Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-08-01


could not be concealed from me. And
We, she reachef her hand across the
table to her husband-"we shall
never forget the conflicts we passed
through before we could belong to
our own selves. l never should
wish to return to the proud caste
which, in order to meet the require
ments Of outward pomp and splendor
treads down mercilessly whatever
human feeling comes in its way.
! And you shall not, Marie her hus-
+, band said, soothingIy, with a smile
and a pressure of the hand. He cast
side glance at his brother, who was
putting huge smoke-ciouds about his
| face and trying in vain to wrinkle
his brow.
Alas! for my beautiful principles"
he said, at last, with mock melan-
choly Elsie, you are cruel and fool
ish. You do not reflect what a superb
/ life l could arrange for you if I were
but forester-master and you a gra-
l cious Fraulein. Now, is not that en-
ticing?"
Elizabeth shook her head smiling,
but decided
And who knows" chimed in Miss
| Mertens, before one could look
around some high-born knight of an
Gent lineage would be knocking at
Castle Gnadeck to carry off Gold
Elsie Of high degree as his gracious
LADY,"
! And you think l would go with
him?" asked Elizabeth, passionately
her cheeks glowing.
Why not, if you loved him."
Never said the young girl, al
most choking, even if | loved him |
should be all the unhappier for hay-
ing to believe that the halo of my
name had fallen heavier in the scales
than my own heart; that in the eyes
Of that man ali effort for mental ele-
walton and moral activity was less
than the phantom which wretched
men had decked out with tinseI."
Frau F'eIber looked with amaze.
ment at er daughter whose face
suddenly showed a high degree of
| emotion.
The forester. on the contrary,
clutched his pipe firmly between his
teeth and clapped his hands vigor-
Ously.
Elsie, my golden girl" he shouted,
at last, give me your hand. Your
a brave fellow through and Though.
Yes, | say, too, heaven defend Us
from increasing the number of those
who give up an honorable nam. for
personal gain. How is it, Adolph?
| Wen not give the lie, I take it, to
the parish register in the little Sill
| sian village church where we were
christened. We shall go on writing
our name as it stands written there.
And as it faithfully accompanied
us for half a century in joy and sor-
row. added Ferber, by way of con
firmation, the document I'll pre-
serve for our scion here" and he
laid his hand upon Ernst's curly
pate, until he has formed a mature
judgement of his own. / must not
decide now for him; but shall
know how so to guide
him that he will one
day prefer going his own way with
his own strength to lying idly upon
the bed of old traditions and Unjust
ices, to enjoy advantages which
should be solely the reward Of noble
effort. The Gnadwitzes in their long
career have given the world naught
and taken all they could get. Let
them moulder in their tomb and
their undeservedIy famous name
with them"
"Lila!' exclaimed the forester,
and put out his pipe He arose. Nov
let us go, he said to his Brother
and consult the pastor of Lindhof
/ The place under the linden in our
beautiful churchyard- pIeases me a
! thousand times better than the three
dusty walls up there, between which
he mother of our race has had to
, rest so many years. And to Keep the
cold, heavy earth from touching her
we can have the grave lined With
masonry and covered with stone"
I Accomp9 by Reinhardt and
/ Ferber he departed, and while Frau
Ferber and Miss Mertens conveyed
;, the casket to place of safety Eliza
beth climbed the ladder up the
jutty, pushed the boards aside, and
slipped down into the hidden room
A thin ray of evening sunshine fell
from the ruby-red glass of the WIN
dow, casting a bloodstain as it
seemed, upon the same Lila. The
young girl stood a long time, with
bowed head and folded hands, near
the lonely shrine of death, in which
that ardent heart had slept from the
moment its woe ceased and died
away in the stiffness of the grave
Centuries had flown They had car
ried away all the bewitching charm
of the brief, existence, the stormy fee
ings through which it had found its
destruction, as though they had never
existed. And still the young heart that
beat uneasily in the midst of the
silent chamber of dealI believed its
own storms could never die away.
CHAPTER XVII.
The event at Gnadeck was rumored
at Lindhof before Reinhardt reached
home. The masons on their homeward
way had related the wonderful story