Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-05-04

And while her dull eyes were closed
in mirth, Hermann crushed into An
MES hand bit of paper, and Annie,
child though she was, hid herself
among the grapevines before she dared
to open it.
Thou art most beautiful! / love
thee" That was all.
After that 1t was easy for Annie to
climb down by the grapevine from her
window, and once she went alone with
Hermann, far down the solitary rail-
road track. But Madge loved Her
mann, too, in her way, and, being jeal-
Gus, she told Annie's mother.
The next day the elders came to
Mother Schweppe's house. No one
smiled, and the interview was full OF
long silences. Annie was taken down
the street, an elder in front of her
and an elder behind her. They put her
in a house, far away from her mother,
and gave her double portion of work.
Hermann. too, was taken to cloister,
though he went laughing. vi
fasting, prayer, and hard work were
required, and if after that ordeal the
two still wished to be married, the eld-
ers would consider the matter.
A week passed. Hermann and An
ME had sat in their places at the morn
ing service, and it CHANGED that they,
with meekly folded hands, emerged
from the two doors of the church at
the same moment. Suddenly each one
advanced to the other, they met, and
walked away together. The elders
were so astounded that for moment
no one could speak. There haG! never
been such an audacious breach of the
rules. Even the most venerable men,
bers of the community were dumb
founded.
The whistle of an approaching train
awoke them all to action. "Disobedi-
ence" the chief elder cried, and all the
elders hurried down the street to the
railway station. Here they found Her.
mann and Annie, impenitent and de-
faint. There was a brief storm of an
cry words.
eve give you but one year to con-
sider," said the long-faced chief elder
you may never show your faces here
again If you come not back within the
year.
Thou. Hermann, leavest thy aged
father, and thou, Annie, thy mother"
said another, more kindly.
Annie looked down at her blue calico
gown and her rough shoes. What
have they done for u.s." she cried.
They assembled the steps of the car.
Give them good-by!" called Hermann,
petulantly. eve come back no more"
and the train pulled away.
"All the world loves a lover" said
Herr Tappan to Mother Schweppe, sad
ly, "but the lover loves no one but
himself and his sweetheart"
So Hermann and Annie went to the
city. They were happy, and there
seemed to be no ghosts at their fire.
side. Father and mother think more
of their carrots than they do Of us"
they would say, merrily, when they
spoke of Amana at all.
In May their baby was born. He
was a beautiful child. and Hermann
and Annie never tired of watching
him. Hermann could scarcely tear
himself away from baby to attend his
patients. Contagious diseases he re-
fused to treat. Baby might catch
them. Armies face grew softer as
she looked at the child. For hours
they would amuse themselves watch
ing him clasp a lead pencil in his
chubby fingers. They cut off a lock
of his baby hair and saved it in the
Bible.
Whom does the baby look like,
Annie?" asked Hermann, carelessly,
one day.
Like you did when you were a
baby" l suppose" answered Annie,
gayly. Suddenly startled look came
into her eyes. The thought came to
Hermann at the same moment. He
dropped on his knees before the child.
Did they think of me as We think of
our baby?" he whispered. Annie was
sobbing. God may yet forgive u.s."
she cried. "The year is not ended.
We may still return"
The good God had not ended Mother
Schweppe's life. Herr Tappan, too,
was still trudging among his vegeta-
bles, when Hermann and Annie came
back.
1T would have been a year tomor-
row, already" Herr Tappan said, stol-
idly, but his withered lips went trem-
bling, and he embraced Hermann and
Annie and blessed them.
And Mother Schweppe padded back
to her cellar with sly smile, return
ing full-handed. Il have all this time
since last autumn kept six bottles of
wine for thee, Hermann" she said
St. Louis Globe-Democrat.