Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-08-08

| with the child, that no good would
I ever come Of it. Why would she
have him at any price, when she
might as well have had some one else
as such a-such al"
She made a furious rafting amone
her dishes, and the. unfatterf1a
epithet she applied to the husband OF
her idolized young mistress was
swallowed up in the noise.
He didn't have a penny to his
| name." she went on, and then she
went to the speaking-tube and order
ed the footman to carry out her
| mistress's commands.
In the meantime the young wife had
mounted the broad staircase and
went into her own room with bitter
smile. He had never before failed
| to pay her some little attention on
this day; was he so embittered that
he must needs punish her so severely
for what any one would consider she
had perfect right to do? Why
should she alone have no likes and
dislikes? Why should she alone not
be allowed to say that such a person
was agreeable to her and such a one
disagreeable? Could she help it f
this Baroness was utterly anti
pathetic to her. though she seemed SO
charming to Leo? To be sure, she
might have kept silence, but Leo did
not like that either.
She sighed and went to the window
through which the last pale rays of
the setting sun were shining. The
two great lindens, whose branches
stood out sharply against the pale
gold of the evening sky, had scarcely
leaf left on them. The wistful eyes
could see far away into the distance
through the branches; she could see
the towers Of Dresden cleaning out
in the blue twilight sky like q NINA
ture picture in rocco frame. She
gazed at it till the bright tears came
into her eyes and the round dome Of
the F'rauenkirche swan before her in
the rapidly deepening dusk. She
passed her handkerchief over her
eyes, but she remained standing
motionless, thinking how four years
ago today at this very hour, she had
been driving with him through the
autumn woods. with such a deep
happiness in her heart, looking for
ward to the wonderful future-as she
thought
If she could only be different, not so
Stupid" not so tnarrow-minded," as
Leo had called her yesterday in his
blaze Of anger. But she felt SO sure
she would never learn that com
Portable complaisance in converse
ton, never understand how people
could manage to smile at things like
well, for instance, like that story
which the Baroness had told yester-
day in her fine. deep contralto voice.
and with her droll manner, story
of a married couple who had been
faithless to each other for years, and
at last had agreed in the friendliest
manner to get divorced, and who
never met in the street now since
their separation without exchanging
a few friendly words and asking
politely after each others health.
She had sat by listening with
shocked expression, and she could
not comprehend how Leo and the
Baroness could go into fits of laughter
over the fact that this couple at
Count LIS last ball had even
eaten nhilopena together, and had
related to each other all manner OF
queer things about their present
manner of life.
Antje felt as if her ideal of married
life were being dragged through the
mire, and she had sat there grave
and silent, finding it impossible to
speak. This had provoked the
Baroness into relating other stories,
which grew more and more piquant.
and at last Antje got up and left the
room on the pretext of looking after
her child. UPSTAIRS she had sat down
by the bed, and angry tears rushed
to her eyes. Then Leo had come up.
and, half-laughing, half-angry, had
said: you don't need to stay up
here? 1t is very rude to leave your
guest like this" And when he saw
the two great tears on her lashes, he
cried out: "Of course you can't come
down like that; but it is incredible.
Antje, how ridiculous you make your
self, simply ridiculous!"
To be continued.