Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-11-16
BROKEN COURTSHIP.

people came into the moonlight and lean
ed over the little chain that encircled the
small fountain into whose basin "a marble
Hebe continually cmptied her ever brim-
ming cup.
They were not unlike, these two. Both
were spirituclle; both We're dark; both
were romantic. The tie of blood was be-
tween them, for they were cousins, though,
as the Scotch say, ''faraway cousins" and
bearing different names. They had been
brought up under one roof, and Lena
Michel's mother had been all the mother
the little orphan, Henri kieber, knew.
at is cruel of grandpa, " she said. at
is very cruel, Henri. These old people
think only Of money. Why can they not
let us have peace, when we could be so
happy? 1t is such an absurd idea-you
and | to marry each each other! We are
like brother and sister. Nothing can
change that"
But we are not brother and sister,"
said he, ''and even first cousins marry. l
have been thinking that
give me "a kind kiss, Brother Henri"
said she, land never, never speak of this
absurdity again. As for marrying, / shall
never marry any one. Why should I when
| detest the thought"
Henri gave a little sigh.
81 shall never marry either, Cousin
Lena" said he; ''but, you see, we are not
brother and sister. You can't make it so
by saying So"
Thon he kissed her, and they walked
back into the house, where Grandpapa
kieber and Granduncle Michel had just
settled the matrimonial prospects of these
two young cousins to their own s~atisfac-
ton. The result of the young peoples re-
bellion was a quarrel.
The end Of all this was that one fine
morning Henri kieber found himself turn
ed out into the world to seek his fortune,
and long ere his Cousins black eyes were
opened upon the dawn he had left Munich
and his furious relatives behind him.
From that day nothing was heard of him
by his friends in Munich for many a long
year.
The old people were u~llforgiving. Grand
father Kieber died and left all his money
to Lena, who had already refused two OK
cellent matches.
She Travelled two years and heard moth
ing of her cousin Henri and at last found
herself in Paris.
Lena Michel spent many hours with her
eyes fixed on painted faces that she never
saw for the living face that haunted her,
but one day she awoke to a wondrous in
terest in a small picture which hung in a
small dealers gallery in which she found
herself.
1t was a simple scene. A moonlit garden,
the distance dying into underlined shadows,
a fountain into which a Hebe emptied her
cup and by the fountains brim a youth
and IL young girl. 1t was the garden Of
her grandfather's old house at Munich.
And this was more than chance. For that
was Henri and surely that black haired
girl was not unlike herself.
SIS this picture for sale?" she asked the
dealer.
He shrugged his shoulders.
Il think the artist is mad" he said.
"This is the first picture any one has
wanted to buy and he refuses to sell it.
Perhaps a price sufficient will tempt him,
but if I give his address the lady will re-
member my commissions"
The lady promised faithfully to do so.
sit is % wretched street.-the is very
poor" said the dealer as he gave her the
number written on a card. "The fifth
foor," he said, with a shrug of his Shout
ders.
Lena Michel stepped into her carriage
and Soon, followed by her maid, climbed
the stairs Of a dingy dwelling and raped
upon the door that bore the word "Ate-
lier,' upon it.
In a moment a mar with a long beard,
who held palette in his hand, opened the
door for her and stood regarding the APP
partition of a closely yelled lady attended
by her maid with some surprise.
81 speak to the painter of the picture at
M. IS" said the Fraulein Michel.
1.-The garden and fountain-I desire to
buy it at any price"
MADAME" said the artist, II regret to
say that picture is not to be sold"
"But l must have it, said the lady.
II am rich-anything-any price"
81 am poor" said the artist, "but it has
no price"
Listen, sir" said the lady. 1T is
more than a picture that 1 want-it is a
reminiscence It's like "a place l know.
I beg for it. I implore you to sell it to
me-"
MADAME said the artist, II see you
have a heart. l will speak plainly. Long
ago I stood with the only woman l ever
loved beside that fountain-a fountain in
an old garden in Munich. 1 was a young
idiot. l did not even know my own heart,
but l know it now. l have known 1t for
years. One day the memory of the spot
and of the hour returned to me as If by
magic. I painted the picture in a few
hours. 1 shall never see her again. Long
since she has become the wife Of one she
loves well, no doubt, but II shall never
love any other. So l must keep her pic
ture; / must. You see that, madame?"
And as he spoke Lena Michel knew
Henri Kieber-knew him despite the flow
ing beard and all the changes of - long
years.
And as he ceased she threw back her
| veil and held both of her hands toward
him.
"Henril'' she sighed. Henri! Oh,
Henri, do you not know me?" And then
he had clasped her in his arms, and she
lay sobbing on his bosom.
When they stood beside the fountain in
the old garden at Munich again, they were
man and wife.-St. Louis Post Dispatch.