Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-05-28
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Mannheim l met him at the bank
where we both received funds. and as
our intimacy was soon noticed there,
the banker, who used to invite the
students to dinner at his country home
on Sunday, always invited us to-
gether. We soon came to be house
hold friends, whose arrival, whether
expected or unexpected, was vel
come The bankers daughter, Hide
burg, took especial pleasure in our con-
versation, and, when her preference
gave rise to testing remarks, declared
US openly her dear and trusty ser
wants, naming me her marshal and
Mannelin her chancellor, while she
sat enthrOned between us. a much
sought after wealthy heiress, a clever
and we'll informed person, a good fell
low as she was, there was no danger
of misunderstanding such liberties.
However. We both fell in love with
her, nor could we conceal the fact
from each other. Yet we were all
the better friends for that, and Hide
burg treated us with such impartial
ity that neither could discover any ad-
vantage over the other. What Man
nelin's inmOst thoughts were | real
ly do not know, but | cannot deny that
| secretly believed myself chosen by
destiny, for the beauty was as pro
nounced a brunette as myself while
Mannelin was blond. In fact, her
straight eyebrows were as velvety
dark as the heraldic sable in old coats
of arms, and over her forehead hung
the curly night of locks like those of
Emperor Titus in the old statues-and
on festal days a pair Of solitaire dia-
monds sparkled Ike stars or like fire
flies in the darkness of that night.
And then the glance which had been
attracted by the simmer fell at once
upon the warm glow of the dark eyes,
which usually received the look kindly.
But beware!
Then a still hotter fire famed out,
the one which burned down Moscow
and scorched the soles of Napoleon's
boots. 1t was not long before people
said of the students everywhere:
Gone home! A commission was ready
for me in an imperial regiment of
dragoons Mannelin decided to enlist
in the Prussian infantry as a simple
foot solder, and we both prepared for
departure FIRST we had to dine once
more at the bankers house. The
seriousness Of those days did not pre-
vent mirth and jest from blooming
again in the sunshine of hope, and so,
as a health was drunk to the young
soldiers about to go, Hildeburg was
called upon and asked which of us she
would be most sorry to lose.
Really. l don't know" she cried.
"First l liked the chancellor better,
but since the wild marshal, from asso-
ciating with him, has become so steady
and loyable I should hate to lose him.
Yet it isn't right ether, for the one
who was the source of the improve
ment to lose by it! Heaven help me-"
In the cleverest way she concealed
the grief of parting under an air of
comical embarrassment. At last she
took a sugar heart from among the
after dinner sweets, broke it. and gave
each of us a half | dissolved mine
in the wine glass and drank it down at
once as a sign of my hunger for love;
but Mannelin kept his in his hand
and seemed to be toying with it until
he could slip it unobserved into his
pocket.
After dinner we took a walk in the
garden. | do not know how it hap
pened that we two soon found our
selves far from the other guests, walk
ing one on each side of Hildeburg. We
felt more sOberly and yet more pas
sionately than ever 1mpelled to tell the
beautiful creature the depth of our
love; only the uncertainty of the
future and the probable duration and
danger of the war might well forbid
disturbing our friendship.
Hildeburg knew from our silence and
from the nature of our breathing what
was stirring us, and she herself be-
came perceptibly agitated. When we,
without noticing it, approached a sum-
mer house in the garden, she pushed
the door open, went in, and flung back
the blinds still closed for the winter,
while she cast a quick glance at us.
We followed her into the little room
and she turned to us.
q am really and truly in a more
pitiful situation than a girl ever was
before, for I love you both and can
not separate you in my love You
my marshal have swallowed my half
heart; that was foolish, yet it pIeases
me; and you, my chancellor, have
kept the other half; that was foolish
too, yet it was loyal of you, and it
makes me happy. l shall never be the
wife Of any man unless it is one of YOU
two. but the other must fall in battle!
If both fall. or both return, I shall re-
main single as the victim of a wicked
unnatural caprice of nature, or of a
thing contrary to reason which is talk.
ing place in my soul and in my mind
and which I must conceal from the
world unless I wish to cover myself
with shame But since I cannot and
will not think of either of you as dead
farewell forever. dearest brothers."
With these words she fell upon oul
necBs and kissed us violently on the
mouth. first me and then Mannelin
then ManneH, and lastly me again. We
stood as if dropped from the sky anC
could not stir. To us the situation
was simply horrible, and neither in