Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-03-20

ton. He 4ardly knew his child, aud
perceived now for the first time how
wonderfully pretty she was.
At length she stood up. Come
with me to mamma" she said, taking
him coaxingly by the hand.
He flushed beneath the eyes Of this
little creature.
ITO mamma she repeated, and
puckered up her mouth to cry. Ana
as he still remained seated without
moving she began TO cry in good
earnest, and this note of alarm
brought Classen and the forester's
wife running up at the same moment.
"Oh, you naughty child" scolded
the Frau FOresterin, carrying the
sobbing little one away to show her
the moody cow" but Classen stayed
behind.
Little impetuous thing" she
said; but she gets that from you,
SIR
And then she began to enumerate
some Of her characteristics in which
she resembled her father, and wound
up by saying: But We don't give in
to her; she has to mind"
CHAPTER XVI.
When the little one drove away
with the old woman. quiet cOmforted
again, Leo went back into the house
and seated himself, as he used often
to do, by the window of Frau Dora's
exquisitely neat parlor. But here he
was even less able to concentrate
his thoughts, for the young Forsterin
thought it her duty to entertain the
gloomy man, and she had a whole
budget of news from the iron-Works.
Frau Jussnitz had laid the corner
stone for the new schOOlhouse yestef-
day, and the little one had to give
the first stroke of the hammer. And
then she and Herr Ferdinand Frey
together had bought the "Gunderode"
iron-works and they were building a
furnace in common. Who would
ever have though it Of the quiet, pale
woman. Herr Kortmer said the Did
lady had been capable enough, but
this one went far ahead of her, for
the late Frau Bergrath was a little
afraid of new enterprises.
Il am sure you will be surprised"
she concluded, when won go down
again. And when are you going
back? Heaven forbid that l should
wish you to go, but / am sure YOU
must find it frightfully dull here.
Tomorrow morning the Herr Doctor
is going fox-hunting with Wilhelm.
Then you will be left alone mere
again. But what do you say? Up
stairs in the attic are all your old
-things-even the umbrella
is there. You ought to paint. Aerr
JnssnitZ, you ought to paint
And the agile little woman hurried
away to look for the things, to the
great relief of the man she left
behind. He stood up, and walked up
and down the room till, lost III
thought. he stopped at length before
the Frau Foresterin's glass cupboard,
in which stood out against bright
blue back ground brilliant cups,
cakeplates. her bridal wreath, wax
angels flow er-vases, and a variety OF
things of similar nature His
eyes rested absently- on these SPLEEN
doris, until they were caught by a
little object at which he looked long
and thOughtfully. 1t was a woman's
head modelled in clay, representing
IL Il life-like manner the saucy nose,
the full lips, and the wavy masses OF
u ~ Ctnr
trait bust which could not have been
better.
He was still looking at it when
Frau Dorchen came back.
''It is all arranged in your rooms
upstairs, Herr Jussnitz as if you haG
only just left it," she cried gayJy.
But he did not even say, Thank
you" He pointed to the little bust
and said 1T has kept pretty well.
that little thing"
She had come nearer. and she
laughed. Yes; did you think I was
going to throw that beautiful piece OF
work out of the window, as you
wanted me to do. Herr Jussnitz?
Heaven forbid! Lots of people have
admired it and said it looked exactly
like me- | shall save this up FOR
my old age. to let people see that I
was once young and pretty. And"
she stopped suddenly and looked at
the painter, who could not take his
eyes off the little clay head.
Herr Jussnitz," she burst out at
length as if a bright idea had just
struck her-"Herr Jussnitz, there is
plenty of clay out there still.
Wouldn't you like-ah, don't be
angry; I know it is very impertinent
of me-but if you would make me ny
old man as a companion-piece!" Ard
as he did not answer, she entreated:
Dear Herr Jussnitz, do, and make it
as fine and as like as you have made
mine. Please, Herr Jussnitz,"
He shook his head and looked ut
her: but when he saw the entreaty
III the eyes of the handsome little
woman, a f1eeting smile passed over
his face
"Oh. we'll. if you like" he said IN
a low voice.
And Frau Dora ran off to prepare
the clay, as if he were going to
begin that very instant.
He went upstairs TO his room, sat
down by the window. and watched
the trees. Maiberg did not come n
until late, and found him still sitting
there.
Have you been to the iron
works?" inquired Leo.