Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-10-24
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~ By ". Heimburs 81
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By w. Heiimburs


whether | should tell Frau Degenhardt
everything. That certainly would be
best, for no one could be
| expected to room with person who
Impossible! What would Grandma
1 or ebert say if they should hear it?
| Robert, who always said,
Tell me your associates, and l will
tell you who you are!" And the pen
| sioni It's honor was iRvolya6
The breakfest-bell rang loudly, and
was still trying to arrange the pins
| in my refractory locks. Suddenly the
| door opened, and Jascha entered. She
| seemed heated, threw her parasol and
| hat on the bed, an without noticing
me. fastened to the washstand and
| bathed her flushed face. Then hurried
ly smoothing her hair, vanished from
sight. She must have been long way
| in the sun!
When I entered the dining-room'
with the excuse that having slept lit
| tie during the night, I had made up
| for it in the morning. Jascha was al
ready sitting quietly and calmly at
| the table, looking even paler that usu-
al. Our places were exactly opposite
each other and l tried not to look at
her but did not succeed for by my
plate lay a little cluster of forget-me-
nots and fern leaves, fresh with the
dew, as if newly plucked.
I involuntariIy looked up, and met
To
plore my silence, and promise infinite
gratitude. What a charm lay in those
eyes! how innocent and sad they
looked out from the deeply troubled
face?
| could do less than nod affirm
atively, and thereby share her fault;
but heaven only knows what fearful
hours 1 have lived through in conse-
quence. An unutterable pity prompted
me to keep a watch on her, but then
my pride held me back, as well as
genuine girlish repugnance to mean
conduct. [ could not bear to have her
in the room where / breatued; and
then a guilty conscience toward Frau
Degenhardt; everything combined to
cause me sleepless nights and severe
struggles with myself.
I could not be friendly towards her,
and now she was the petitioner. she
tried all the little arts she knew Of to
win me to her.
The proud, lovely creature was so
humble towards me, that when near
her, | could not resist her efforts to
please, although 1 often threw ugly
words at her. Then when she looked
so sadly and inquiringly l could have
craved her pardon on my knees but
by that time, she would be gone away
to weep, while / remained where
was sobbing.
One day, a 81 entered our room, l
saw her hide something in her drawer
1 was in one of my bad humors for
Dora, Olga, and l had been talking,
and Dora had been rejoicing at her
being absent. Olga thought there was
something wrong; she fancied this
Jascha had been put here, to get her
out of some foolish scrape; she hoped
it was not still going on. 1t was a
strange thing to treat our house as
house of correction; she could not
understand Frau Degenhardt.
why do you have such thoughts?
was my hasty question, and Olga
whispered to me that not long since
she had seen Jascha, in the evening,
by the pond, with some one. 1t was
late, after supper. She, Olga, had for
gotten her work in the garden, and
had run to get it; but was frightened
half to death, when, passing the open
ing in the thicket, she heard whispers
and kisses, and Jascha's voice saying:
Farewell! Auf Wiedersehen!"
81 hate tattling," she continued;
but if some day the conversation
with our principal should turn
on Jascha, I will certainly tell
With these thoughts in my mind,
caught Jascha hiding something.
Don't disturb yourself!" I said
contemptuously; your secret actions
interest me as little as your secret
correspondence; such things are too
low"
She turned pale to her very lips.
"Oh, Miss Mary, she murmured, you
are hard; If I could tell"
mo, thank you; I could learn no
thing from a web of lies!"
web of lies?" she asked, and her
eyes flashed. prove one lie on me,
Mary!" Her whole frame shook and
her eyes dilated.
Too angry to speak, shrugged my
shoulders, and turned away.
You cannot" she exclaimed. "You
know you cannot!"
Perhaps I will some day prove
something worse than falsehood,"
blurted out. Have a care not to go
too far! You may be unmasked sooner
than you think"
Her head dropped and she was ST.
lent a long time" 81 thought you would
have pity" she said at length.
"Fraulein Ponianska, what do your
take me for?" I cried angrily.
Miss Mary she entreated, clasp
ing her hands and coming closer; do
not repel me, not today. am so en-
tirely at your mercy; I am compelled
to make such a dreadful request
grandmother gives me so little money,
and I cannot ask Frau Degenhardt,
She would write to grandmama-lend