Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-02-28

w. Heir11b11rG.



sought light shawl, and crept down
stairs.
A lamp was burning in the hall;
Cousin Himmel was sitting with the
cook, preparing beans for picking.
with passing "Good-evening"
passed her and left the house. The
clock at st. Mary's struck nine. A
faint moonlight which with difficulty
penetrated the m-clouds, flooded
! the silent court; the gardengate was
/ wide open and light burned in the
gardeners house The mans little
children sat upon the threshold in
their night.gowns, and called their
"Good-evenlng, miss" after me.
In the large park-Iike garden |
drew n deep breath from the pond,
which marked the boundary between
the meadows and the garden, came
hui-:ld, perfume-aden air. In the
distance, beyond the village, it light
encd necessarily. Slowly | walked
towards the water. Upon its brink
was a small moss.cottagc, there /
could sit and dream. 1t was fairy
like night so beautiful, so warm, yet
80 bracing, and | was eighteen re-
turning health and hopes leaped up in
my heart, the expectation Of some
thing strange, magnificent, the long.
ng for happiness.
The shadow of the trees. beneath
which was the tiny cottage, was very
dense, so much the brighter did the
surface of the water. upon which the
lightning played, stand out. had
glidod there almost noiselessly.
There my feet hesitated, From the
moss-cottagc Mt whose side wall |
was standing upon the point of reach
Ing the entrance came the hushed,
nute-Iiko voice of Herr Wollmcyer;
ooh, do not be in such haste. stay Il
while, shall not see you for weeks
| had already halfturncd to go,
when paused as If rooted to The spot,
cry of horror was stilled in my
throat by conclusive sob. My
mother, my mother had replied! ! still
remember every one of those words
which rendered me so unuttcrahly
NlNlih'N' iti 'h'D ''pAi W ~ w. ''''
fdencc, the love, the deyout respect
of II child for It's mother in one single
moment, like u powerful blow Of a
hammer may destroy the picture of a
saint.
mot for weeks. but | shall return,
and then---" | heard my mother say,
Them" he asked in n hall-stifed
| tone.
"Then | will redeem my word and
become yours"
TIelenel" | heard him cry passion,
atoly. "Ilelenc!" But | fed across
the lawn, and far away | kneelcd at
the foot of n gigantic elm, flung my
arms around the old trunk. leaned my
head against the bark. and writhod rs
If in bodily pain. "Oh, papa! papa!
More | could not say, but ! repeated
these words over and over mochan
ically. Had only died with you
were | with YOU, papa"
At length rose, just in time to con
seal myself for they passed close be
side me, the slender, quccnly form
and next her the dcspisCd, vulga
creature with his arm about he
waist Then they paused, he pickle,
rose, which cleaned pure and whit
amid the darkness, and offered 1t t
her with words that drove the blOOt
to my Cheoks-and she took tin
mother took II, She did not fling |
in his face, she did not repulsc him
she did not think of the man to WHOM
she had once belonged, she did no
thiuk of her child! con, papa, papa!
; with determination which far eN
cecdcd my physical strength, | fol
lowed them. They parted at tn,
Rardou.gatc he turned back in M
other direction, mamma entered thu
house: almost Immediately benin,
her stepped into the room,
you are still up" she asked, con
ing towards me In the darkness, wi
YOU not go to bed, darling?" And sh
extended her hand in order to cares
my check Thon-thon | was seize,
by madness. flung aside this HAND
Let me alonc!" | cried. do nc
touch mo-" For moment ! hear
but the painting of my own breath.
4, "Annolieso?" she said softly, /
i, alright
Lot me so away from hore, d
I not want to stay with YOU" and, il
: capable OF mastering my agitation,
, grasped the white rose which she ho)
In her hand, cast 1t upon the floor an
!. tramplod upon 1t,
a "Ah," said she in a low voice, a
, Il Just awakening to comprehension {
I the situation, and she turned ava
/, hastily. At the door she paused, BIT
> spoke not n word; 1t was as thoug
! she had lost the power of speech
. her shame OF her child. Then I'll
, door closed and was alone, | soatt
= myself upon the window sill an
= buried my face In both hands. can
TO no other conclusion than this. lC
have no longer mother! | wantC
i, to leave her she did not need me, ST
had love, would soon have hu
: band, rich husband: ! could so II
y ,,.,,, ,l,,, f,ft ou ~ Ind a piant