into the roughly cobbled courtyard
and went up that narrow, crooked stair
way, and, with hushed breath and cap
in hand, stood in the dimly lighted room
whence had gone forth that Protestant
religion which was 10 conquer Europe
even then he remembered that she had
been with him, and that together they had
examined that bleary splash on the wall
where the ink bottle had hurled it at the
devil. How these people all gazed at
the spot, and shrunk from it with a sort
of awe as though too near approach
might contaminate them with Satanic in
huence-just as they two had done that
afternoon twenty years ago!
Back he went to the table on the para
pet Surely the clean, fresh air would
drive these fancies from him. The air
of the castle was the breath of witches.
He would refresh himself with a few
long breaths of real air. and then go down
the hill again, steam away to Frankfurt
would bring many joys, not the least OF
which would be forgetfulness.
Yes forgetfulness. That would soon re-
turn. Meanwhile, let him make the most
of this beautiful scene His thoughts ran
back however, and with renewed eager
ness, to the old time. He remembered
how soon they had been separated. How
it had come about, that separation, hao
never been clear to him. Surely, it had
not been through any fault of his. And
the more he thought about 1t, the more
convinced he became that it was through
no fault of hers. Perhaps. If he had hac
a little less pride-perhaps ~ she hac
not shrunk so close behind that shelter
| of maidenly reserve-perhaps, If either
had frankly spoken instead of each hold
| ing back in silence until the time to speak
had passed away-perhaps they might
have been together here now on the Wart'
! burg with the changeless valley and the
| purple hills breathing the same old ro'
| mantle visions over their united lives.
| He tried to picture her as an old wo'
| man if she had survived until now. Their
| he remembered she would have been JUS
| past thlrty-eight. And he was forty anG
! yes. he did feel younger now than TWEEN
| ty years ago. Possibly she had died Ions
since and her very bones had crumblec
! who had eaten their oxen and drunk theil
! mugs Of ale in the great banquet hall be
/ hind him. Or? Yes, that was still more
| painful to contemplate-she had met witt
another the happiness that he had antici
/ mated. and possibly some daughter. al
/ IMAGE of what she had been, was today
! making some young heart beat as his haf
/ beaten twenty years ago The next IN
/ slant he was ashamed of himself for hav
/ Ing felt a pang at the thought OF sucf
a fortune TO her-ashamed that he should
/ have been so selfish as to wish her de
! prived Of happiness for so mean reasol
| as that he might not share ii with her.
He looked about him and saw that TIT
! crowd of people at the tables was gracu
/ allv drifting towards the Castle entrance
where the guide awaited them dangling
| his bunch OF keys.
He was startled as he observed q wo
man standing alone by the parapet, gag
ing down into the valley. Her back VA
| towards nim. for she was looking IA
down the valley towards where the color
| of the landscape faded into blue. neat
| trim figure. slender and with abundan
| dark hair under the hat. She leaue'
! slightly on 4 slender hand which was Al
I the more delicate from being ringless. !
was too strong a temptation. and n
/ yielded 10 cream OF NE!at Ilistt t9it
/ to pass II this were she. and how ne wout
. have greeted her If this had been she
There was a yellow wild flower foun'
| abundantly in the valley. He had neye
| known the name Of Il. but Il had AWAY
/ been a favortte Of his, and she had woCi
/ a bunch Of it in ner hat that day, TWEEN
/ " years ago. He had never seen tina
/ flower since leaving Eisenach- II Their
( should be time left him he would lool
IN the valley for few sprigs of IT, an
carry them away-as the dead bear 20 tn