Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-02-24
THE GIRL WITH
THE GOLDEN HAIR
Ry viaao Toepper.

beautiful girl with golden halr VINO
passed by. He soon recovered, now
ever. but as he saw that his
looked at him in surprise, he said as
the train started:
you must think 1t strange thar
was startled at the sight OF thet pionu
girl, but / will tell you the story and
then you may understand. nave
met her before and the sight or her
now means nothing good.
she was the g~overness OF my sister,
but her hair was brighter then she
was still more beautiful and she mao
a peculiar red mark OF her forehead,
which was there by my fault. she
had come from England, and when !
proposed TO her she was not at all sur
prised.
I'm the most natural she
told me that she had expected my
proposal. AS soon as we had met the
first time she had known that ! would
Influence her whole life and that II
was fate that she would accept me,
and so she did, without hesitation,
kissing me full on the lips.
But | soon got tired of her, only
because she loved me too mueh.
spoke harsh words to her and she cried.
Once she exasperated me so that
picked up a heavy bronze candle stick
and threw it at her. 1t left a red marx
upon nGI IOfS1tdu. w llAiOhA - -
OF repreach, she looked at me With eyes
filled with tears and left the room.
Without knowing why, a terrible sem
sation of fear came over me. 1 feit
that something awful was to happen.
And did anything happen?"
While | sat there in the room. still
trembling with fear, l heard voices
outside and my sister Catharine came
rushing in crying that her governess
ln2 1890 Lnenn1f SnA hAH taken
a boat, roWad out on the lake and de-
l~iberately jumped overheard.
''Of course she was saved9"
rThe lake had a whirlpool and a
mysterious outlet, and, though the
whole force of laborers and servants
looked for her body for two days II
was never found. / need not tell O
that / was on the verge of despair and
blamed myself for her death. / saw
her every night in my dreams and at
last even at daytime, and always with
that terrible mark on her white fore
head.
Nobody else knew that there had
been anything between us, so they
were unable to understand my melan-
choly, which grew worse every day,
and ~irrestibly drew ME toward h k
AT last my father said that 1 must be
sick and insisted hat should make
a long trip and see new people and
new countries. Though ! had no de-
sire 60 go anywhere. / agreed 10 go.
Three days afterward l found myself
on board an express train. 1 intended
to get off at one of the first stations
10 visit my aunt before leaving the
country. The rail- was due there
about midnight and during the evening
/ fell asleep
.'And missed your s~tation?"
mo, o few minutes before we were
due l WOKE up and looked around me
TO see il any other passengers q come
IN, and so doing nearly tainted. Near
the dooi on the seat opposite me sat
the English girl staring at me. The
red mark on her forehead seemed 10
have grown larger. The train stopped
at my station, but j did not get out. il
was so paralyzed, and we rolled IL
into the dark night. Shortly after
ward the young girl got up, looked at
me in a threatening way and disap-
peared. When the conductor came to
the window mex time / asked him IL.
he had seen her, but did not receive
any answer, as his head fell off and
rolled down the embanknent."
"A second afterward we ran into an
other train and all the cars in u train
were smashed into kindling wood. /
was the only passenger who escaped
alive and unhurt, but for a few
bruises, but / felt sure that the girl had
appeared before me TO prevent nae
from leaving my train, hoping that l
would be killed in the accident. Since
then / have been living In a continual
state of terror. Every time / see a
tight-haired gil my heart m
TO beat as IL 1t would break my ribs,
but weeks passed after the accident
and l did not see her.
One evening, however, I arrived tate
at a Swiss hotel. Nearly all the rooms
were taken and l had to take a small
bedroom on the top floor. 1 had hardly
entered IL when / felt an irresistible
desire to take a walk in the fresh air.
The halls were dark and / lost my way.
/ found al electric button and pressed
it furfously. A chambermaid appeared
and showed me to my room. When we
had reached 1t / looked at her. 1t was
the English girl with the terrible mark
on her forehead. She looked at me
100 with an angry expression, lifted
her hand threatPningly and disappeared
through the door. Like a mailman I
rushed after her. slamming the door
and turned the key, and with my last
remaining strength L barricaded IL
with a heavy wardrobe. l dared not
sleep, but laid down on my bed 10 walt
for daylight The hotel was on FIRE.
Half lead with terror, ! tried to- push
the wardrobe away from the door, but
could not move ii an inch. TIL
thought that 1 must perish in the
flames almost made me insane. / ran
to the window and jumped without
looking. l landed on a fat waiter who
was killed, the weight of my falling
body broke his neck.
II was sick for weeks afterward. and
on the fourth day. just after dusk. as
/ was tossing on my bed, she came
again. This time she wore the dress
of a nurse Her hair was bright and
golden and her blue eyes as beautiful
as when | kissed her the first time.
The red mari on her forehead was
larger than yer Sc sat down on my
bed n prepared some medicine for
me. 1 knew Immediately thai she in
tended to poison me. I jumped UP and
caught hold Of her arm, shouting at the
top of my voice. A physician came
in and | told him that the nurse had
tried 20 poison me. Then he, too, COM
menced to o for assistance. The
girl had disappeared but hundreds OF
people came rushing In"
And what became OF her since?-
THAT ! have never been able to find
out. because / was put into an insane
asylum INK only escaped yesterday
The young student beat q sudden re-
treat into the furthest corner, where
he could reach the danger signal. and
was happy when the next station was
reached. especially an two ndarm
politely asked his companion 10 follow
them as his presence was necessary