Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-04-03

! kortmer took care to spread the re-
| port that Herr Jussnltz was travelling
| in Italy.
The pastors family was the only
| one Antie ever visited. and some
times old Frau kortmer came to
have a chat with her. carrying her
! huge pompadour, which always held
| some little dainty for the child:
| and then they talked about the time
when Antics parents were still alive.
| Occasionally, also, the Frau Forsterin
made her appearance. She always
liked to come, for on little bracket
| in Antics room stood a photograph of
| the Witch of the Brocken,' and the
vain young woman took great
pleasure in looking at the picture.
Antje employed her leisure hours
in reading, and never in her life
had she found SO much time for this
occupation. She discovered many
treasures in her bookcase; she did
not choose light literature, but select
ed instructive works, and history
above all, the history of art. She had
read all these books before when she
took lessons of the Herr Pastor. but
now she read them again with eager
ness and with newly-awakened in
telllgence. She had thoughts which
would come when she had closed her
book; the question concerning the
future, TO which there was only one
answer-"P atience!"-she tried to
forget in the society of her child.
But secret voice kept whispering
in her ear, which spoke of hope and
approaching happiness; she had a
nresentiment as if, somehow, the
clouds which hung over her so
heavily must part little. a very
little, 10 let One-oLly one-singIe
e1eam Of hope shine through
She went down stairs in the early
morning into the dining-room TO take
her breakfast. The cold gray light
CT an October morning shone through
the window; her cup looked so lonely
on the great table, the tiny teapot
which the maid brought III held tea
enough for one person alone-the
young wife could not touch it.
Five years ago today" was the
thought that kept passing through
her mind. Five years ago today the
sun had shone brightly into the room,
and garlands and evergreen hung
about everywhere; five years ago to-
day fair young girl was sitting at
breakfast with her parents for the
last time. She could not drink her
tea, because each one of the two old
people had caught one of her hands
and was kissing and stroking it.
How rapidly the hours had passed,
how quickly the moment came when
a figure clad in white silk walked
through the hall on his arm to drive
to the church, with such pride and
happiness! And how soon the mo-
ment came when she got into the
carriage to go away with him,
The young wife pushed away her
cup, and said to herself half aloud,
Il must not keep thinking of this. II
must not" But who can Danish
thought?
She rose with an air of determine
ton, pressed her hands for a moment
over her eyes, and went through the
counting-hOuse into her study. The
post-bag seemed to have been full
that day, for as many as twenty
letters lay on her writing-table.
floor with the cover already taken
off.
She read the letters, went to speak
to Kortmer at his desk, and after a
long conversation with him came
back to the study. AS she was about
to sit down to write, her foot struck
against the box, and she laid down
her pen, knelt down on the floor, and
began TO unpack it. What could it
be? An endless amount of excelsior,
hay and paper-and at last a hard
substance. She tried to lift it out,
but it was impossible, it was too
heavy. She touched the bell and
sent for the porter. The sturdy
Harz peasant had some difficulty in
lifting out an object wrapped care
fully in oiled silk.
1T must be made of stone or iron,
Frau Jussnitz," he said, as he placed
the mysterious object on the writing
table, wiped the Precipitation from his
forehead with his apron, and went
out.
TIC be continued.