Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-03-01
CHAPTER XVIII.


He had just been picturing to him
self her calm, beautiful face under a
deaconess's cap. So she was not in
Berlin for her own amusement simply;
she meant to expiate her fault by
good works, it seemed. He shrugged
his shoulders and lighted the lamp; it
was too dark to make out the fine
writing in his manuscript. 1t was an
historical work which he had before
him, which was to make him a name
in the literary world 1t claimed all his
powers, this work on 'The Reforma-
tion in the old Mark"
If he could only collect his thoughts
1t seemed quite out of his power to go
back to the year 1910, to the cloister
of the Augustine nuns of Diesdorf,
where, at that time, one of the nuns,
Ursula Won Ritzgebuttel, secretly left
her cloister to place herself under the
new teaching. In spite of himself
this recreant nun would take on Lora's
form; he saw her slip through the
cloisters; saw her kneeling In the
beautiful convent chapel for the last
time. praying like child to the Vir-
gin for forgiveness of her sins; and he
saw her hurrying through the trees
in night and darkness, through the
beating of the storm, toward the dawn
of enlightenment. But it was not
Ursula, 1t was Lora; and she did not
hide herself In the little house of the
4 nth
breast.
What a madness II was that had
seized upon him and followed him
through all his occupations-in the
school-room in his walks, everywhere.
At last he forcibly turned his thoughts
to Katie.
He threw the pen ne had just taken
up back on the desk, and walked up
and down. Katie had gone away angry
today. for the first time; her good
night" had sounded very different
from usual, and he felt sorry he had
hurt her.
He sat down again at the table, and
began to write to her At first his
pen went slowly. then 1t fairly flew
over the paper. and when he had writ
ten four pages and read them over he
laughed and crushed up the sheet in
his hand. A charming letter. 1t
was so fatherly. so reasonable: he
had spoken of his wound, that he had
hoped might be healed by her; had
begged her to have patience with him
but there was not a word of love,
When she read 1t she would say: yes,
but what does II all mean? Confess
frankly that you do not love me-
you cannot forget Lora, Go; bring
her back, she is free; and leave me
alone" He could see her lovely
eyes full of tears; and he struck his
forehead with his clenched fist. 1T
would be scoundrelly," he said aloud.
"A fine return for her love She has
my word, and | will keep it. She shall
not be unhappy" And again he forced
himself to turn TO his work.
In the mean time Katie had been
enthusiastically received in The loggia
of the villa opposite. The family. who
had returned from their drive, were
sitting In the beautiful room at din
ner: the commander and his wife, and
Major Won Schlieben with his young
wife, who lived on the next floor,
They had just got to the dessert; a
dish of strawberries was placed on the
elegantly appointed table. and at the
side-table Gussie. the young daughter
of the house, and Herr Won Wegstedt
were making punch.
What a pity" cried Gussie. that
you were not there Katie. Herr Won
Wegstedt and rode race
Il thought you Drove" said Katie.
mo. AS you wouldn't go. left the
carriage to papa, and rode with the
Schliebens. You must learn to ride,
too, Katie, Is the punch good, Herr
Won Wegstedt?"
Capital"
Don't you want 10, Katie? Papa can
give you riding lessons"
and /, too cried the little lieu.
tenant.
Mamma would never allow it," said
haue, with sign, as she leaned
back in the open archway and dream
lily gazed at the picture before her
The servants had put screened can.
dies on the table at which the
married people We're sitting talking:
Gussie's stately mother, the colonel
who had unbuttoned his coat, and was
smoking short pipe to keep OF the
mosquitoes, and the slender major
with his delicate wife. who smiled Sc
charmingly, and who wore a fascinat
ing house dress of white flannel.
"Auntie Tollen will not allow it,
asked wegstedt. but Auntie Toller
must We have great dearth o
young ladies here; she has no righ
10 deprive us of the only one. What
shall we do for our quadrille. Frauleir
Gussie. II Fraulein Won Tollen will
not rider"
"A quadrille?" asked Katie.
Capital" cried Gussie, with Z
manly air, reckoning to the servant
TO carry round the filled glasses