Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-09-12

at the houses across the wav. She
comforted herself with thinking that
It was really very interesting to have
a niece who painted.
But Hilda could not paint forever.
and it seemed as if the hours would
never pass. How long a day could
below horribly long, She did not
sleep at night, she was always think
ing of the promised visit. 81 shall
come in three days." he had said
The third day came at last. 3ilda
sat down to her work at an eariv
hour, but her colors dried on her
palette, for she was continually saz.
ing out into the street. When it was
time to expect visit that morning. she
fell into her old state of feverish IN
walked up and down Aunt Polly's best
room like chained loness. If he
should not keep his promise, what
would become of her? She did not
remember now that she had come
here to make her way alone: she felt
as if her bark would suffer shipwreck
if he stayed away.
And he did not come. 1t grew
dark; Hilda could no longer dis
tinguish anything in the street. She
went out to the top of the staircase
and listened for the door-beT. Once
she thought it must be that some one
was coming-her heart beat rapidly
q md hnI linn he oh 1,,+ L.
the post-man who brought her a letter
from home. She put it in her pocket
and waited. He did not come.
BY evening she was shivering all
over, and then she was burning hot.
Aunt Polly was that the girl could
scarcely sit up; there were dark
shadows under her eyes and her face
seemed quite changed.
For Heavens sake, go to bed.
child. hope you won't be sick"
And she took the girl herself into
her little room.
go to sleep" she said; you want
some fresh air. Why haven't you
been out all this time? 1t can't be
good for you to be painting all the
time"
eyes, I am tired gasped the girl.
| And when the little old lady had gone
| away she hid her head in the pillows
and groaned like one wounded unto
| death. The man had simply been
| making sport of her, or he had for
gotten her long ago, while she had
been thinking of nothing but him.
She clinched her fists in anger and
wondered how she could revenge her
| self if she should ever meet him
| again. At this moment she could
very well comprehend that there were
women who were capable of stabbing
man who had been unfaithful to
them. She did not sleep that night,
and the next morning she was hardly
strong enough to get up, but the hope,
that he might still come that day gave
! her courage.
She read her letter from home 60
| day. It was from her mother. The
lines We're overlooking with motherly
tenderness and anxiety, but there was
a little touch of wounded feeling. too.
when I found your parting note
on the kitchen table, Hilda, I could
not keep back my tears she wrote.
| Il thought if you had only cared for
your mother the least little bit. you
would not have gone away without
saying good-by. May God grant that
| ell your golden dreams may come
true, dear child, and may you be
spared all disappointmentsi"
Tears rushed to Hilda's eyes, but
she brushed them angrily away. If
her mother could only know what a
disappointment her dear child" had
already encountered! But she must
| never know that, neither she nor any
| one else in the world And Hilda sat
down again to her painting and look
| ed cut into the street. Her aunt in
| sisted upon her going out, but she re-
| fused obstinately. She was waiting.
And when the twilight came on again.
| she suddenly started up from her
chair, and then sank helplessly back
"a mans voice in the hall was asking
for Fraulein Won Zweidorf
She had not heard the bell, she had
not seen him coming: but here he
was, Aunt Polly was bringing him in.
The old lady hurried off to get the
lamp, and when she came back she
found him standing before Hilda, Who
was sitting in her chair pale as death.
Leo Jussnitz was very civil TO
Aunt Polly. He told her about his
former friendly relations with the
Zweidorf family; how glad he was to
be able to be of some use to Fraulein
| Hilda, here, whom he had known
when she was a little girl how
pleased he was to find her here under
the protection of so kind an aunt:
and how he had come to make ar
rangements for giving her lessons.
N