Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-07-30

the even breathing OF the child beside
! me, wide awake as l was, and tor
| mented by anxiety.
| At last, toward morning I slept
| for a short time. An, how often since
! have l wished that might never have
walked again! l was reused by a loud
! and violent knocking. started up in
bed and listened with a beating heart,
wondering if l were dreaming-but
no; there it was again; louder and
and more distinct fell the knccker of
| the outer door on it's brass plate at
| the same time the cry, Marie!
| Marie. came to my ear. In an instant
I was in my dressing gown; l hurried
out with lamp and opened the door
A cold gust of wind rushed in and put
| out the light saw only one figure
enter. Who it was, l could not recog-
nize in the darkness. The question
died On my lips, for just then Marie
| came down the stairs with her lamp,
and the Pickering and uncertain light
fell on FTiedel's distressed face. One
| glance at him told me that something
dreadful had happened. He was with
out a cap, his hair hung roughly about
his face, his eyes wandered anxious
| ly from me to Marie and from Marie
to me- He tried to speak and could
not and l stared at him, my deadly
fear preventing me from uttering a
word.
" Good heavens!' shrieked Marie.
'Friedel! What has happened?
" The Herr Lieutenant!' he gasped
out at length after a pause, during
! which l could plainly hear the beating
of my heart. The Herr Lieutenant
he cried again, and flung himself down
at my feet: he is dead! Last evening"
Oh, merciful God, forgive me my sins,
but l wish It might be me! Oh, Frau
lein, what misery what misery! and
the man broke out into loud crying,
while I put my hand 10 my forehead
and felt as if l was in a dream-as if
in a dream heard the girls Mortified
cry, the sobbing of the man at my
! feet. In my ears it went on sounding,
Dead! Last EVENING" Ny heart all at
once stood still, as if it had ceased to
beat.
Then I laughed aloud; it was so
absurd what they were saying, Will
helm dead! My Wilhelm! 1t was sim
! ply impossible. How could he die, he
so full of life and health? how could
he lie there cold and stiff, of whom |
had thought that day, and night with
all the glow of love and longing? Are
you mad?' l cried angrily, thrusting
Friedel away, as he still chung to my
dress. Then I went into the bedroom,
felt for Katharine's bed, and cried:
katharine! wake up and tell the
man that it is not true! tell him that
Wilhelm is not dead! No, it cannot
be, it is impossible!'
81 still remember these words dis
tinctIy, and the calmness and GER
tainty with which I uttered them. l
was entirely in the possession of my
senses, although they often told me
afterward that they had feared for
my mind at this moment.
mo, l was quite myself, but I did
not think such a cruel thing was
possible l could not realize that |
had lost the dearest object on earth,
that l was hurled suddenly from the
very pinnacle of happiness into the
deepest misery.
LAS I learned afterward, the girl
had awakened Frau Ranner with the
cry: oh, do come; the Herr Lieuten-
ant is dead, and the FrauIein has gone
madr / was still sitting by the bed,
!, ,SV,N n y
| shocked, was holding ray hands in her
own cold trembling Ones-about me
the darkness of the frosty November
morning-when l perceived a light
in the parlor and heard voices. The
! light came into the bedroom; the
| deathIy pale face Of Frau Renner
| looked at me with unfe1gned horror.
l went to meet her, and let her lead
me into the parIor. There stood Erie
DEL leaning against the door his head
hidden in his arms. The maid was
! trying to make a fire IN the stove.
Gretchen, my poor child said
the little woman, great tears running
down her pale cheeks, I cannot give
you any comfort; only God can do
that Friedel's dull sobs, the tremb-
ling words of the old woman, pierced
a dagger to my heart. The conviction
that this dreadful thing was true en-
tered my soul with frightful clear
ness. Wilhelm! WiIheIm!' l cried, in
bitter grief, and I knew no more of
that horrible time.
when I came to myself again it
was broad day, a clear, bright winter
day. awoke with the fullest con-
sciousness of the terrible misfortune
that had befauen me. With caImness
which surprises me now, and with a
only in such hours of misery, l got up
and dressed me, although Frau Rem
ner earnestly opposed II. Then in
sisted on speaking to Friedei, to hear
from her own lips and in what way
the horrible catastrophe had come
about. But he was already gone, and
Frau Renner told me, in a voice
choked by tears, that Eberhardt had ]
ridden out on a young horse, that it
had run away and had fallen with him.
He had been thrown with his head
against a curbstone, and killed on the
spot.
81 shuddered, and my heart con-
tracted within me. His image was be-
fore me- the beautiful face disfgured,
the dark eyes closed. stared Vacantly
before me. but then came the thought
that I must see him once more, for
h loo IL