Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-23
By ". HEIMBURG.

The child had taken a little cold OF
the Journey, and she cried CONSTANT.
and kept calling for her mother
as che could do in making all tn
preparations which are necessary TO
such a sad ceremony as funeral
Therefore she did her best to pacif.
the child, to put it to sleep, and t.
amuse it when awake. But in vain.
Ante had come in several time il
her sombre mourning garments, with
her pale, haggard face, and the child
had cried aloud in terror; it wa:
afraid Of the black dress.
At length, toward evening of the
second day, HiIda, quite exhausted by
her unaccustomed efforts, begged DR.
Maibe1g to come an see the child.
He came into the light, comforta BILE,
old-fashioned room. Hilda was sit
ting before the table, with the child
on her lap, with unwearied patience
| building up the blocks which the
! knocE.n down again. Mamma
! come" was its constant cry; but not
the black mamma"
Probably there may be some child,
ish disease coming on" said the
doctor, laying his hand on the hot
nothing to do but to wait patiently
Fraulein Won Zweidorf. Shall I send
some one to help your"
mo, thank YOU" she replied, CURLY.
"YOu seem to be suffering yourself.
mot at all. But please tell me,
Herr Doctor" She stopped and
blushed. Tell me-" she began again.
why does not Herr Jussnitz Gomez"
Il should think you ought to know
that" was the sharp answer. But the
next moment he repented it. She
looked at him so helplessly, so pite-
ously, and her proud head dropped
lower and lower; she looked utterly
crushed and broken. He suddenly
felt a horrible certainty that some
thing decisive must have occurred ut
Sibyllenburg. He caught at her hand
and was about to speak.
Don't" she said, harshly, getting
up. Taking the baby in her arms.
which burst into loud crying when it
saw itself deprived of it's playthings
she began to walk up and down the
room, quite incapable of pacifying the
child unable to choke back her own
sObS.
He went up to her and relieved her
Of her obstreperous little burden
and she fed from the room, down the
stairs, through the hall.
She did not see Ante standing
there in front Of the great linen-press
with the housekeeper. She had bur
one thought-away, where she could
hide her burning shame-away, never
to come back. never!
The wind tore the heavy door out of
her hand. She left it open and rushed
down the steps, and then came to a
sudden stop and caught at the iron
for carriage had just driven up, out
of which sprang tall, slender man.
She felt as if she would like the
earth to swallow her up. 1t was
Jussnitz.
She saw Ante come forward TO
meet him; saw by the light of the
lamp the young wife's eyes fixed re
proachfully On her, as if to say:
Gould you not wait a little while?
Could not even the presence of the
dead under this roof restrain you
from rushing out to greet him.
Of course she could not help think
ing thus when she saw Hilda dashing
down the steps to meet him in all the
joy of seeing him again whom she
loved,
She had on neither cloak nor hat;
she could not say: Il wanted the
fresh air; felt as if | should choke in
that room upstairs!"
She only stood there, trembling like
guilty thing.
will you come in, Hilda? You will
take cold in that sharp wind" said
Antics voice. with perfect caImness.
And she obeyed.
with Kortmer. Hilda went past him
toward the staircase with her head
thrown proudly back.
Leo bowed civilly and formally e
the young girl, but she did not return
his greeting; she went upstairs step
by step, and walked slowly along the
corridor When she reached the
nursery, she said to DR.. Maiberg
whom she found sitting patiently by
the baby's bed: Go, l beg of you: I
wish to be alone"
And what if l will not go and leave
you in this excited state?"
You will-Jussnitz is Just arrived"
He looked at her almost with com.
passion.
you should not excite yourself so.
Fraulein Hilda," he said, as he went
gloomily out.
The door was locked behind him.
Then he heard weeping, bitter weep
ing, which was evidently suppressed
as much as possible, and yet passed
all bounds. And amidst these sobs.
in which the terrified child Joined
came an ardent prayer from her lips:
"Oh. grant that they may be recon
clled in the presence Of the dead,
Let the print of my footsteps b"
washed away from the life-path Of
these two, l pray thee, o God, Hear
my prayer, or let me die."
Maiberg, standing outside, caught
only a few words here and there.