Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-08-08


flames on the hearth. She did not
reply to the old womar's hurried
question: "Today-Ant-tod Frau
Jussnitz? Was he obliged to go away
today, of all days?"
II shall have my tea as usual" said
Ante.
VERY well. gracious Frau-yes--
but"
And send the footman over to the
Baroness, Classen. to say that | an
very sorry we cannot carry out our
little surprise. for Herr Jussnitz was
obliged to go to Desden, and with
me alone-I have a headache-Frau
Won Erlach must give us the pleasure
of her company another time. D.
you understand. Classen? Or had /
better write it down."
She put her hand to her forehead
and left the kitchen without waiting
| for an answer.
"Oh, yes. | understand" muttered
the old woman. following her with
her eyes. Il understand very well.
Dearie me! And it is just four years
today since they were made man and
wife. said so then. when | saw
him looking about all round the
church when he went to the altar
with the child, that no good would
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 among
her dishes. and the unfattering
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
| ne must needs punish her so severely
for what any one would consider she
had a perfect right to do? Why
should she alone have no likes and
dislikes? Why should she alone not
be allowed to say that such person
was agreeable to her and such a one
disagreeable? Could she help it #
| 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 minia-
ture picture in a rocco frame. She
gazed at it till the bright tears came
into her eyes and the round dome of
the Frauenkirche 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 ''narrow-minded," as
Leo had called her yesterday in his
blaze of anger. But she felt so sure
she would never learn that CON-
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, a 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 |
few friendly words and asking |
politely after each others health. |
She had sat by listening with a |
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 philopena together, and had |
related to each other all manner of
queer things about their present |
manner of life.
Ante 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.