Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-09-26


frleda l betrayed nothing-so much
the greater was my inward pain.
hitherto the girl had managed to
avoid being alone with me at all; 50
much the more surprised was | wndI
one day | heard her call my name.
Would you like to go to the req
house? Would it be agreeable to you,
cousin ?''-she always emphasized
that hateful "cousin"-"if SO come
with me. Father has just told me tie
old woman at the WenGenburg house
is sick, and my mother wishes TO
send her some physic, she served for
many years here in our home you
know; SO [ must go, but it is SO uu-
pleasant to go through the forest
alone"
With these words size passed out
Of the little wicket gate and stood be-
SIDE me in her airy summer dress
which she had gathered up little, SO
that its spotless white should not
come in contact with the damp forest
path. She had wound a black lace
scarf about her head and her lovely
| ace looked doubly charming with lis
.omber surroundings. For the first
line, it seemed to me that she look
ID sad, and that line of suffering
vas drawn around the pretty, rosy
nOuth, such as was not there a year
,efOre. l was startled and would have
4sked if she felt i'll; but she looked at
ne so indiferently across the dark
crest pain, and kept swinging little
Iasket with such childish air that
ny words of solicitude, were left I'M
.pOken.
Il am infinitely fattered, dearest
;ousin!" said E. Il would willingly
pare you Tie long walk and pay
Hsit to the invalid as a young physi-
Ian hungry for patients, but"
She shrugged her shoulders i'm
patiently.
l thought of that also, and men
tioned it to my father" she replied,
but the old woman is peculiar, and
hates doctors, especially young ones;
and would not take the drops for you,
so my father desired me to CO.
Am l then really satisfactory to
you, as protection against any vii
'alnous robber who might alarm you?
N truth this confidence" 8
Why not?" she interrupted and
,ontinued to walk on. You are q
.reat strong man, and my cousin be-
sides"
l walked along behind her on the
narrow path, and-Who viii blame me
-VeXed myself about the humors and
,apr1ces of girls in general, and my
,ous1n in particular. l would willing
nave turned round and gone back,
Iad not an irrepressible curiosity
bout the red house" urged me on.
Ihus we went through the forest,
he always n the lead, humming
tile Song as if she was in the gay
st humor in the world.
Wait, she suddenly called out
We have almost gone by it,"
by WhaC?" l asked.
The grave under the oak of HUI
,ert."
WfoSe grave, cousin? 2"
All, you must not ask. You have
Il your pocket whole octave which
ellis the history of the dead living
ere. My father, who gave it to you
aid | must lead you hither before
We went to the red house; now come"
She parted the branches of a pair
u splendid dark green frs and
brought to view a narrow, scarce Wis
IDLE path. With difficulty | followed
her; for the bushes closed together
behind her like restless waves and
struck my face sharply, as if they
would hold me back from entering the
place.
Suddenly l found myself in a large
pleasant spot surrounded by dark fir
trees; but in the center rose a splen-
did ancient oak, spreading its
branches protectingly over a mound
which was formed of stones carless-
Iy thrown together and overgrowu
With wild ivy and moss. All around
was deep stiffness, the most i'm
presslVe forest solitude; only a
slight rustling and Whispering went
through the fir trees, and sometimes
yellow leaf fell from the oak and
remained hanging on the dark ivy.
went over to the unadorned
mound, and seated myself on the
bench near by. while my hands push
ed aside the IVY that l might read
the inscription on the iron tablet,
What if here lay the old great-uncle
the wonderful old man, who was more
'eared than loved by his family, and
who had died alone and forsaken, like
a wounded lion in his den?
"Frieda, who lies buried here?" Il
asked; for ne once gilded writing had
become black and was hard TO de-
cipher. But no answer came; she
stood with her back turned towards
me, looking through an opening in
the wall Of fir trees, over towards
the archduke S castle which rose ma
jeStcally above the green foliage On
the castle hill The windows cleaned
like gold, in the light OF the autumn
sun, and the walls shone dazzlinglv
white; l thought the distance could
not be more than a rife shot. and
vet we had rambled on for half an
hour.
My lovely cousin, listen to nv
prayer, and tell me, does the myster.
ous huntsman and great uncle live