Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-05-28

to take the oath Of allegiance that
to persuade their countrymen to sui
when | could move l sought to light
the candles, but I could find nothing
to light them with, and so, as nothing
suspicious occurred again, lay down
and fell asleep.
The next morning at breakfast some
one spoke of the crash in the night,
which the whole house seemed to have
heard but no one could explain. l
said I had heard it, but added nothing
more. However, when alone with
Hildeburg and Mannelin l told them of
the vision. She heard me with I'M
restrained laughter, as if l were in
venting some merry jest, while he
looked at me in establishment. I babe
them farewell with heavy heart; the
visit from the ghost, the parting with
the charming girl, the uncertainty Of
the future, and the fact that Mannelin
was left behind with Hildeburg-all
this made my thoughts gloomy. After
nelin expressed a wish that | could be
cured of my delusion before the folly
grew upon me. Hildeburg asked if he
was really sure that all 1 had seen
was mere delusiOn. She wondered if
another, sleeping in the same room,
would have similar experience, and
| Mannelin, to prove the absurdity of
j - II H.
| following night.
So he did. He sat with lighted candle
reading till the tower clock struck
midnight, waited a few minutes, lis
| tened, and, confident that nothing
would occur, closed his book, put out
his light, and, dressed as he was, lay
down and fell asleep. In few mo-
ments he woke With a start, his heart
humping violently. There was a
knocking on the wall, the same icy
| blast passed over his face, the curtains
! fluttered, the bed-clothes slipped on
the floor, and in the pale moonlight he
saw Old Kraft standing where she
stood the evening before. Overcome
! by surprise, he was all excitement,
but presently, like a hunter surprised
| by wild beast, he recovered himself
and brought his defensive weapons in
to play. I mean, he marshaled his
/ thoughts in order. Without stirring
he watched the old woman, who
! opened the desk and went through all
| the movements Of the previous night.
Only as she bent over the paper with
| her back to him he stole up silently
| behind her and stood looking over
her shoulder until her work was done
and her wild laugh broke out. Then
he suddenly spoke:
"Well, little woman, what are you
up to-"
Like a snake she darted forward
and faced him, standing a head taller
| than before. With her CHASTITY face
she stared at him, but he flung one
arm about her and tried to pull off the
mantilla. The form within his arms
was warm with life, and as the corpse
face came near his own, without a
shudder he seized that awful nose,
cleaning in the moonlight, and found
falling waXen mask in his hand,
while Hildeburgs beautiful face
smiled up to him.
The maiden when released fed to
! her room, but in the morning she ex-
planned her stratagem. The story of
the ghost had put the thought into her
head Unable to decide between us,
yet believing it not only an absurdity
! but a sin to love Us equally, she de-
cided to put us to the test. The one
whose courage was greater, or whose
heart knew her through her disguise,
should be her husband. Scrupulously
careful to make no difference between
us, she cast lots 70 see to whom the
| test could be applied first. The lot
fell to me, and all that beauty, all that
love would have been mine if l had
risen to the occasion.
Yet 1 think, after all, the choice
was the one her own heart would have
made, unknown even to herself, for
she was always perfectly happy, with
cut a cloud, without regret for the
other lover.
! The device by which she entered the
|
panel placed to cover the opening
where great porcelain stove once
stood, while the draft from the ada
cent north room, whose windows
were open, as well as those of my
sleeping chamber, caused the icy
breath upon my brow and the rustling
of my curtains.
The saddest thing about it is that in
spite Of all her efforts to keep the bal
ance even, chance gave my rival
great advantage. For I had been
obliged to drink farewell toasts with
him on my last evening, while he went
to bed sober the neN night, because I
was not there If it had not been
for that unfortunate liquor, who
knows?
| The contested counties of Ireland