The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-26
LOVE ON UE.
TFrom the New York Post.1

scherner had come home from his desk
in the bureau of finance. eaten his din
ner, and stretched himself on the sofa
to enjoy a cigar and a French novel, his
young brother Hans burst into the room
and said:
Alma Holdesheim asked me to return
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 QUIT"
Hans got out'' and banged the door.
Arnold opened the book at page ten, ana
copied on piece Of paper certain let
ters which he found marked by almost
imperceptfbIe pencil dots. The trans
eription read:
I must see you tomorrow. Meet me
at Haller's at four -
The Scherners were a family of Off
Gals. The father was a bureau chief,
the Oldest son, Gustav. a provincial gov
ernor in Dalmatia: Arnold was in the
ministry of finance, and Hans was pre-
pairing for d government 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 Scherners. and
Arnold fully realized its power Hence
he had resolved to marry it. AS his
bic to love q girl, even If she is rich"
He had the entree to the best families
in Vienna, but if he should go to a rich
man and demand his daughters hand,
it was doubtful whether his own pros
poets of official advancement would
eounterbalance the lack of present for
tune. Clearly. then, the thing to do was
to capture the heart of rich girl. pre-
ferabiy very young one, and so enlist
the aid of love in overcoming parental
opposition.
His first budding sweetheart was car
r1ed off by predestined cousin, the
second was dazzled by a 1ieutenant's
epaulets. Then, on the ice-every body
skates in Vienna-he met Alma. Holdes-
helm, and on his first visit to her house
he met her sixteen-year-Old sister
Adrienne, and marked her for his own.
Pretty, modest, Well-bred, and, most
important of all, unsophisticated and
not yet out, she seemed the very girl
for him. In the Vienna equivalent of
Bradstreet, old Holdesheim was thus
labelled.
owns a large spinning mill. an estate
in Bohemia, and a town house in Vienna.
Estimated to be worth 100000 gulden;
income, Is. 000''
This was satisfactory. There were
three children and Adrienne's doWry
could be reckoned at $50, 600 gulden.
AFnold's wooing began on the ice.
Hitherto Adrienne had skated only with
girl friends, and a few of their young
very young-brothers, who didn't
count"
DR.. Scherner was the first real man
who had paid her any attention. He
handled her skillfully. As long as they
were alone he treated her in a familiar
comrade-lil5e manner. but in the pres
ence of others he showed her the elab-
crate Doliteness due to a grown up
young lady, and both of these things
pleased Der
And as he was handsome. witty. and
well-bred, it was no wonder that little
III
the summer his memory was kept green
by the hundred and seventy-eight SOU
venir postcards which he sent her.
In the following winter she made her
debut and Arnold met her everywhere.
He made himself her shadow SO that
she once naively said: IF I go any
where and you are not there miss
you so!''
Adrienne's mother, not being blind,
could not fail to notice DR.. Scherner' s
attentions, and their favorable reception
by Adrienne.
.'Pshawi She is only child" old
| -Holdeshein replied to his Wifes warn
| ing. What if people do talk about it ?
| Scherner is an honorable young fellow,
and his father viii be in the ministry
some day"
The ensuing summer strengthened the
| bond between the lovers. Arnold had
/ induced his father to spend the vacation
in the vicinity of the Holdesheins. The
young man might have done 50 alone
] but he was unwilling to attract the at
| tention of Adrienne's parents toe
strongly until he had made sure of her
love.
This certainly came in the course OF
| the summer. and the first vows of love
We're exchanged. The third day comes
| a frost, d killing frost" and the third
| winter Adrienne caught cold and was
not allowed to skate or dance. The low
ers met rarely, and hence the device OF
borrowed books and marked letters.
But this was not the first frost. Ear1y
| in the season Adrienne had discovered
| 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 recognize cheerfully her righ1
/ to hold a. little court, like other girls
But Arnold did nothing Of the sort, bui
made the mistake of yielding to jeal-
ousy-
Resolved to nip the growing evil II
the bud he scolded her. and thereby
| made matters worse.
Adrienne was offended that he coult
think her a f1irt, and waited for him Il
make overtures toward reconciliation
But he obstinately maintained the rols
of the offended party, and was very COLI
and distant.
s'FIrmness is necessary with a wo
man. he said to himself. when sh
sees that she can play with you, you
influence over her is gone forever
Meanwhile, something that Adrienn
would never have discovered had be
come very evident to her mother-name
", that Arnold Scherner was simply II
quest Of q well-dowered bride. Sh
knew that the Scherners were compar
atively poor, and was not in favor of al
alliance with them. But she was to-
wise to warn Adrienne directly. Insteal
she undertook her financial education
initiating her into all the details of tn
family resources and expenditures
Adrienne learned to her astonishmen
that her own fortune would amount t
10000 gulden.
This seemed like an immense sun
but it dwindled marvellously when sh
learned that it represented an annua
income of only 5000 gulden, about
third of what she would require in orde
to live in the style to which she ha