The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-03-15
played no trick upon you," cried Lies,

was my COUSINS wife till a couple OF
hours ago. when we we're waiting for
the rest Of our party end your allusion
last night to the barrier which you
knew existed between US, made me
| think you were yourself married.
1T was awkward Immediately to
explain. I thought it would be better
-less-less terrible to write. Pray for
! give"
"Meine Geliebte,' interrupted Stein
I hansen, trying to find her hand among
| the furs in which she was wrapped,
"the knowledge that you are free is
too delicious to leave reom for any
thing but delight.
II breathe, l hope again: tell ne
! tell me how all this tissue of mistakes
arose."
He had found the hand, which. after
a moments hesitation, was gently
withdrawn.
when the Frau Burgomeister pre-
scented you to us last night. You must
have taken Gretchen for Fraulein and
myself for Frau Cheering, and nothing
occurred to correct the error.
MY own conduct must have con-
frmed you in your mistake
II see it ALL" cried Steinhausen; "but
80 on, explain everything. the old mys-
terry which so puzzled me at Berg
| fielder"
"Ah! that is q long story" replied
his companion, the color coming back
to her cheeks. and a sweet, conscious
smile to her lips, rs she proceeded to
relate the history, interrupted by per-
| tinent questions from Steinhausen,
| which drew out minuter details.
Lies, it appeared, had a sister a few
years older than herself, to whom she
had been fondly attached, and whom
she closely resembled.
This sister vas early married 10 her
cousin, the Hauptmann Ghering-a
very happy, but short-lived union.
At the end of two years the young
wife was carried off by, fever, leaving
an infant daughter first to af1ict and
| then to comfort the bereaved father.
About "a year and a half after the
! death of her sister, Lies was greatly
surprised by a proposal from her
| cousin that she should be that sisters
successor, and mother to the little
niece she cherished so fondly.
In Germany such a proposition had in
it nothing revolving, and although Lies
at first, from a personal dissemination,
! rejected her brOther-in-law's offer. she
was over-persuaded, especially By her
mother, to accept it, stipulating only
that the engagement almost as serious
an affair in Germany as a marriage}
should not be formally announced until
the second year of her brother-in-law's
widowhood. had elapsed.
Before that period, q strong eonvjc-
ten had grown upon her that she
could not and ought not to complete
the sacrifice urged upon her by her
family.
At length, by a tremendous effort of
moral courage, she brought herself to
explain her difficulties to the Haupt-
mann himself.
4 most painful struggle ensued, for
the unhappy widower was more in
leve with her than she believed. and
angry beyond description at his dis
appointment.
The war Of '66 broke out at this
juncture of the family history, and
Lies had first to, endure the great trial
Of parting on unfriendly terms from
her cousin. for whom she had a sin
cere sisterly regard, and then the fur
Their grief, when he ,ay severely
wounded after Koniggratz, of his re-
fusal to permit her to so and nurse
him, or to come to Villa Bellevue, that
tke whole family might care for and
tend him.
In this depressed mood. saddened
and sobered by the disappointment she
had caused every one, she was reused
to a little of her old ~playfulness by
'Clarchen's report of the curiosity re-
speeding herself expressed by the
Prussian Rittmeister when looking at
her photograph, and which the little
Backfschchen accidentally over
heard.
Lies determined that the intruder
should not be Gratifed, and gave the
servants strict ,injunctions to that eff
feet.
Accident, and her father and mothers
warm sympathy with the rejected
HauptmaEn, assisted her game, which
the unexpected fire and earnestness of
her Prussian admirer made more ear
nest than she had anticipated.
Having once mystiied him, she was
ashamed to explain. and his evident
sincerity half alarmed, half interested
her.
So much she could rot kelp ackrowl-
edging.
Many anxieties and serious losses
followed the disappearance Of the
Prussian troops, and amid this gen.
eral gloom her only CLEAN of comfort
was the announcement Of her cousin
and brother-in-law's engagement to a
pretty Silesian girl, a relative Of the
Burgomeister. and the consequent res
toration of the frank friendliness
which used to exist between ther1.
Herr Hauptmann Cheering had been
about a year married, and this was
Lies first visit to her kinsrlan in his
new home.
All this, and many mc::e particulars,
answers to Steinhauser's questions
and minor ovnlonotions occuniA6 al