The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-14

Such things are avenged" The
news of the result of the election is brought
in and Richards spirits rise at the taste of
success.
A wild Socialist named Meixner, who was
theologian while he was Richards pri-
vate secretary. worked against his former
employer in the campaign. In one speech
he denounced him as a hypocrite. 'It is sell
DOM he said, that the honorable gen.
tlemen of the Right. the self-constituted
guardians of public morality, give an
opportunity to see what goes on behind
the scenes, in the gilded saloons to which
the man in the street may not presume
to penetrate; it is not often that we get
a hint of what goes on behind their silken
bed curtains-but now and then a happy
accident yields us an edifying glimpse of
their private histories. And, If 1 might
venture to speak openly. l could give you
such glimpse into the private life of the
honorable member from Lengenfed (Kel-
linghausen's and Volkerlingk's district)
and into his relationship with the friend
whose seat in the Reichstag he has taken
the confiding friend who, instead of keep
ing watch in his own house, has been
travelling from place to place, canvassing
/ AOi tic HOHOIdOie COpleS VI d
newspaper containing this speech have
| been mailed to the Kellnghausens, the
volkerlingks and their friends. 1t, there
| fore, has become doubly necessary, the
Conservative leaders decide, for Richard,
in the Reichstag, to proclaim 1.-The sancti-
| ty Of the marriage bond" They have the
greatest confidence in his personal honor,
but the effect of the Socialists blackguard-
t,1r
| looked after.
Kellinghausen, though he promises not to
bring scandal on the party, is determined
that Meixner shall retract the insult to
himself. his friend Richard and his wife
The three confer in Kellinghausen's Ii
brary. He tells them that he knows they
have been sympathetic to each other and
he has been pleased with that, and it is
possible-they are so much cleverer than
he-that they have written letters to each
other criticising him. All he wishes is
their assurance that he can bring suit
for libel against Meixner without that ac-
ton endangering the party because of some
indiscretion of Richards and Beatas that
Meixner has knowledge of. 81 give you
my word of honor" says Richard, but
there he chokes. Kellinghausen is made
|
Is convulsed. but neither of the men helps
her, and she struggles from the ROOM
Richards son. who is in the house and is
full of delight because Ellen has just
promised to be married to him, is called
into the library, and the two men casually
and alphabetically put the case to him.
The man of honor, the boy answers, would
be more eager to give his life than the
1
hansen and volkerlingk decide that the
latter shall commit suicide after two days.
This gives him time for his speech on
1.-THE Sanctity of Marriage in the Reichs-
tag. His success in this speech is i'm
mense, and his son. after hearing it. rushes
home and enthusiastically reports to his
fathers secretary:
1 wish 1 could give you an idea of IT.!
Look at me-Pm shaking all over! If you
could have heard the way the words rushed
out. and the way the thoughts trod on each
others heels! He began by sketching the
| psychology of the modern man, and from
that he developed theory of marriage,
with its outward obligations and inner
ideals-the marriage of to-day in it's high
he said: you'll see if I'm exaggerating
Then he went on to the practical applica-
ton Of his theory. In this unsettled age,
when parents are losing their control over
children, and the state it's ho'd over the
citizen, when even God and His priests
see the soul of man slipping away from
them-at such time must do all we
can to strengthen the only tie that holds
humanity together-the only tie that gives
youth the shelter of the family life till
habit becomes duty, and duty the law of
being, and through obedience to that law
a strong and enduring national soul is
created. Isn't ii beautiful, Herr Holtz-
mann? Isn't that a glorious idea?
Beata, afraid that Richard will end his
life without coming to her again. goes to
his house to get his promise that he will
attend luncheon at her home on the next
day-an occasion arranged by her husband
to confront gossip. Here we sit like two
ghosts on our own graves" says Beata.
"T knew sad old tale of Tristram and
| Iseult.'" Richard takes a letter written by
her to him twelve years before and reads
to her: 81 don't want to sleep, dearest.
The night is too bright and my happiness
too great. The blood beats like hammer
in my temples-I scarcely know how I am
going to bear the riches Of my new life"
Beata breaks their gloomy communion with
| a laugh. 81 laugh" she explains, because