Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-01-25
was still JOY somewhere.

was still JOY somewhere.
AT her own door, a moment later,
she found a slender figure, gazing
eagerly at the Sctonbergs' house.
There was light downstairs In the
Frau Pastorin's room, and in the hall
the door of which was wide open, the
scholars of the gymnasium had just
lighted the tree, and were singing a
Christmas song.
Katie, is it your cried Aunt Mel
itta, in amazement.
Yes" said the girl, without turning
for you long time aireaoy. Every
thing seems to be at skies and sevens.
What has happened, 1 should like to
know? The Christmas family party
gone TO pieces-Lora suddenly at home
mamma in tears, and uncle like a
thunder-cloud. Can / come up with
you, auntie?"
If you like, Katie; but 1t is cold in
my room, and | haven't even a morsel
of gingerbread in the house it doesn't
look much like Christmas with me to-
day"
AS IL 1t We're any more like 1t with
u.s. said Katie bitterly, and as the
song across the way had ceased, she
followed her little aunt into the house,
sat down by the WINDOW In the cold
room, and looked with burning eyes a.
the dark gable window oppo site. He
was downstairs with his moi her there,
there was a fragrance OF evergreen
and wax candles three was happi-
ness.
Katie clenched her fist and said to
herself, Il will be there uext year,
will will"
CHAPTER XIII.
The general in the mean time sat
opposite Frau Becher, every inch the
soldier. He developed his strategic
talent and began first to reconnoitre
Frau Becher sat on the yellow flow
cred demask sofa of her boudoir, with
an air of being ready for the fray
She had her arms folded and her head
thrown back. On her coarse features
swollen with crying, however, there
rested, in contradiction to this, an
expression Of injured innocence and
gentle resignation.
Madam, began the general, this
is a sort Of thing-yes, yes; you need
not tell me. | am an old man.
know the world. 1t is true, young men
will be young men. So this lady was
in your house, Frau Becher?"
Yes" replied Frau Becher, with a
sigh, "and God knows, if had had an
idea, when she came to me, of what
misfortune she was bringing to me,
would never have let her cross my
THRESHOLD and she made an express
sive gesture.
"Of course, of course, no one could
blame you. And you had a great deal
of trouble about herr"
"Ah, Heaven only knows how
much" she moaned. First, all the
fuss when Adalbert fell in love with
her. | always said to him, stop that
nonsense. Girls like that are sure to
give trouble; you will repent it, But
young people always know so much.
| Afterward when he had got his way,
then the trouble began in earnest. She
was always writing for money; that
sort of person always needs so mueh
more than a respectable woman. She
made a perfect thumbscrew of her re-
lations with Adalbert, and OF course,
on account of the child, she always
got something"
"Ah, you knew, then, that you had a
grandchild?"
| "a grandchild! Your excellency,
must insist" The ladys thick little
nose went higher in the air. I'VE had
determined to have the child edu-
Gated" she continued. 'Adalbert has
gone over there now. to settle" she
broke off suddenly, and turned red.
ooh, | thought your son had urgent
| business there. And it was for this
reason that he left my niece SO soon
after the wedding-for such a reason
as the ?''
/ Frau Becher grew redder still.
Good gracious, yes; she had threat
ened to come over here-and-and-
1 buJ LOT f1edNtH > SAKE, your SACSl-
lency will not believe that this person
has any foundation for her insane de-
mands? | swear it, your excellency."
She sprang up in anger and confu-
sion. 81 will bring you the shameless
creatures letters she cried "Adai-
bert gave them to me to keep when he
married; he wanted to keep them for
some reason. | have not read them,
| general, upon my word | have not.
only took cut some photographs.
which | destroyed, | hated that per-
sons face so. | know they are beg
ging letters, nothing but begging let
ters."
Here" she cried, christening the
string, take them" and she took up
one herself and looked at It. There.
you see" she cried triumphantly, 1T
is nothing but begging"
The general glanced at the packet,
took out several of the letters, and