Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-09-19

you mad?" cried her colleague from
the window, dropping her needle in
horror.
And in the self-same hour in which
| every drop of noble blood in the
veins of the first-lady-inw waiting was
in open revolt, DR.. Fels, reaching
nome, entered the nursery where his
wife was just bathing their youngest
and watching the knitting of two
small daughters.
Wife, wIe, rejoice with met" he
cried, with a glowing face. "Lindhas
is to nave a mistress, and such a one!
Gold Elsie-the beautiful Cold Elsie!
Do you hear, my treasure? Now it
| will be sunny there again. Honest,
wholesome thought will come off vic
torious, and the gloomy spirit, when
has been a perfect mildew upon hui
man souls, will fee away. l just now
saw Herr Won Walde's travelling
equiDage rafting by. There must
have been more than enough invisible
crosses flying about in Lindhof an
hour ago. he announcement of the
| betrOthal has fallen like a bomb upon
our worthy town. l tell you it is like
a play to see the long, envious faces
| But the news was not the slightest
surprise for me. 1 have known what
was coming ever since the attempted
assassination. When l strolled up to
Lindhof that evening at Herr Won
! WaIde's side, to see whether the
shock had been in any way injurious
to the little heroine, | saw. all at
once, that his hour had come; that
he, too, had heart, and one full Of
deep, passionate love.
If the reader will pass over q srace
of two years and revisit the Gnadeck
ruins with US we will conduct him up
the mountain, along the windings of a
fine broad carriage way, to the castle
portal, which, freshIy-painted, has ex-
changed It's rusty bolts and hinges
for new ones.
We recall, with a shiver, the cold,
dark court behind this portal, enclOs-
ed by colonnades on three sides,
while the upper stories reveal the
murderOus intent to descend upon our
| heads. We remember the solitary
basin in the midst of the court, which,
held in possession by stone lions, has
Loped in vain for years past for the
silVery streams which should fill it's
lap.
With these recoIlections we ring.
Immediately upon the sound of the
deep-toned bell strong, fresh-looking
maid opens the heavy door and bids
US enter But we draw back as though
daZzled, for out Of the opening a
stream of light and color flows to-
wards us. The ruins have vanished.
Only the tall encircIing wall, strong
as iron, remains, making us clearly
recognize the extent of room which it
enCloseS.
We do not tread upon the echoing
pavement of the court; high heaped
gravel softens the footsteps. Before
us spreads a broad weII-cared-for
lawn. In its center rests the huge gran
lite shell, and from the yawning lion
Threats pour four mighty streams of
water. The chestnuts will stand az
faithful sentinels around the basin,
out now that they battle their crowns
in the free light OF heaven, they have
recovered and are at the present mo-
ment decked out with countless white
| tlOWer-candIes.
We turn into one of the paths which
border the lawn, wander among
CaStefuIIy arranged, though still very
youthful, snrupbery, and feast our
eyes upon the blooming plants and
tenderly cherished beds that lie in
motley array upon the lawn.
Opposite us stands the connecting
wing. The breeze plays now upon it's
four walls, which have donned a clean
fresh dress. But it's front has grown
statelier. On all sides there are new
windows. Ferber has had the house
Wtdened 10y four rooms, for the forest
er means to live there with Sabine
when he gives up work.
In the dWeIIing-room of the Ferbers
! where the view from the windows is
the same as that from the arched
window in Elizabeth's former little
room-Herr Won Wade has had the
trees thinned to let the parents com
mand the view of their daughters
nome-in this dweIling-room stands
! the young Frau Won Waldo. She has
been a prisoner in the house for sew
eral weeks, and her first pilgrimage
IS up the mountain to present her
trst-bOn in the parental home There
he lies in her arms. Miss Mertens, or,
rather, the long since happily married
rrau Reinhardt has carried the lit
tie fellow, and now cautiously with
draws his veil. The fresh, rosy face
| has the features of the Won Waldes,
and fine dark lock escaping from
| the lace-cap falls upon his brow
Ernst laughs himself sick at the ten
tatiye movements of the feeble red
lis stretched out in all directions.
| But the forester behaves in a peculiar
! Iy constrained manner, his own
mighty hands behind his back as
! though he feared to injure the tiny
| creature by some movement of his
! own. He is not less delighted with the
| little granddaughter than the grand
| parents with their grandson. He has
lived down ais painful experience
n lnrz~ hEn L.