Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-07-04

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you man of mind. Butwner e | AM
70 find your nina this moment, / am
, sure | do not know Why, in heavens
name, are you racing so? And do
consider, | beg you, my new crepe
dress, that is constantly catching on
the bushes that you keep pulling ne
| past like a poor victim to the sacri-
flee"
! The so-ca1led nuns tower, the only
remnant of an ancient convent, lay
buried deep in forest of oaks and
beeches, within the range of forest
that belonged to the Lindhof estate
and stretched away miles to the east
ward
A rraulein Won Gnadewitz, sister
of the ancestor who was broken upon
the wheel, had built the convent to
pray, with twelve others, for the say
ing of the soul of the man who had
died so shamefully. For many years
the mighty boughs of the oaks had
been knocking at the windows Of the
cells and bending over the walls OF
the narrow garden. Iney had seen
many a fresh young child of the hui
man race stride hastily up the steep
and narrow forest-path, ringing in fe-
verish haste the shrill little bell at
the portals, as though she could not
wait one moment before obtaining the
peace promised within. They had
seen how, behind the bolts that were
never to be drawn, the silent lips OF
the nun grew pale, her wax-pale fin
gers convulsiveIy clutched the cruel
fix her knees, sore with kneeling,
sank ever afresh upon the stone floors
while her eyes wandered anXiously
upon the ground, for the bright blue
sky that rose without above the happy
daughters of the world awOke joyous
recollections and breathed love of life
and happy longing into the breast
that was forever entombed in the
hair cloth garb of the order.
The Reformation, which knocked
down the cloisters like card-houses
had penetrated into the silent forest
and touched with it's mighty finger
the walls of the grim house which, to
atone for crime and misery, ever en-
closed new wretchedness, according
to the curse that rested upon its
foundation And, behold! even that
mOck-life fled to all ,--e winds Oh
heaven: one stone after another rolled
down to the foot Of the ancient oak
trunks whose tops had often beaten
against it in it's loftv place as daintily
carved window-arch, or stately mem
Der of the wall. And year after year
the oaks cast their leaves upon 1t I'M
tin it sank, buried more softly than
the nuns below, who. according to the
tradition, slept in one common vault.
The tower rose squat and shapeless
into the air. On the fiat roof, which
was surrounded by stone gallery,
the stair ended in a narrow four
cOrnered room closed by a heavy
oaken door. From the fiat roof there
was a charming view across to L,
and to this fact the tower owed an eX-
istence prolonged by the repairing
hand of man Mighty iron truSse6
clamped the corners and countless
veins CT modern mortar meandered
through the blackened masonry, so
that, from a distance, the ancient
edifice looked like a mOnstrOus agate.
! But for today the old fellow had
dressed himself like a lad going a
wooing. Four huge frs he had stuck
in his old hat, and from them fiuttered
! flags He who had always carried on a
neighborly conversation, day and
night. with his ancient comrades, the
oaks, but had never departed one
hair -breadth from his dignified
standpoint to approach them stretch
ed this day green arms to clutch
them boldly by their reverend heads.
Long garlands had been fastened to
the walls at one end and the boughs
of the trees at the other A long white
handkerchief hung from the pocket
of the rejuvenated coxcOmb. The two
free ends of a canvas awning were
tightly fastened to pink trunks decked
out with garlands. It sheltered some
kegs, a battery of dusty, Ted-sealed
bottles countless bottles with silver
: heads in ice-tubs, and pretty girl in
the dress of a vivandfere.
Elizabeth. silently and passively
leaning upon Herr Won Walde's arm
, had left the salon. Despite her con-
viction that she ought to go home,
she had not found the courage to con-
tradict HIN g. adhere to her resOlu-
ton. He had spoken in so imperative
tone, and what most Influenced her
had entered the lists for her evil
IDENTIFY desiring to help her out of her
embarrassment, that any contradic-
ton must have seemed to him like
defiance, and any objection must have
Increased the attention of which she
had become the object.
Behind her the silk dresses of the
ladies rustic against the walls Of the
corridor. Laughing and chattering the
multitude of guests, in long process
sion, followe>- Herr Won Waldo as far
as the main portal. Then it scattered
in all directions among the various
forest paths that led to the nuns
tower Many who needed TO show
their dresses especial consideration
remained upon the broad, well cared
for carriage-road. Herr Won Waldo
could surely have no idea that his
rpoarda6 bpr r1Il1I dress