Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-26
"a mortal sin, Twiee and thrice a NOR

vented
Prevented through series of crimes
| perpetrated for reasons of state. AS you
see. know what is the matter with us.
He did not reply. What could he have
replied, since it was all hopelessly true?
| After awhile he said:
| What could have been done?"
Let our dynasty die out with my ailing
| father. Give the country another ruling
race-a strong, healthy race that could
| have made the nation great and happy
| again II my father had possessed a friend
| only one friend-he should have been
forced to abdicate despite all reasons of
| state
The count looked at me- 1 shall never
| forget that look
| Today asked him why he looked at me
So So Haunted by that glance 1 had to ask.
Il had to wonder If your royal highness
would have permitted himself to be forced
| had he been in his fathers place."
You mean if L had possessed friend
who would have done such a tremendous
work of love for me as to advise me-
Assuming that your royal highness had
possessed such friend"
Il cannot imagine the case"
And | cannot imagine that your royal
highness would have permitted such ire
mendous work of love to be done for him. -
You do not believe it?''
No"
1 looked at him. Then said:
Il might take your mo- for q proof of
your friendship, for only friend is able to
give such an answer to such a question. 1
regret however. not to be in position to try
your friendship further You will never be
placed in the predicament of inducing me
to abdicate, since my entirely sane brother
would not permit them to force him TO alb
dicate."
He merely bowed.
If 1 had the power 1 would abolish all
courts of justice, abrogate all sentences,
open all prisons and leave the guilty to the
judgment of their own consCienceS alone.
At least there would be no legal murders
then, the mere thought Of which fills me
with horror.
Loisl makes me think of it. 1 had not
dared to mention his name, even to myself.
But yesterday Tony told me that he mad
married his sweetheart. To hide my OK
element l asked how he had managed to
marry, being without work and In disgrace
with the forester, owing to his desertion aid
INSTRUMENTATION.
Why" said Tony, don't you know?
Miss Fritz brought the two together"
Miss Fritz. the good strong, splendid Miss
Fritz. What a world was recalled to me
with the name, splendid, shining, good
world In it even l was a better man; GER
tainly happier one.
That is all past now.
What had 1 not done to forget this world!
What power had not used to make myself
forget! Instead of hurrying to the Alpine
farm on the first day of my arrival l had
bound myself with letters in order to
stay away from the place that l could not
revisit with pure heart.
Never, never again!
Miss Fritz" continued Tony, appointed
Loisl her forest overseer and has sent the
couple to the upper meadow where his
mother is. the poor woman"
And then Tony realized of whom and to
whom he spoke. and was Mortified by his
thoughtlessness that l did him the favor to
go away.
Instead Of being sentenced by his evil
conscience. a bridegroom! Instead Of being
cursed and driven by the furies for his
crime he rests in the arms of a beautiful
woman! I would that could hate the man
and 1 must admire him. 1 must admire
the power with which he wipes the horror
out of his life. merely wipes it out.
I said it before: This is a royal man,
this assassin and parricide. So must man
be whose head bears the crown; with such
strength he must stride over everything
that stands between life and him.
Had but an atom Of the strength Of this
man who is my brother. would tear the
grinning madness out of my brain as one
drives a fly from his forehead. Possessed
OF such power 1 would be ruler despite
everything-a ruler who would make a ma
ton great and strong.
The niece of Miss Fritz is Ill. She has
been i'll more than half a year, Little Ju-
dica is Ill! Tony told me that too. "She
:
I have been there 1 have seen Judica
again. the little Judica. and This "and"
shall be completed later 1t is great word
that will mold fate. For l have not the IT.
tanc strength to murder with cold smile.
The meadows were yellow red and blue
with flowers. Butterflies fiuttered around
Birds songs accompanied our way.
Once we crossed a plain that was like
fairyland; great blue gentians stood there
In such profusion that their green leaves
could not be seen. Blue eyes like gentians
were those of the child that was SO i'll that
she won't get better"
She was Ill because I kissed her on the
mouth and because the water was too deep
So she had to die.
/ had promised to see Judica one last,
last time Now / would see her And
when turned away 1t would be farewell
as if she lay on her deathbed.
And the nearer we approached the more
l FASTENED. | thought that she would have
to know that l was on my way to her, quite
near to her.
No doubt she would meet me.
But if she was i'll?
Even If she were dying she would arise
and wander toward me, toward her beloved
toward life What mattered then what
might follow?
But she did not appear and 1 became
almost angry.
1 begged Gebhardt to remain behind with
as one who returns home after a long alb
sence in the wide, wide world where he had
but an evil time of 1t. If the watchdog
had not met me with joyous barks but had
treated me as a stranger, it would have
hurt me deeply
There lay the vine-covered arbor; yon-
der was the way into the garden where the
raspberries grew; beyond it l could see
bit of the meadow, where stood the tree
that was struck by the lightning
Surely | must have drea med that T had
become a different person since then. Surely
l needed only to awaken in order to pick
raspberres again with another and to catch
gaudily spotted trout with much trouble
When L stepped into the house l per-
ceived the reason for the loneliness and
quiet about the farm; low prayer greeted
me as If / We're in church 1t was noon and
the household was preparing to sit down to
table. At this moment the child would be
standing under the picture of Christ With
the little hands folded, the little head
bowed she would be saying the prayer.
1 stood still, listened and folded my hands.
My mouth remained dumb, but as thought
of Judica my thoughts became prayer.
Since l did not wish to see her in the
presence of the servants 1 went away again.
softly, almost creeping, as If she must hear