Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-12-19
By ". HEIEIBURG.

NSAiAI ~ bbS pINtbs NOSbuLANs az
gradually she ceased to look shabb,
! She did not wear Leo's Christina
/ brooch: she had returned it to him il
Antics presence with the remark tina
! she never accepted gifts, least of al
| such costly ones. The pretty glitter
ing thing was now lying in a draw
/ of Leo's writing-table, with the
| jewellers unpaid bill beside it. All
how many unpaid bills were there
! lying in that same drawer!
Il will settle them all before April,
he had said. by that time M
picture will be sold"
And so the days had slipped by
1t seemed to Ante as if there were
gray veil continually before her eyes:
everything was so Indifferent to her
everything the child!
All, the child! In a moment Antic
was back in the present, and she ran
to the spot where her darling lay on
the carpet and looked down at her
How pretty LeOnie was with her
golden curls and her little apple
blossom face! Would she have q
happy life? SO far as Ante could
make it so-she certainly would. She
should learn a great deal; and she
should learn not to hide what she
knew, as her poor, silly mother did.
who always was afraid when an Cd
portunity offered to join in the con
versation.
How long Leo and Hilda stayed out
today! The great room was ALREADY
getting quite dark, and they had not
come yet.
Antje remembered that Hilda had
spoken of a particularly picturesque
point of view which she had dis
covered a short time before On the
banks of the Elbe, and which they
were going to visit today. True, they
had gone in that direction. The
young mother carried her sleeping
child to its nurse; then she per-
ceived that she had left her key
basket in the studio, and she went
hastily back to look for it. The hall
and staircase were already lighted
and she saw the servant coming up
with package of newspapers ana
several letters
Something for the gracious lady"
he said, and hurrying up, he gave
Ante a letter.
1t was a big letter, with the address
IN a business hand. She at once
recognized the writing of Kortmer,
the old foreman of the iron works, and
an old friend of the family.
As he usually sent his greetings to
her through her mother, Ante was
surprised at getting a letter from him.
She went quickly up to the lamp.
which was upheld by a colossal figure
in bronze, opened the letter, read it
hastily, and then let fall the hand
which held it, with an expression of
torturing anxiety on her face. In
voluntarily, she turned her steps
toward the studio again, thinking that
her husband might have come in in
the mean time.
Leo" she called, and then listen
ed. Her eyes, blinded by the light,
could distinguish nothing in the dark
ness.
No answer. She felt for the chair
in which she had been sitting sat
down, then got up again, took a few
steps to the window and gazed out
into the garden. The grass-plats
looked like dark shadows, and the
white gravel walks shone out among
them like broad, curling ribbons A
few yellow strips of sky still glimmer-
ed in the west among the dark clouds,
looking solemn and mysterious, as
the old painters used to represent the
heavens in the pictures of the cruel
iXion
Such a picture hung above her
mothers bed at home; Ante could
see it before her distinctly at this
moment, and she saw also a feverish
face resting on the white cushions.
saw eyes looking inquiringly up to the
Saviour as if begging for relief, and
then searching about the room for the
only object that bound her to this
world-her daughter.
Where can he be? Oh, my God
why does he not Gomez"
At ten o'clock the express train
would go, and if she meant to take it,
she had no time to lose,
She controlled herself and looked
about for her key-basket; there it was
on Leo's great writing-table. She
would go and pack up something for
her journey. The nurse was a trust
worthy person, and so was Classen.
everything would go on just as we'll
without her-ah, yes, everything,
She walked noiselessly across the
carpet ard then stopped suddenly
She heard door open across the hall
''Auf wiedersehen. Hildegarde," she
heard in soft tones; get we'll rested
your feet must ache after that long
walk. Auf wiedersehen. at support"
! There was no answer; Leo had shu
| the door. He had only said these few
words as she was going to her room.
Then the door Of the dark studio
opened
Leo said the young wife as he
| came in.
Who is it? What, you here?" h:
cried. Why have you no light? I
is as dark as pitch, Where are tn;
matches? Can't you find the bell, a
least?'
Leo, only one word" she interrupt
ed, hastily. L have just heard from
Kortmer that my mother is very i'll
Of course, I wish to go to her-no1