Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-09-12


of it one fine day by declaring that l
should lose one of my estates by such
marriage, for it would revert to the
state in accordance with my uncIe'S
will if / should marry a lady possessed
of less than tie requisite sixteen
quarterings. The declaration made
an end Of the nuisance, for in the
whole small Drincipality there is not
one such lineage, and they all under
stood my determination to retain my
estate"
And you suffer such a loss now for
my sake?" asked Elizabeth, in a
grieved tone.
1T is no loss, Elizabeth; it is an ex-
change, in which | gain an immea3 )
urable treasure-the highest blessing
of my life"
A torch fickered in the thicket.
Stop! Come hereI" shouted Herr
Won Waldo.
One of the servants stood before
them almost instantly. He was charg
ed to hasten at the utmost speed to
Castle Gnadeck and announce Frau
lein Ferber's safety and speedy ar.
rival.
The servant departed at the top OF
his speed.
Il have been very selfish, Eliza
beth, said Herr Won Waldo, laying
her hand upon his arm and fastening
forward with her. Il know that your
family are in great anxiety and ex-
citement about you. Your father and
uncle are searching the princes for
estreVier; all my people and peasants
are patrolling the region in all d.
rections for your sake, and I forgot
them all the moment I found you"
MY poor parents" sighed Eliza
Oeth, not without remorse. For her.
too, the world had vanished away
when he came to release her.
Frederick is fleet of foot" said
,/alde, reassuringly. He will be az
the top of the mountain long before
us and will reassure your parents"
They entered the park and passed
the castle. There it lay dark and 81
lent. Only from HeIene's room came
shade@ lamp ray.
There is a life and death struggle
going on there" murmured Herr Won
Waldo, looking toward it. "She loved
that wretch with a really fanaticaI
devotion; how frightened the reaIiza-
ton must bel"
Go up and comfort her." begged
Elizabeth.
Comfort! At such a moment? Child,
if any one had come to me with con
ISOLATION when | thought I had lost
you! Helene has shut herself in since
gave the order to have Herr Won
Hollfeld's horse brought around. But
her maid is at hand. 1t will be a long
time before she will desire to see me,
Tor she has broken away from me for
the sake of that wretch But a human
being who has been so bitterly de-
ceiVed seldom returns at once to the
friends who have warned them of the
danger. Besides, 1 shall not re-enter
my home this night without the assur-
ance that your parents will make no
attempt to tear you from mel"
The path, upon which the we'll
known garden-bench stood, branched
off here.
DO you remember?" inquired Eliza
beth, with a smile, pointing thither.
Yes, there you announced the bold
determination to go out into the
world as goVerness, and l was so
free as to decide that l should never,
never permit it. 1t required all my
Self-contrOl not to take the daring lit
tie sOng-bird into my arms at once
and press to my heart the golden
mead full of defiant thoughts. There l
begulled from you the first native
confession that your parents still oc-
cupled the first place in your affect
ions. But you were cool and repellens
the moment l attempted to be conf
dential'
That was timidity, and l am not
yet sure that l shall not relapse into
my hesitation tomorrow, when I see
your rugged brow by daylight"
1T will not look rugged again, my
child, happiness has touched it with
her gentle finger"
Soon after the old beeches, whose
tops could look across the clearing
into the Ferber's dwelling, observed
a strange scene. A tall man, whose
face was pale with emotion, brought a
daughter to her parents to ask for nar
back again, to be his wife, his second
self. The old beeches saw how he took
her in his arms, and so received the
blessing Of the deeply-moved parents;
saw how .-e mothers face, smiling
through its tears, looked thankfully
haavenWard, and how the small Ernst
shook Hans cage to infor the lit
tie singer in his yellow dress-coat
that Elsie was betrothed.
CHAPTER Xxx.
While peace and joy were taking up
their abode in the connecting wing
at Gnadeck, a sad event took place
down in the valley.
Two Lindhof peasants on their way
from the village to the forest, looking
with torches for Elizabeth, heard an
angry growl like that of an exasper-
ated hound. Not far from them lay
human figure stretched directly across
the pain. A tall dog stood beside it,
q sr,gr al = 60.