Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-08-15


Helene staggered to the door and
locked it, Then only did she give
herself up to utter despair.
Who does not know those tortur-
ing hours that follow an unexpected,
crushing piece of news that seems to
descend upon US out Of the clouds:
those hours in which the human be-
ing would fain cry aloud to the world
IN his agony and yet, s0rely as he
needs the support and comfort OF
others, seeks darkness and solitude
Zimidly, as though hunted down, as
though light and sound were deadly
poison for his snarting wound? He
who has been spared the tOrtures
which rend d tremendously ordered
life out of it's even tenor will naturally
fail to understand HelcIe's colIapsing
upon the floor, tearing her hair in de-
SPAR, tossing her tiny fragile frame
feverishIy about She lived and NOV
ed and had her being wholly in that
glowing passion. A few distract
gIances q gloomy reserve, lasting
few days on the part of the beloved
one, had sufficed to plunge her into the
deepest grief and make her Indifferent
to an event which IN former times
would have moved her sisterly heart
to it's depths How much more must
she now suffer in the conviction that
he was lost to her?
Though a chaos OF thoughts burned
i'm her brain, she was incapable Of
grasping even one of them clearly.
The humiIiating consciousness of her
physical defect, for whose sake she
was cast out Of the lvnged-fOr para
disc; holIfeId's declaration of his
love, opening heaven and hell to ner
at once; an insane jealousy Of her
whom she did not even known, who
was destined one day to stand at his
side, clothed in all the rights of his
wife; all this surged and stOrmed
within her, and threatened to snap
the slender thread which held her
soul and body together.
It was already very late when she
opened the door to her anxious wait
ing-maid and yielded to her repeated
entreaties to go to bed. She emphat-
iCaIy refused visit from the ply
stefan, sent word to the baroness, who
desired to say good night in person,
that she needed the most unbroken
rest and could not be disturbed, and
passed in solitude the most Wretched
night of her life.
the fearful tension upon her nerves
relaxed somewhat when the light or
dawn came in through a crack in the
curtain. A slender golden ray seemed
to find its way into her soul and illum-
mate that which she had left untouch-
ed in the mad tumult of her thoughts.
She began to reflect that HollfeId was
acting with perfect seIf-abnegation
Though the necessity of his marriage
had always been to her a most terri
bic thought, and had never succeeded
in disprOving to her own mind that
necessity And was she not bound to
recognize the fact that her thought of
his possibly waiting until after her
death had found no place in his mind?
Did he not make a heavy sacrifice for
her, for he loved her alone, and must
determine to bestOw himself upon an.
other? Dared she make the fulfilment
Of a sacred duty still more difficult by
her repining? He challenged her to
tread this di4hcult path with him;
should she prove cOwardIy. faint
hearted, where he had presupposed
great strength of will in her? And if
he should find a wife ready to be con-
tent with but mere friendship where
she might well demand love, how
could she, Helene, lie herself be sur
passed in self-fOrgetful devotion?
In feverish haste she seized the lit
Tie silver bell and called her maid TO
make her toilet Yes. she would re
nounce everything, she would be
strong; but she thought she could find
courage ard strength only in the face
of perfect certainty, and must, there
fore, learn at once the name of her
whom HOllfeld thought fitted to UNI
dertake the difficult mission. True
she had passed in review all the un
married women of her acquaintance
and there was not one whom she had
not angrily rejected.
1t was not yet the ho1r at which
she habitually breakfasted with the
baroness and Won Houfeld Cher
brother persistently absented himself
from these unions,) but she could moi
wait longer, and feeling very weak
was conveyed in her roller-chair tc
the dining room. To her amazemen-
she learned from the servant who wa:
preparing the table that the baroness,
mad gone to walk half an hour before
This was rare occurrence. but i
suited the young lady's mood. for A;
she was conveyed to one of the win
dow Tecesses she saw HollfeId walk
ing up and down on of the broad
gravel spaces before the window. 4,
mad no idea that he was being oh
9eTFed. He was striding. with OIasti,
steps, up and down. Now and then h,
placed his cigar between his liDs Wit
evident enjoyment At first the voun,
lady was painfully surprised an,
would not at all admit to herself +ha
}he appearance of her beloved wa
o0nsptcuously fresh and indicated
aA.r,r> II