Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-07-29

d
of strategy, threats or force, lays
himself liable to punishment accord
ing to paragraph so-and-so of the
Code! How is that, dear sir?' asked [,
punishment by fine? Well, will pay
it Pardon, Countess he inter-
rupted with smile, taking pinch Of
snuff between his thumb and first
finger, it cannot be made right with
money, you would be imprisoned!
And he put the snuff in his nose as II
imprisonment were mere nothing!
Aunt I exclaimed, with horror.
eyes, my darling! So you see l
cannot help you now
"Of course, of Counsel I STAN
mered.
'sHe then asked me if I was related
to you. But am not, poor child, or l
would have the right to appeal to the
court of wards that you be pro-
nounced of age. But, as it is
With an angry gesture she pushed her
can from one side to the other, took
up her knitting, an immense piece Of
work, a coverlet designed for some
cousin and made of the most delicate
shade of blue and white, and soon the
wooden needles clicked fortissimo.
Within me fear and anger ragged
simultaneously.
''This is all the result of the rash
marriage" grumbled the Countess.
clad Len in her absurd anxiety for
your welfare, not rushed headlOng
into this quagmire, things would be
very different today-you would have
your mother yet. Yes, I maintain it.,
for he tormented her in a manner
which is but only now quite clear to
me-"
I buried my face in my hands;
what had mamma suffered!
'Now he will torture you, and such
as we know it and cannot help it! Oh,
I wish, deluge would come and wipe
away all humanity" The Countess
was so pious that these words sound
ed strange from her lips. eff one
could but see when it would end" she
continued; Il mean your stay at Wolf
meyers; you cannot endure it two
years. If you only had an oppor-
tunity to marry! But who is there in
Westenberg to marry? No one! A
couple of referendaries, who live at
their fathers expense-Steinberg is
betrothed to Katie Tollen-and the
deacon is as suitable for you as o
catechism is beside volume of lyric
poems-ah, child, it is hopeless!"
There is one would take Wolf
meyers daughter, thought I.
And as if to contradict herself, the
Countess said: "There will probably
be no lack of those who want your
money, or rather WOllmeyer's -fOr
you are now his heiress."
And thought again: "You should
but know, aunt, to whom the money
belongs by right"
'"They will be after it, these men,"
she went on. "God-a-mercy!-a bank
rupt landowner or lieutenant, or some
one like Brankwitz- 'm-this Drank
WITH" And after long pause, dur
ing which she knitted furiously, she
said with sigh: "You see, you are
now nineteen years old and have not
even been through with your first love
affair, poor girl"
I blushed scarlet, and involuntarily
I clasped my hands.
"You are so flushed, Anneliese!"
ooh, indeed?" I stammered.
She looked at me searchingly and
incredulously.
"Ah, God Forbid" she murmured.
Suddenly-it came upon me forcibly
Il began to sob, so violently, 50
bitterly, that I had no control over
myself. I fell at the terrified wo-
mans feet and hid my head in the
folds of her gown, while my entire
form trembled. oh, if you knew, if
you knew!" I gasped. ''Why did
mamma not take me with her at
once!"
She let me weep for long time
At length she said, after stroking my
hair: "Who is it, Anneliese?"
| sobbed on, but did not answer.
e'Well?" she asked.
ooh, aunt, do not ask me! could
not tell you" :
"Well, if you do not want to tell it,
I shall not try to extort your secret
from you; I simply thought it would
do you good to pour out your heart
There was not trace of resentment
in her words.
BE sensible, Anneliese, RISE" she
added kindly, mo one can harm you,
and the same God still lives.'
mo one can harm you!" I could
not believe that the hated man could
have the right to order my return to
him, and yet it was so. There was
reason against it, at. least no official
reason, and the Countess implored me
not to run away, ''for," she explained,
che has the right to withdraw from
you all means Of subsistence, he can
Cypress and torment you in every pos
sible way"
Il shall not run away from your
house, aunt, today nor tomorrow
said I. "But there will, there must,
arise some means Of escape from this