Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-04-23
Continued.

bright woods; the FIRE threw red ana
yellow lights on the carpet Whlch
Hannah dreamily watched with her
eyes.
d" L wish we were children still,
Gretchen, she said. 1T is all so exact
" the same as before, and yet so dill.
ferent'
" yes, it is different and much
nicer / declared, passing my mana
lightly over my pocket, where lay
Wilhelm's last letter. 1t is much
nicer, Hannah, you must think So
"She shook her mead and looked at
me as if she could not see what there
was nice about it. Then she said
Yes. YOU have no trouble but the
familiar tampering of the horses and
the rolling Of the carriage interrupted
her. / sprang up and hurried to the
door.
"Where are you going, Gretchen?
It must be a visitor; or has papa been
out?
81 recoIIected myself. Yes, he has
been to Wiesenau. You are quite right
II must be he is coming back again
" I could not sew; l was greatly eX-
cited with the knowledge that Hannah
was no near the fuIflment of all her
desires. My hands trembled, and were
powcrless to hold my needle.
"For q while she was still, and then
I heard the baron's step on the stairs.
" Dear father said Hannah; his
first thought is Of me-
Good morning, my love- cried
his sonOrous voice. How do you do to-
day?' and he kissed her on the fore
head. You look as fresh as rose;
that is well. But now you must come
downstairs with me; 1 have brought
you something, and this some
thing" has a great desire to sac you.
Come, take my arm, and try to guess,
as you go down, what it can be-
Hannah opened her great eyes and
looked wonderingly at her father, and
prepared to go with him; then l
whispered to her:
Remember what is your most ar
dent desire; you are going to have it
fulfilled
"She started violently and flushed
crimson; then she cast an imploring,
reprOachful glance at me, as if to say:
Why do you put such thoughts into
my mind?' But the baron took her up
like a child and carried her down
stairs; she had her arms round his
neck, and her fair head nestled close
to his, with her eyes half closed as If
she were dreaming.
r stayed behind, tormented with
anxiety about her; they we're very
tender OF her, guarding her against
an excess of joy and grief, but now
it was the fulnesg of love they had to
deal with, and the great, strong man
could scarcely comprehend that this
great Joy might be too much for so
delicate a frame.
"A haIf-hour passed; then light
steps flew along the corridor, the door
opened, and, with flushed cheeks and |
joyful eyes, Hannah stood before me. |
Gretchen, my Gretchen, how happy |
am! You must come; you must see
him! All, tell me, if it is really posi- |
bIe!' She drew me away with her. |
Did you know about it, and yet say |
nothing to me, you horrid creature%
Eyes, but can't speak, Hannah; |
you are choking me. But tell me,
were you not very much overcome.
9" NO, not at all When you whisper
ed to me to think Of my greatest de- /
sire, l knew what it was; and when
papa put me down at his study door and
said: Now so in and see your pres
ent," l cried out, Henry" on the
threshold, and it really was he
Yes, it really was he, and he look
ed radiant, as he said to me, with his |
arm round his betrothed.
" You see, everything has come
right
The Oaron was walking up and
down the room, rubbing his hands.
Only one thing is Incompetent |
sible to me- he said; Hannah was
not at all surprised
g No, papa she said, smiling, 1T
had to be so, or I should have died
" We'll, you don't look very much
like dying now; see what little hap
piness does he remarked.
Frau Won Bendeleben was the only
one who did not wear a happy face on
this day: it is true she compelled her
self to smile, but it was easy to see
that the smile did not come from the
heart: and when. afterward, the Ques-
ton of the marriage came up, she
named very early day, as if she
wanted to have it done and over with
as soon as possible.
THAT evening, the powdered old
gods in the dining room looked down
Wilhelm Won Eberhardt, and could Sc
sretly put my hand in his; he had
ridden over to assure himself with
his own eyes of the position of affairs.
q felt almost enviOus when I saw
Hannah and Bergen so happy to-
gether; she had a thousand little at
tentions to bestow on him, which ne
returned with ardent looks and words.
while I had to weigh every word and
look, and dared only return the press
ure of the dear hand in secret. be-
lieve I said something of the kind to
Eberhardt when he led me to the pi-
ano in the next room.
" Gretchen he said, despairingly,
only sing, and afterward. l will sing
you a song that you must let sink deep
into your mind
When l had sung Hannah's favor
lie song and had oO0e hack IN the