The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1902-04-19

p"tiVHt' iHty could not understand
the delay. There was no waning O
the nobleman's devotion, and no in Ii
cations that his ardor was anythjn,
out delightful to Miss Harrington
People gossiped more than ever. Som,
one limited that Mrs. HARRINGTON some
times wore worried look, and Sena
TOR HarringtOnS secretary insinuate(
10 some confidential friends that hi.
employer was developing an outrage
Gus temper
One evening, toward the close ot
the session. the baron and Miss Har
rlnston sat alone in the Senator's Ii
brary
Your father told me this morning
that you are making your preparations
Tor leaving" said the German.
Yes. Congress will adjourn in 2
few days and we shall start West i'm,
mediately. thought had told YOU
You told me nothing of it, Ger
trude, why do you like to torment me
Won't you tell me something tonight ?
The uncertainty is SO hard that even
a mo- could not be worse"
We'll, no."
DO you mean that"
NO"
why did you say
Didn't you ask me to?"
i want you to say yes Gertrude.
you know how well love YOU. You
know that / have loved you since |
first saw you. You are so accustomed
10 the devotion of the American men
that you cannot understand low a
German loves. He loves with a depth
and strength which your practical
American can never feel"
THE American men love longer. You
Germans love well while you love, but
you are too fervent and romantic aud
have thousand loves in life. How
many frauleins did you adore before
you met me?"
"Of course a man has some follies
in the past"
i know strange romance of an
American girl and a German nobleman.
Do you want to hear it,"
Il always want to hear everything
you say"
You Germans pay better compli-
ments than the French; they have
more genuine ring. But that doesn't
concern my story
Once on time there was an Ameri-
can girl who went to Europe to COM
plete her education. Her father was
public man, and some day she would
fill a high position, so she much be
fitted for 1t. She wandered around
Europe for some time, but she was
not contented. She was an eccentric
girl and sometimes did strange things
She was passionately fond of the
tnra and had studied both She at
tended school in Berlin for while,
but that did not satisfy her. She
wanted the romance of the German
life. the center of their Individuality !
In fact, she wanted the folk life
Far down in Southern Germany on
the Danube there is a little village /
1t is very. very old and it is full or
German romance. The American girl I
went there and lived with a peasant /
and his wife. She doffed her Ameri- /
can clothes and wore the dress of the !
humble Germans of the village. The |
old peasants loved her, and told their
neighbors that she was a niece who I
had come from the north to live with
them.
She was very happy in Ehingen.
She forgot that she was an American
and soul. The big. yello" haired lad
dies made love to her, and she danced
and sang with them and with the
pretty frauleins.
ITO the village fair. one day. went
a young nobleman. He had come to
and he went to the fair to see the
peasants dancing. A girl in a red
iress smiled~at him over the foam in
her glass. He asked who she was
and they told him Gerda Heinrich.
and she lived with her uncle and aunt
n the village. They danced together
I'll the afternoon, and when she went
lome he walked with her.
That summer he stayed in the vii
age All the long days he and Gerda
ioated on the river or wandered in
he forest. In the evening they sat in
he shadows of the old nunnery on
he bank of the Danube, and listened
o the students who went singing ;
through the towns.
''The summer passed and she did not
ell him who she was. He still believ-
d her to be peasant girl. One even
ng. after it had commenced to grow [
ool in the moonlight. he told her thai ,
e must leave her Tor a few days. He /
ad been summoned to Berlin, but he
,ould soon return. :
He left her, and in week came s
ack to tell her good-by forever He
ad been appointed attache of a lega-
ion in distant country. He was am
itious and wanted something besides
is inherited wealth and title, This
ppointment was a great honor, ind
stepping stone to still greater ones. !.
[e loved Gerda. but a rich German ).