Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-05-30
colo Elsie


influences of the outer world, he de-
sired to plunge into the realm of mar
mony But Elizabeth soon discovered
to her vexation, that he covered his
face only far enough to keep Helene
from seeing him, and behind his hand
he stared uninterruptedly at herself,
noticing her every movement. She
trembled beneath these eyes, which,
at otner times s empty and non-com-
mita, constantly blazed with a pecu-
liar fire when directed to herself so
that she needed great self-control to
enable her to play without mistake.
Helene had evidently no suspicion
Of the device by which Hollfed sought
to carry his point She paused fire.
quently, and entered upon converse
lions with aim, though she did all the
talking. Each of his monosyllabic
replies, inane and ordinary as they
usually were, she accepted as favor,
an oracular utterance, me meaning Of
which must be sought for
He always departed a few months
before the close Of the hour. The first
|
started hOmeward. She VS. looking
through one of the corridor windows
in the second floor, which commanded
a good part of tie park, when she
saw him pacing up and down the
forest-path which she must traverse.
She baftied his plan, not without
quiet smile. by spending more than
she was always received with OCen
arms, and she gradually grew so fond
Of the gOverness that she did not
like to pass her door without pausing
for an hours chat.
Miss Mertens was usually sorrowful
and depressed. She found her stay at
LindhOf more and more uncomfortable.
The baroness, deprived of her author
ity. and Herewith of all occupation,
was frequently bored to death. She
forced herself to wear the mask of
innocent contentment in the presence
Of her relatives, which was a bitter
task, and she was forced to give vent
l to her ill-temper solely behind the
closed doors of her own apartment
: But there she was insufferable; not
for Bella, because towards the child
in whom she saw rather a baroness
than her own daughter she never let
herself be carried to the extremes of
expression. And for her old Iadys
maid she had an "ungOdly respect
as old LOrenz. the steward, called it,
and the servants Of he house she
could not abuse without challenging
their master: so all her fury was
. stored up for the unfortunate defence
less gOverness.
TO torture her victim thoroughly,
she commanded the governess to
conduct the lessons exclusively und.
der her owh high and mighty over
sight. There, in the presence of the
pupil, the teachers method was criti-
| Cised, increasingly and unfavOrably.
1t was declared to be no longer
cause of surprise that the child failed
to advance, and her nerves were
found to be perpetually under d
strain, because Miss Mertens' voice
was the most repulSive one in the
world. And how could Bella ever be
come a graceful woman, when she
constantly had her governesses' angu-
lar motion before her eyes? In the
matter of history, Miss Mertens was
too sentimental here, and almost ri
! diCulOusly prim there, and, at times
so bOundlesSIy braZen as to have ali
opinion of Ter own. In such cases the
| lesson was broken off. The baroness
mounted the pegagaic steed, aud the
gOverness was forced to listen to a
lecture, spiced with mockery, aristo-
cratic insOlence, and malice. If the
lady did not feel confident enough,
! Chaplain MOhring was summoned to
sit in judgment. But the fine pricks Of
her own lectures paled before this
cruelty, which brought down upon the
head of the ELECTROMAGNETIC
gOverness all the hitherto suppressed
sermons, all the secretly swallowed
gall, of the self styled martyr, in an
endless stream eloquence. The
baroness knew that the chaplain
spoke atrocious French; nevertheless
he was requested to be present at the
lessons as long as he remained at the
castle, in order to correct the govern
ess' accent What became of Bella
was not a consideration in such at
| ticks of malice.
Miss Mertens often said, through
her tears, that nothing but love of
! her lonely old mother induced her to
undergo this martyrdom. The old
lady lived almost exclusively upon the
| sums which her daughter sent her,
and this compelled the latter to avoid
| the pecuniary losses involved in fire.
= quent changes. Depressed as she
was. however, her gentle features AZ
ways frightened when Elizabeth
| knocked to know whether she might
enter. \, 18th the young girls coming
| the troubles and cares fed away, and
as the two sat side by side upon the
little sofa, near the window, an ex
| change of ideas took place which
seemed to carry the governess back
to the days of her own youth, and
Elizabeth gathered many treasure
from the wealth Of requirement and
experience of her older friend.
These little afternoon visits had an