Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1906-10-05
LA PLATA, MARYLAND, FRIDAY OCTOBER 5, 1906

"whyf" asked Steluhausen; receiv.
ing no answer. he repeated, "WhyT'
Surely cried Lies. quickly. raising
her head and looking full at him, you
can answer that question YOURSELF
Herr Won steiuhausen is sufficiently
well read to be able TO recall the his.
torical facts of centuries past-from
the old Brandenburg days and tbs
Seven Years war. down to the presehf
unhappy struggle. Prussian policy
has always been the same. aggression
and annexatiouF' .s ,,
Stelnhausen laughed.
"what can you expect?" he said;
"ours is no sanity sphere of impossible
virtue, but a world Of ordinary human
fly, where might makes indefensible
rlghtT'
ut is a robbers MAXIM said Lies
haughtily. and turning. stepped back
into the salon.
Steinhausen followed sharply. plac.
ing himself between her and the door;
Lies stopped in some surprise.
"Is that all? Have you no more TO
advance against usf
81 have, perhaps, already said too
much, considering what hospitality de.
mands," she replied.
Hospitality meine Gnadige," ex.
claimed the Rittmeister. with pro-
vOking laugh, do you not mistake the
position?
1--WE are not here by invitation. but
in obedience to our generals order-as
victorsl
"It is true, we have been well re,
celved and entertained, but had 1t been
otherwise. we should have taken all
we required and more; as eOnquerors,
we are masters-at least, for the
present"
Lies looked at him astonlshed, as If
she could not, at once. quite compre.
hend the brutality Of this speech; then
the sensitive lips began TO quiver, and
in spite of her proud carriage. the large
blue eyes were suddenly sunused with
indignant tears.
"Let me pass" she said; you
are" she stopped; Steinhausen fin
ished the sentence for her-"a rude
barbarian and he placed himself reso-
lutely against the door.
"Yesl you are so earnest yourself
that you take my half jest seriously;
will you believe my whole esrnestT
he went on, eagerly, hurried by an i'm
pulse he felt was utter folly. yet which
he could not resist.
II cannot, and will not, leave you
without some explanatlon-some solu-
tion of the doubts which are so mad
dening!
DO you not see you have cast a
spell upon me?
"Short as the time Is, resent the
avowal as you may, 1 must and will
tell you that love you-love you in
tensely"
He tried to take her hand.
ON twenty-four hours acqusint-
ancep she replied, with good-humOred
mockery, although she turned very
pale and looked anxiously at the door.
"You dare not scorn the feeling you
have evoked" exclaimed Steinhausen,
quickly; then. seeing the alarm that
would speak in her eyes in spite of her
efforts to seem coldly calm.
'Mein Lieber," he continued, you do
not fear me; Sweetest bestl love
you; would not disturb or distress
you for worlds; if-if you are free, do
not reject mel
''Nay, let me hold your hand one me-
ment," resolutely catching and kissing
It; "and if-as from what can gather
may be the case-you are unhappily
linked to one who cannot appreciate
the treasure fortune has given him, let
me atone for the pastI the bonds must
be strong indeed if love and daring
such as mine cannot break them; tell
me truly, are you freeP
II am not, Herr Rittmeister." said
Lies, greatly disturbed. "and even if
were-this is madness"
There is, perhaps. tinge of mad
ness in it," returned Stelnhausen, still
holding her hand; 'but there is truth
and reality in it also" he urged, grow
ing more eager as she shrank from his
advances.
II must tear myself away tomorrow;
let me write to you! Leave me some
straw TO cling to; cannot lose you
l."
Herr Rittmeister." Interrupted Lies
collecting herself and at last releas-
ing her hand.
II cannot listen to such folly; if you
think for an instant, you must see
there is almost an Insult in such an ab-
rupt avowal
II cannot imagine what has sug-
gested such ideas as to my position;
surely, my father has not been so i'm
prudent as to-but," interrupting her~
self, "even If ysu were not an utter
stranger-an enemy-a man of whom
| feel sort of slight fear-I must not.
dare not, listen to your words.
To be continued.