Waterbury Democrat., 1902-08-26
His Wasted Courtship&

ME winter afternoon after Dr. Ar Onold Scherner had come home from his desk in the Bureau of finance, eaten his dinner, and stretched himself on the sofa to en- joy a cigar and French novel, his young brother Hans burst into the room and said:
 "Alma Holdesheim asked me to re- turn this book with Adrienne's thanks
 .'Why didn't you give it to me at once?''
 What was the hurry?'
 That is my affair. Now get out!"
 Hans '.got out" and banged the door. Arnold opened the book at page ten and copied on a piece of paper certain letters which he found marked by almost imperceptible pen cil dots. The transcription read:
 must see you tomorrow. Meet me at Haller's at four.''
 The Scherners were a family of of fcials. The father was bureau chief. the oldest son, Gustav, provin- eial goFernor in Da1matia; Arnold was in the ministry of finance, and Hans was preparing for a govern ment position. The only daughter had married an official.
 Arnold was very ambitious. Social rank and consideration he had, what he wanted was money. It had never been too abundant with the Scher- ners, and Arnold fully realized it's power. Hence, he had resolved to marry it. As his friend Rudolf used to say: .'It is possible to love a girl, even if she is rich.''
 He had the entree to the best fam flies in Vienna, but if he should go to rich man and demand his daugh- ter's hand, it was doubtful whether his own prospects of official advance ment would counterbaIance the lack of present fortune. Clearly, then, the thing to do was to capture the heart of rich girl, preferably a very young one, and so enlist the aid of love in overcoming parental opposi- tion.
 His first budding sweetheart was carried off by predestined cousin, the second was dazzled by lieuten- ants epaulets. Then, on the ice OOdJ ShdOCS HI V 1uGG Alma Holdesheim, and on his first visit to her house he met her 16- year-old sister Adrienne, and marked her for his own. Pretty, modest, we'll bred, and, most important of all, un- sophisticated, and not yet ''out," she seemed the very girl for him. In the Vienna equivalent of Bradstreet, old Holdeshein was thus labeled:
 ''Owns large spinning mill, an es- tate in Bohemia, and a town house in Vienna. Estimated to be worth 6oo,0oo gulden; income. $1s,0Oo.''
 This was satisfactory. There were three children, and Adrienne's dowry could be reckoned at 15o,ooo gulden. Arnold's wooing began on the ice. Hitherto Adrienne had skated only with girl friends, and few of their young-very young brothers, who s'didn't counts
 And as he was handsome, witty and well-bred, it was no wonder that sslit- tie Adrienne" fell in love with him. During the summer his memory was kept green by the ITS souvenir post cards which he sent her.
 The ensuing summer strength lened the bond between the lovers Arnold had induced his father to spend the vacation in the vicinity of the Ho1desheims. The young man might have done so alone, but he was unwilling to attract the atten- tion of Adrienne's parents too strong Iy until he had made sure of her love.
 This certainly came in the course of the summer, and the first vows of love were exchanged. tSThe third day comes a frost, a killing frost" and the third winter Adrienne caught cold and was not allowed to skate or dance The lovers met rarely, and hence the letters.
 But this was not the first frost, Early in the season Adrienne had dis covered that Dr. Scherner was not the only young man who cared for her society, and social success made her coquettish. She meant no harm Arnold, she thought, ought to recog- nize cheerfuIIy her right to hold lit tie court, like other girls But Arnold did nothing of the sort, but made the mistake of yielding to jealousy.
 Resolved to nip the growing evil in the bud, he scolded her, and thereby made matters worse.
 Adrienne was offended that he could think her fiirt, and waited for him to make oyertures toward reconcilia- ton. But he obstinately maintained the role of the offended party, and was very cold and distant.
 "Firmness is necessary with wom- an,'' he said to himself. "When she sees that she can play with you, your influence over her is gone forever"
 Meanwhile. something that Adrienne would never have discovered had be- come very evident to her mother that Arnold Scherner was simply in quest of a well-dowered bride. She knew that the Scherners were comparatively poor, and was not In favor of an alliance with them But she was too wise to warn Adrienne directly. Instead, she un- dertook her financial education, initi-