Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-11-03

1T ought to be always May or Sep
TENDER here in the Mark" she used
to say; then it would be the loveliest
country in the world. In winter one
does best to draw the curtains, so as
not to cast single look out of doors,
1t looks so melancholy outside, brown
upon brown, with a shade of dirty
gray"
And so she turned from the window
and its dull ou..ook, and limpeo
quickly through the room, here and
there arranging or Strengthening
something. That was such a habit of
hers. Now the candelabra on the
spinet were moved a little, and now
the delicate, withered hands picked a
yellow leaf from a plant on the
| fiowerstand, or gave an improving
touch to the canopied bed which so
pretentiously occupied an entire side
OF the room. Aunt Rosamond called
that her throne; one had to climb up
pair OF carpeted steps to reach II,
and with its crimson silk hangings,
| somewhat faded indeed, and gildeo
knobs, it really gave you the i'm.
preston OF one. Then here and there
| she pushed back a coverlet or
Strengthened a picture which tipped
little to one side. The latter she did
most frequently, for the high walls
were almost covered with pictures, d
collection OF portraits, mostly in oil
or pastel. Aunt Rosamond knew a
history about each one of the faces
that looked so quietly from the
frames in her room; she had known
them all, these men and women there
above, and strangely enough it sound
! ed to hear her, as she stood before
some picture, tell it's story in a lew
words
She had just limped to a card-table.
over which was hung an oval paste.
| portrait OF a man with curled and
powdered hair and blue silk coat
She gave the 'portrait a gentle push
toward the right, but whether it was
the cord or the nail that had become
loose, matters not, down fell the
picture, and lay face downward be-
fore Aunt Rosamond.
Let it lie, aunt, l beg you!" called
Anna Maria's voice at this moment;
and before the old lady could collect
herself, the girl had bent her slender
form, and handed her the picture.
"Merci, ma petite!" she cried kind.
ly, and looked into her nieces face;
and, indeed if Aunt Rosamond missed
/ -
bodily, into her room.
Anna Maria still had on a dark-blue
riding-habit which closely fitted her
fine strong figure, and the young face
looked out from behind the blue veil
with such spring-like freshness, hat
1t quite warmed Aunt Rosamond's
heart.
Have you been riding, Anna
Maria?" asked the old lady, as the
girl endeavored to find the fallen nail.
Yes, aunt, rode with Klaus for an
hour on the Dambitz cross-road: after.
ward We met Sturmer by chance, anc
took a cup OF coffee at Dambit2
Manor"
Indeed" Aunt Rosamond seemed
quite Indifferent to this, although she
looked searchingly at the reddening
face of her niece, who, apparently,
was very attentively regarding the
rescued nail in her hand.
Are the snow-drops in bloom al
ready a Dambltz?" inquired the old
lady. Well. the garden lies we'll pro-
! tected. But what do you say, Anna
Maria, will you stay and rest with
me? think we will sit down a little
while-n'est-ce pas, mon coeur?"
Anna Maria stood irresolute; she
| looked over at her aunt, who had al
ready seated herself on the straight
backed, gayly Powered sofa, ana
pointed invitingly to an easy-chair.
1t was so comfortable in this cosey
old room; the rocco clock with the
Cupid bending his bow told its low
tick-tack, and sudden shower beat
against the window panes; it was a
little hour just made for chatting OF
all sorts of possible things, of the
past and of the future
Anna Maria slowly seated herself in
the chair; she neither leaned back
gracefully and comfortably nor rested
her fair head on the cushions Al
ways straight as a candle. she carried
herself perfectly, and SO she remained
now. But sudden bushes and deep
pallor interchanged on her face,
which turned with an expression OF
perfect, modest maidenliness toward
the old lady's face. One could See
that she wished to say something,
and that her severe, unsympathetic
nature was struggling with an over.
flowing heart.
Her aunt did not seem to notice IL
at all; she had taken up a book
whose once green velvet binding was
worn and faded with age. The dell
cate fingers turned leaf after leaf :;
then she glanced over a page, and
after a pause said:
Actually. Anna Maria, Felix Leon.
hard has fallen from the wall on his
birthday; how singular, Now people
call that chance. but how strange il
is! | have always remembered the
hitherto. until today. and have been
l ernfnp ahnt,t oil the fi,,2 -