Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-04-29


nor the men either-it is far cry to
Loeb Awe, you charming little harum-
scarum. Good-night!'
1 slowly passed my hand over my
brow. Almighty Father!' said I,
half-aloud, they wish to drag me into
this mire. and I am to suffer it! And
no one, 10 one is here to stand by me.
And if they should succeed, if. my
power Of resistance should give out,
if should have to live like this wo-
man, smile like her, learn to think like
her | paced the room with the
feeling of suffocating anguish, put
back the blinds and opened the win
dows in order that the abominable
perfume which sickened me might es-
cape.
All, for heart to which I might
speak! Time had been given me until
the afternoon Of the day after the
morrow! No, I would not consent to
it, l would not!
With the cold air some degree of
composure returned to me. I closed
the windows and blinds and sought
my couch
CHAPTER XIII.
On the following morning, I was not
awakened; they probably wished to
allow me time for consideration and
therefore spared my company at the
breakfast-table. So I slept on, until
at ten o'clock mamma knocked at nay
door, and anxiously asked if I were
not we'll When | admitted her, she
fstared at me- For Gods sake. are
you ill?"
ooh, no, mamma, I am quite well.
| What do you want?'
Il wanted to see you How can you
ask?"
Dear mamma. in fifteen minutes
time l would have come upstairs and
hidden you good-day.' I would like
to call upon the Countess too; do you
care to accompany me?"
81 do not know whether I can or
not
"After that I want to go the the
cemetery-to papa"
She glanced sadly at the ground.
Never mind. mamma. those who
are living have the claims. I will
bear him your love-
why are you going just today, in
the snow, Anneliese?'
II long to do SO, and you know it is
very convenient from aunt's; a path
is always cleared through the garden"
'Old Herr Won Tollen is Dead said
mamma, after brief pause" and Lore
is her again
poor Lore!''
She nodded. my love to the Coun-
tess, Anneliese."
THANK you!"
During the conversation I dressed,
hurriedly drank a cup Of tea, and then
together we left the room; she to as
cend the stairs. to leave the house.
A deep snow had fallen. little West
enberg looked like bride in white
robe, sparkling with silver. Oc-
casionally sleigh was driven through
the streets. and | was forced to seek
the narrow sidewalk; boys were slid
ing upon the curbstones in their
wooden shoes and the snow snapped
beneath the weight of the wagons.
Every gable, every turret wore a
pretty cap, and the cutters were orna-
mented with sparkling icicles. A
Christmas aspect overhung the whole;
it recalled the happy days long since
past, when with papa, / had skated
upon the quite river, far, far over to
the Hanoverian side. Oh, We beautiful
days! And now? I did not now
think of going to the Countess; I
sought the churchyard. One person
seemed to have passed through there
Early in the morning the large maddle
path had been cleared of it's snow
but light furry had again covered it,
and in the furry were the imprints of
footsteps, of mems footsteps, of feet
clad III fine boots. [ could not have
been the sexton. he wore coarse
pegged boots; perhaps it was one of
the Tollens, who had selected a lot
1t was an unpleasant thought to me,
that of meeting this somebody-no
doubt one of the sons; I was no adept
at condoling, even if my heart was
NJ OCIhIAS uOC d WOIQ WOuIut PASS LILY
lips. So I turned to the left and
crossed over to papa's grave through
the deep snow. [ had nothing for him
but a branch of holly with red berries;
this I laid upon the snowy wooden
case which covered the marble-stone
as protection against the inclement
weather of winter, shook the snow
from the. cypress boughs and felt more
desOlate than ever amid these quaint
Wintry surroundings. One can cues
ton and lament. a long, long time:
would that lay beneath this mound
instead of you! and still one must live
on, as long as God wills it!
My eyes wandered from the grave
across the numerous others towards
the garden of the Countess, whose
pretty little house nestled so cozily
beneath the two lofty elms.
Il will go over anyway" said | half
aloud, stopping once, more to dig an
ivy tendril out of the snow, and T