Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-12-19


I the road
You got my letter, them" said Hes
sington, well pleased
In good time, certainly And Your
room Is prepared Karl Ludwig"
Hessington hattered himself that he
mad hit on quite the right sort of old
fashioned hospitablc inn. as the man
went ahead Of him with the torch. apollo
i gizirg for his presumption. and calling
at intervals to some comrades whose
/ torches Hessington could see flaming at
+ intervals in the distance. If he was
I thought worthy of three or four outrun-
ners. so to speak he was likely TO fare
4 well, even though the bill should be made
out proportionately. He was a little
astgnished at the size OF the hotel when
they got up to it, and Mt the lights
streaming from the windows 1t looked
i indeed, more like castle than an inn.
having tuTets and i dry moat round
and courtyard of some size. but he
j recoilected that the guide book had
+ starred it, ard ne thought no more Of the
matter, as his guide led him in and deiv-
cred him over to Il concierge almost
/ equally deferential.
You would like to 20 to your room at
once, eXcelleney?" inquired that per-
sonaee.
/ Yes" said Hessington. and he was led
/ forthwith to large bedchanbcr. well
/ lighted. 1t seemed to him as he went
that he heard the buzz OF trumpets and
the noise CT violins played somewhere in
! the center OF the inn
Is there dance tonight: = he asked
curiously.
Without doubt" replied the ianitor.
~ masked ball. Your excellenev will
find costume and mask prepared
They dance in the great hall. Is there
anything further that your excellency
wishes? No! There is the belIrope if
anything should be required
He slipped away silently, leaving Hes
sington ilresolute. Should he Join the
dancers or not? He sat down and looked
ut what the man had called the costume.
1t was a plain black cloak, that would
cover him up well enough, with mask.
sword belt, and sword added-the COS.
tune of one of the couspirators of the
Nehmgericht, perhaps. 1t would do ex-
ceIlently for an informal masquerade.
As the winning noise of the violins erept
up softly and set his feet sliding, He's.
sington decided that he was not too tired
for few dances. 1t was about quar-
ter of an hour later that Hessington.
washed and costuned, opened his door
and set out along the wide corridor to-
ward the sound of the music. There
must have been some long room running
parallel with the corridor. for as he went
he was unable to avoid hearing the con-
versation of Two people who were clearly
walking up and down on the other side
OF the partition wall.
"The Prince of Sarmat- Detburg has ar
riv1d," one was saying. Il have it from
the janitor. Walking, if you can be-
lieve it,"
He's mad!" said the other
Not so mad as Capt. Won I-ippelschirm
will be" retorted the first, with Il laugh
Il never saw a man so devoted He
looks whole armOries at any one who
ventures 10 beg a dance of the fair
Gretchen. And madam is in the deuce of
a worry She expects her dear prince to
be- devoured as soon as he appears"
You think there will be troubla
them"
Unless the prince is meeker than any
worm. One can hardly tell. He is an
unknown quantity uncommonly mad,
one would say, from his methods of con-
Quoting his courtship. O yes, he has
madam's blessing, no doubt"
And Gretchen"
80, Gretchen will bless whom she
pleases. | do not think she is quite
pleased to be cut off and barricaded by
Won Lippeschirm. But she likes a brave
man, ard ii the prince is that--one win
see
Their voices died away as Hessington
moved down the passage. And while he
was puzzling at their meaning a curtain
swung apart on a sudden, some function.
AIRY inquired his name, and he was
ushered into a great hall;
Hen Hcssington!"
Hundreds of candles lighted il. and the
glare of them caught his eyes for a mo-
ment, so that he saw nothing and heard
only the hum Of voices between the sweet
wailings of violins.
Then he became aware of stout, UNI
masked lady, who had extended her hand
to him, and was directing his attention
to some of the dancers.
Herr Hessington--is it not? You
Will know how to find partners? Frau
lein Gretchen is yondor@
THANK YOU" said Hessington.
liz was lloutlaLSIN acquainted with
the etiquette of German public balls. and
trusted as he pressed forward, that the
masks would excuse the rest, He intro
duced himself to the first likely lady he
saw, and started into u waltz Now and
again he caught sight of the girl whom
he had had pointed out as Fraul,in
Gretchen-a slim, golden tressed girl
dancing Observation-Disclosures or Prin-
cess Lovely Locks, for all he cared. but
evidently the belle of the evening; well
guarded by a truculent looking burly
otiicer--if turbulence could be predicated
of masked man. Hessington wondered
what the mad prince was doing, and the
humor took him-when he had deposited
his partner III a safe place-to see If he
could not cut out for little both the
prince and the captain. 1t was with that
object that he advanced to the girls side
as soon as he saw her for moment
abandoned by her cavalier, and requested
the favor of a dance. She agreed with
out hesitation, looking at him little