Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-10-03
By W. HEIMBURG.

i Irene, for the soothing Of you
nerves."
The Baroness clinked her glass witt
his. ga merry meeting, gentlemen
at Barrenberg on Christmas eve,' sht
cried Il will coax the White Lady tt
| stop and chat with us. I will wage
she will tell us some delightful
stories."
The colonel rose and CALAMITY ap
preached the young hostess with hi!
glass MAY l venture to hope, Fral
Jussnitz, that you will not refuse m!
invitatiOn?"
"I hope you will excuse me, Herr
Won Barrenberg, but must spend
Christmas eve at home with my
mother and my child she replied
very decidedly and very coldly.
He bowed and returned to his seat.
Leo looked uneasily from his wife
to the colonel.
GA rejection, Jussnitz, downright
| rejection from your wife,
"Ah, BAH" replied the host, care
lessly. eff I persuade her she will
come too-won't you, Antje?"
| But Ante did not seem to have
heard him; she was again absently
| looking down at her glass, in which
the champagne had long ceased tc
, bubble.
! With a shrug Of his shoulders
Jussnitz turned to his neighbor. The
! Baroness was already in the midst
of a droll story.
But | assure you, these diamonds"
she pointed to the glittering stones
of a bracelet that Jussnitz had prob
ably been admiring-"were buried
once for eleven years Would you
like to hear about it? 1t is quite a
pendant for Chamissos poem about
woman's faith
1T must be very interesting; so
pray go On, tell the story" the guests
cried in chorus.
Il suppose you have all heard of my
late Uncle Wittelstein?"
ITO be sure, the man with seven
wives"
"Oh, nonsense! 1t was only four.
Don't exaggerate, Osten!" she said,
reprovingly. well, the aforesaid
| uncle had lost two wives while he was
still quite young, for after he had
mourned for the first three years, he
got engaged again. The bride or the
wife, fer the time being, was in his
| eyes always the loveliest one he had
! ha IN ho
| sidered something quite superhuman,
and when she was snatched from him
after a year of marriage, he was sc
| beside himself with grief that he
| buried with her very costly diamond
! necklace that she had been very fond
| Of.
This time continued the Bar
| Oness, ''he remained a widower for
! eleven years; but then he met a
young girl who far surpassed any
! thing he had ever seen before. He
| got engaged to her, and of course lie
wished to adorn his idolized bride tc
| the utmost extent of his power. He
began 10 think about the buried neck
lace-why should he buy new stones
! The dead would not care if he to II
back those. So he secretly despatch
! ed his old chasseur and the gardener
into the vault, which was built in ;
| gloomy spot in the park, with orders
to open the coffin of the last Baroness
and bring him the necklece. The
next morning the chasseur appeared
at the bedside of the old man with (
crestfallen air. Herr Baron Ee
stammered out, there is nothing I
the coffin but heap of dust
But the diamonds, the diamonds!
demanded my uncle impatiently.
"'The gracious Baroness has al
| gone to dust said the old man in ex
cuse. t
"'Well, confound it, sift the Bar
! oness. them screamed out the affec
tomato widower And do it On The
spot, too.'"
The Baroness carefully selected {
candied orange, picked out one or two
other fruits, and added and so NJ.
good aunt was sifted."
She said the last words with he,
|
gay Comparatively had already go
to the dessert-joined in.
"And these are the stonesi"
She held up her beautiful arm, AM
showed the sparkling stones.
"Jussnitz," she remarked, turnin:
to her neighbor. you must positivel.
perpetuate this bracelet in my POI
trait-if you should ever find time
that is, to put the finishing touche
to it. Of course l am modest, an,
withdraw into the background befor
such an important and at the sam
time such a charming work as you ar
engaged on at present. You know
am always considerate Of m
friends"
What are you painting now
Jussnitz?" cried several gentlemen q
once.
"A portrait" he replied.
This turn the conversation ma,
him.
"A study. but such a study" eA
claimed Frau Won Erlach. Il assur
you, my friends, this young Spanis
: girl is absolutely bewitching If
, could only find out where the origina
: is to be found, l would invite her /
e my house, only just to gaze at he
). beauty for once to my hearts conten
By the way, Frau Jussnitz, are you no
jealous-not the least little bit?"
Antje rose at this moment, sigma
e that the dinner was at an end TIL