The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1902-06-06
Observation-Disclosures

for many weeks | see him and feel him
more and more anxious than before,
and am made to feel there is always
now another man near him making him
anxious and afraid, and the other man
seems to be you, think, Herr Pastor.
/ sat silently maryelling.
"I tell you all this plainly, Herr
Pastor, she added, "because you are
not one OF those who laugh at dreams;
for you know that the Sacred Scripture
says that the great God reveals to those
who are ready to see, many strange
things in dreams and visions OF the
night"
You have, indeed" l said, "seen
strange Things"
"Will you now," she continued, .'be
plain with me? Tell me, ii you know,
exactly what is the thing, g,-the serious
matter, he is anxious and afraid
about"
81 can tell you, Fraulein," / said,
"a very serious matter, about the dis
covery of which l suspect he is very
anxious. A little more than year and
half ago Herr Steinhardt's partner in
business went to London from Lanca-
shire, and it was thought he never re-
turned; no trace of him could be found.
So his fate remained altogether
mystery for year, until | went to be
cure in the village. Why the mystery
should have been left so long, | cannot
say, because it was no great cleverness
in me that after that made it less of a
mystery; perhaps the Almighty left it
so long to give Emmanuel Steinhardt
time to repent. Soon after came to
the village certain things made me sus-
pect that Herr Steinhardt's partner did
not stay in London, but came home
and then disappeared. | now know,
from evidence that | have got, that he
did, but what became OF him ! cannot
tell. suspect that Herr Steinhardt
put him out OF the way, but l do not
yet know that he did. / am sure, how
ever, that the Divine Vengeance, which
has thus far revealed it to me bit by
sbit, will yet make clear the whole hor-
rible crime"
She heard me through in silence,
gazing intently at me the while; but
when came to the end, she drew back
and looked at me in anger and aston
ishment.
"But," said she, "who are you, Herr
Pastor, to make yourself the minister OF
Divine Vengeance?"
/ was dumb for moment under this
warm rebuke.
~ think, Fraulein," l said length,
"you mistake me. do not put myself
forward as the agent of Divine Venge-
ance. l first began to look into the
mystery at the request of the missing
mans orphan daughter, who longs to
know what has become OF her father
since then all have learned concern.
ing his fate has been revealed to me
with little or no effort on my part"
"Ach Mein Gottl" she exclaimed.
"The poor man has left daughter!"
eyes," | replied; "and Herr Stein
hardt. who is her guardian, uses her
very cruelty. II it we're not for that, |
think l should let the whole matter
rest, and take no more part at all in
bringing the crime home to the guilty
man. But so long as she is in danger
l must do what MI must let the
Divine Power use me. God has sent
me to you, Fraulein; if you then have
had anything more revealed to you
than l yet know, | beg you will tell it
me.
Zach, Herr Pastorl" she cried, "you
know not what you ask! You ask me
to condemn Emmanuel Steinhardtl-
me to condemn himl Ach Gott!-
mein Gottl why hast thou laid this on
mel" She clasped her hands in her
lap, and looked fxedly before her.
"Fraulein, I ventured to urge, 81
only wish to hinder Steinhardt from
going on his cruel, INSCRIPTIONS way"
"What you may wish, Herr Pastor,
she said, with her look still fixed on
vacancy, "will not matter very much.
The great God, l know, is God OF
justice as well as God of mercy, and
he will work his own will with both
you and me! l have prayed for En-
manuel, as mother might for her only
son Surely my God will hear mel Ii
he only had time and warning to re-
pent! Oh, was not that why 1 wished
him to come!
"What can say, Fraulein, to les
sen your painP
"You can say nothing, Herr Pastor.
Leave me for tonight-leave me, if you
pleased l cannot speak to you more
now!i
Hers was such distress and emotion
as could only be Gained by her being
let alone-alone, or only with that I'M
seen Presence in whom she was doubt
less wont to seek strength and peace.
therefore vent away without another
word, and accompanied for time by
the painful doubt whether it were well
to pursue my inquiry, since it caused
her such pain; whether there was not
even something vindictive in following
up evidence which would lead to the
incriminatlon of even such q villain as
Steinhardt.
But all doubt was dispeled by let
ter | received next morning from Bir-
ley.
Thou must come back, my lad, at
once" he wrote. al was mistaken in |
my notion that Manuel would bring
you know who, back home. Frank |
came home the same day you left; and
his father went off to London next
morning. l managed to get to see
Frank. He is in very low spirits, poor
lad His father has almost scared him
into marrying the girl; but l don't
quite think he can bring that about
without asking me, at any rate. | !
shall not be at all surprised if he does
ask me one of these days, for he has
not vet come down near So hard on me
you know what | mean-as expect
ed. fancy he wants to reserve the
chance for last big squeeze. But
don't thou be afraid, lad; I'll stand by
the lass and thee. Well, prevailed
on Frank to tell me the Blackpool ad.
dress, though / had to promise much
his father shouldn't get to know he had
told me. | went straight away, and
found her; and she was main glad to
see me, poor thing. told her what /
had come for; and the end OF it was
she packed up her little traps, and
came back with me-and here she is