Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-08-22


fering from something with certain
double breasted Latin name to it. and
he viii ttjnk liz has seized the devil by
his tail Yet ali lie has actually caught
is some biz Latin word That's all.
Mysterious look, indeed, Phrases of
this kind are invented by story writer's
to hamhoozle their readers. and | in
vented mine TO hambooZle my own self.
All ! did know was that was in love
with the Young countess-in love like
ninny, like an IDIOT"
The countess brought with her some
money, hut her father went through il
in less than six months. He was
good natured, pompous old spendthrift
and when lie was NOT hoasting .. his
ancestry he was lamentng the defmct
glory Of Poland or else lie would bore
the lovelorn Young officer with verse
in his native tongue
Pardon me. sir" the other would
plead. but l have not the honor Of an
acquaintance with the Polish Ian
guage"
"Ah hut the music OF the words
SIR the old man would return .NIu-
sic Is the language of the angels. rs one
of our writer's says. and the angels
ought 10 be able TO make themselves
understood 10 good man like Yourself
Tell me, sir. have you ever heard any
thing swecter than And the old pa
triot would 20 on reciting his ode with
more ecstasy than ever.
Once he broke into sobs over the fate
Of the country which had produced this
ntelodious language Herr Schmidt
was al once touched and amused and
the upshot Of II was that the Pole bor-
rowcd a few hundred thalers Of him.
Here my Second avenue friend has
tened TO explain that the old fellow
was anything but a schemer or an adj
venturer HE was simply a weak man
too weak to hold money or his
tongue be said. If he had not been
so simple hearted and honest he would
not have disclosed the real nature of
his title TO me. II appeared that he was
one of the so called Roman or papal
counts. you know. his father having
received the distinction from the Yati-
can for service In the holy army or
something of that kind. He insisted.
however, that in the early history of
Poland his ancestors We're members of
the highest aristocracy, and he traced
his pedigree 10 a sister or a cousin of
somebody who was entitled to the
throne he said. Tie worst of II was
that the title Of the countess dead hus-
band was of similar character. and Of
course the old fool told me all about ii.
How the old mans ancestors came to
lose their old position was never made
clear to me.
At last made my declaration. She
gave me a long look. the longest and
steadiest | had ever received from her.
l thought, and made a clean breast of il
all. l insisted that she was genuine
countess and that would have mar
ried her if she We're a peasant girl. and
all that sort of thing. She wept and
called me an angel. and we became en-
gagged.
when my mother heard Of it. she
came TO that town. Although she
thought me a prophet and went into
ecstaSies over every piece of rot said
vet she was very sensible woman
She was opposed TO the marriage be
cause mr. fancee was a widow as wen
rs on account Of the questionable quail
ity of their title hut held her own coun-
sci. She had no trouble in sizing mp the
old man. and before ! knew it he had
borrowed Of her a snug amount and
tearfully yielded 10 her plea not to de
privc her Of her boy She was perfectly
frank with him. it appeared. She told
him all she thought of the marriage
aud begged him 10 take pity on her
AS III luck would have it. the Polish
count had sister in America. the wild
ow Of a wealthy physician. who had
promised to take care OF him and his
daughter provided the two Went to
join her. Well. partly because of my
mothers plea. partly because of the
loan she offered him. the old man all
hut melted away and declared in the
name Of his great ancestors that he
was not the man to let his daughter
throw herself on anybody; that If his
title was not good enough he would not
allow her to marry me for millions. and
SO forth and so on. How he reconciled
all this with the tears he shed over my
mothers broken heart l do not know.
hut | do know that this middle headed
hysterical nnconpoop could twist his
daughter around his finger. She loved
me-yes. she loved me-yet when he
told her they We're going to America
and that he would rather see her dead
than married to German Snob whose
mother called his nobility in question
size obeved him
This is the way came 10 leave my
native country and my connections
had no difficulty in finding the count
and his daughter. His sister had more
sense than he, and. thanks to her.
married the woman loved We were
happy. but our happiness was not 10