The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1901-02-14

lis, as 1t were.
..No, herr" sadly. II am BUTTERFLY
whose wings have been clipped. I
J had not expected this admission.
ssNever mind" said l. Gretchen.
] do not want you to call me herr; call
me Jack"
.Jack! she said. It became an I'M
| common name now.
"Whateverl your true name may be,
shall never call you anything but
Gretchen"
"Ah, Jack!" She laughed, and the
lurking echoes clasped the music of
that laughter in their wanton arms
and hurried 1t across the river.
'Sing to me-" said !.
Then imagine my surprise-I, who
had heard nothing but German fall
from her lips when in heavenly con-
tralto she sang a chanson from "La
File de Madame Angot." an opera for
gotten these ten years!
..Elle est tellement innocentei''
She had risen. and she stood there
. before me with halo of moonshine
about her head. The hot blood rushed
to my ears Barmaid. socialist or
whatever she might be, she was Low,
able In a moment was kissing her
hand, the hand SO small, so white and
yet SO firm. A thousand inarticuate
words came to my lips. from my heart!
Did the hand tremble? I thought so.
But swiftly she drew it from my clasp,
all the joy and gladness gone from her
. face and eyes.
"No, nor she cried. "This must not
be! 1t must not ber
"Bui p began eagerly.
'sYou must not say it; command
you! If you speak, Gretchen will be
Gretchen no more. Yes, the king seeks
Gretchen, but will you drive her away
from her only haven't" with choking
sound.
"Gretchen, trust me. Shall I~go to-
morrow? Shall leave you in peace? ?"
Somehow believed myself to be in
danger. Speak"
There was an interval of stiffness.
broken only by the beating of hearts.
Then:
''Stay. But speak no word of love.
1t is not for such as l. Stay and be my
friend, for need one. Cannot Wom-
an look with favor upon man but he
must needs become her lover? | shall
trust you as have trusted other men.
and, though you fail me in the ~ d. as
others have done, still l shaii trust
you. Herr, conspire against the king.
For what? The possession of my heart.
All my life / have stood alone-so
alonew
Il will be your friend, Gretchen.
will speak no word of love. Will that
suffice?"
ut is all l ask, dear friend. And
now will you leave me?''
Leave your l cried. 81 thought
you babe me stay" ~
"Ah," putting out her hand, you
men do not understand! Sometimes a
woman wishes to be alone when-when
she feels that she she cannot hold
back her tearsW 4s5
Grayely | bent over her hand and
kissed it. 1t seemed to me, as let the
hand fall, that had never kissed a
woman on the lips. turned and went
slowly down the path. Once looked
back. saw something white lying at
the foot of the tree. Heaven knows
what a struggle it was, but went on.
! wanted to take her in my arms and
tell her that loved her. When
reached the inn, i turned again, but
saw nothing. l sat in my room long
time that night, smoking my pipe till
the candle gasped feebly and died in
the stick and the room was swallowed
in darkness.
did not know, was not sure, but
thought that, so long as | might not
. love Phyllis, it would not be very
hard task to love her image. which was
Gretchen. You see, Phyllis was SO
very far away and Gretchen was so
near! zs