The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1901-01-17

Nv AASsSA " PAD - * i1sileIer. ana u
promise that from 4 on 0, '-sss.
From now on!' cried Gretchen.
3Does not herr leave today p
mo; | am going to spend whole
week here
There was mixture Of dismay and
anger in her gaze. = Il. .ss5ss:ss;
80 But, as was going to say, shall
make no effort to pry into your affairs.
Honestly, I am gentleman
Il shall try to believe you," said she,
the corners Of her mouth broadening
into q smile. - -. 80
She condescended to show me through
the rose gardens and tell me what she
knew about them. 1t was an interest
ing lecture. And in the evening she
permitted me to row her about the riv-
err. We were getting on very we'll un-
der the circumstances.
The week. was soon gone, and Greet
chen and became very good friends.
Often when she had nothing to do we
would wander along the river through
the forests, always, L noticed, by
route which took us away from the
village. Each day discovered some
new accomplishment. Sometimes l
would read Heine or Goethe to her,
and she would grow rapt and silent.
In the midst of some murm urous stan
"a l would suddenly stop, only to see
I her start and look at me as though
had committed sacrilege, in that
| had spoiled some dream of hers Then
again 1 myself would become lost in
dreams, to be aroused by a soft voice
saying, "Well, why do you not go on?"
Two people of the opposite sexes read
ing poetry in the woods is a solemn
matter. This is not appreciated at the
time, however. 1t comes back after
| ward.
In all the week l had learned nothing
except that Gretchen was not what she
pretended ODE. But feared to ask
questions. They might have spoiled
ALL And the life was SO new to me, so
quiet and peaceful, with the glamour of
romance over it all, that I believe I
could have staid on forever And some
how Phyllis was fading away, slowly,
but surely. The regret with which l
had heretofore looked upon her ~por-
trait was lessening each day, from &C.
tive to passive. And yet was it be-.
cause Gretchen was Phyllis in the ideal?
Was falling In love with Gretchen be.
cause she was Gretchen, or was my
love for Phyllis simply renewing itself
in Gretchen? Was that the reason
why the portrait of Phyllis grew less
holding and interesting to me? 1t was
complex situation; one frowned
over when alone. It was becoming
palmer to me every hour that l had a
mystery all of my own to solve. And
Gretchen was the only one to solve it.
l shall never forget that night under
the chestnuts on the bank of the wide
white river. The leaves were gossip
ing among themselves. They had so
much to talk about, and then they
knew so much! Had not they and
| their ancestors filtered the same moon
beams century on century? Had not
their ancestors heard the tramp Of the
armies, the clash Of the saber, the roar
of the artillery? Had not the hand of
autumn and the hand of death marked
| w III,
leaves! 1t is we'll to press them in
books when they themselves have such
fine stories to tell.
"Gretchen," said l, echoing my
thoughts, chad I been born a hundred
years ago I must have been a soldier.
Napoleon was a great warrior"
$50 was Butcher, since it was he
who helped overcome the little Corsi-
cam
The Germans will never forgive Ma
poleon.
"But war is a terrible thing" went
on Gretchen.
eyes, but it is a great educator. 1t
! teaches the vanquished how little they
know" =
"War is the offspring of pride. That
| is what makes it so abhorred."
"It is also the offspring of oppres-
sion. That is what makes it so great"
Eyes. When the people take up
arms, it is we'll. War is the torch of
liberty in the hands of the people.
Oh, I envy the. people, who are sc
strong, yet know it not. If l were a
man, I Would teach the people that-a
king has no divine right, save when it
is conferred upon him by them
"Gretchen, I'm afraid that you're
bit of a socialist
- "And who is not who has any love
for humanityY'
"a beautiful woman who is a social
list, Gretchen, is menace to the king.
Sometimes he fears her. At large she
is dangerous. He seeks her, and if he
finds her he takes away her liberty"
All this was said with a definite pur-
pose. It was to let Gretchen know
that 1 knew her secret. "Gretchen,
you are an embryo socialist, a chrysa-
lis, as it were" .r---~.. .-- i
t'No, herr" sadly. II am butterfly
whose wings have been clipped"
had not expected this admission.
: '.'Never mind" said I. Gretchen,
do not want you to call me herr; call
me Jack" =. =. '. ~
.@ "Jack!' she said. It became an I'M
-. -