Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-12-26
BY W. HEIMBURG.

ever come to such a pass as to be-
come interested in married MANI
she had only spoken the truth. The
love that she felt for him had
been destroyed by the great dis
appointment she had endured, but in
the place of that love something else
had come to her. of a nature not less
passionate-hatred, the longing 10
prove to him that she had never loved
him. This longing made her blind
and deaf to all other considerations,
the more she became conscious that
she had once betrayed to him the real
nature of her feelings
AT such times she clenched her
hands and tears OF wrath streamed
from her eyes. There were days in
which her caprices were many and I'M
accountable, on which she longed to
have him speak to her of his love, on
which she tortured him and enraptur-
ed him only in the hope that the
moment would come at length when
she could proudly toss back her head
and say: Sir, what do you mean? /
| do not understand you"
This very day had been such a one.
Tony's letter had aroused all the evil
passions in her; there had been some
thing In 1t about letter from Aunt
Polly, who swCre by all that was
sacred that Hilda had not been in
different to Herr Jussnitz. She had
walked beside him In their excursions
with fiuttering breath, she had played
with him as cat plays with a mouse
but he had not found the courage 70
say what I'lda would so gladly have
trapped him into saying. Hilda was
conscious only that he was having
struggle with himself. But some day
he would speak, and she would leave
the house that very hour, with the
hope in her heart that he might only
suffer half so much as she had done.
Where she went was a matter Of in
difference to her. but she would 20
with her pride unbent, with smiling
lips, and in the consciousness that he
would search for her and not find her.
that he would be sick with longing
after her.
While indulging in these reflections
she had addressed the letter to her
sister and begun to make her toilet.
She knew that he was waiting for
her downstairs In the yellow drawing
room. She dressed very slowly-thls
waiting" was one OF her ways of
tormenting him. She spent a quarter
of an hour in curling the hair on her
forehead and ten miutes more In
fastening bunch of snow-drops IN
her dress. She could see him In i'm.
agination walking up and down, up
and down. and her steps as she turne
toward the door grew slower at the
thought.
She found him as she had expected
only looking very pale. Was 1t be-
cause of the question she had put to
him In the course of the day: when
will the picture be iinished?"
Tie had not answered her. Now
she was standing before him in her
best dress. simple but perfectly
fitting costume of garnet cloth. a few
white flowers at her breast, and with
the beautiful apathetic face, which
looked beyond him with an air of such
utter indifference.
Shall we begin to read?" she said.
YEARLY.
He assented, and they took their
seats in the chairs which were drawn
up so costly opposite each other be-
side the open fire which cast its re-
Elections on the carpet.
where did we leave off?" she in.
quired. suppressing a slight yawn.
He shrugged his shoulders.
Il don't know. Hilda. don't ask me.
Heaven knows do not hear what you
read--I-"
What You do not hear what
read?"
HE shook his head.
No" he said in low tone. Il
hear nothing, | only see you. And
then ask myself how long shall
see you. And you ask me when the
picture will be finished? Good Heav.
ems, Hilda. do you never suspect that
cannot bear the thought that the
picture must be finished some day,
OF some day seeing that place vacant
where you have always stood?"
And he grasped her hands i'm.
pulsively and pressed them to his
lips and TO his eyes.
Hilda started up. deeply shocked
What she had so ardently longed for
now gave her horrible feeling OF
shame. She could not utter a word.
only n slight cry escaped her lips, and
her eyes were fixed on Antje. who
was standing in the middle OF the
room, spell.bound with paln.
haggard face and with her hair damp
with the night.dews. falling over her
forehead. Her great eyes were fixed
on Hilda for moment with a piteous,
grieved expression. and the young
girl dropped her head beneath this
look. She could not pass Ante, so
she left the room by an opposite door
which opened into the tea.room,
She felt as II she had been gazing
into an abyss of grief and pain.