Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-05-07
Continued.

visible TO any or US, Seemed " navy
RECLAIMED toIerable composure. She
was in her own room d great DEAL and
Hannah told ne that she was general
" lying on the sofa with book; lat
er she appeared at noon, and In Ihe
evening at the table. The strange
rigid expression that had rested on
her face on that evening when she
came into the brilliant ballroom nad
vanished, and there was again an eX-
preston, half-cOquettish, hah.Dored'
about the charming little mouth. But
she was lovely, wonderfully lovely;
the widows cap on her dark hair lent
to the face, with the transparent skin,
an almost rosy hue, intensified by the
dark background Of the GRAPE Vell'
which wed with the eyes in blackness.
7 often looked at her in admiration
when she walked through the room
in her long train; the charming Great
ure looked like a goddess OF mourn
ing.
"Hannah's wedding, wnICn was to
have taken place before the beginning
of Lent, had at first been determined
to keep to the original date. The trous-
seau was made ready, though not with
such joyful haste as had been the case
for the lovely Ruth's marriage. But
Hannahs quiet, happy face cast a SHIN
Tner Of happiness over the prepare
tions. We sat alone together a great
deal Hannah and ]. Ruth took very
little notice of me, except once to
say, against her will, that she had not
thought I would grow up SO pretty.
About the same relations existed be-
tween us as had formerly been the
case. and l thought l would go to my
own home as soon as Hannah was
married and gone, all the more as my
father would come home again at
Easter.
81 had been to see Katharine very
soon after Ruth's sudden return, l had
so much to tell her, but she would not
listen; the gcntIeness she had shown
toward me lately had disappeared;
the discovery in the corridor in the
castle had turned her completely
against me,
a" L will not hear anything she de-
clared, harshIy. DO what you like;
come here or stay there, so far as l
am concerned. You ungrateful; you
ought to be ashamed of yourself!'
d" I ought to be ashamed?' l cried
out, indignant at the hard words. Why
should l be ashamed? Wilhelm Won
Bberhardt loves me. I am going to be
his wife; and is that anything to blush
for?'
" Why does he not write to your
father? Why does he not take you by
the hand and say: See, you PEOPLE,
this is my betrothed wife?' asked Kath-
arine What a position he puts you
in by this secrecy. But he is afraid
to do the right thing; his aunt would
soon make it clear to him what a mis-
take he had made in wanting to bring
Gretel Siegismund from the village
down here into her family
" katharine, he loves me-
d" Then let him prove it by saying
it openly
MT CdIuOIg JUST uOM.
d" Because he is afraid of his noble
relations. True love fears neither fire
nor water. A man who has honorable
intentions cares more for a girls hon
or than for anything else replied the
old woman, with a superior air.
" Katharine, you viii drive me wild.
l know that he loves me, as time will
show. Don't say another word; you
have no right to speak to me-
And then ] went away, my maiden
ly pride deeply wounded.
ITO be sure, Ebcrhardt comforted
me in his letters, which came as pune
tually as before to the care of Anne
Marie; and when he came, he said:
We have got past the worst Of it
now. I AN thinking how soon it will
be spring, and in the summer every
one will know that you are mine
But what will every one say?' 7
Inquired. What viii your aunt and
Countess Satewski say when Mamseue
Siegismund comes into their family
all at once?
Don't be anxious about that; we
will marry as soon as possible, and
then I should like to see any one fail
in respect to Frau Won Eberhardt' His
dark eyes flashed angriIy. 7 beg you
will not think of it now; and don't
fret, but trust in me- he added. draw
ing his hand across his eyes. as if to
shut out the unpleasant visions that
came up before him.
"The first time that Bergen and
Eberhardt came after that eventful
evening, Ruth did not appear at all.
The gentlemen had only seen her at
that time when she returned to her
parents house, pale, agitated, and
shaken by the great tragedy. Neither
Hannah nor I could imagine what this
withdrawal, as soon as her cousin and
her brother-in-law appeared. signiffed.
The former was really hurt, because
her sister seemed to have no desire to
make her lovers acquaintance.
But one Saturday evening. when
the gentlemen had come again to
spend Sunday, and we were sitting be-
fore the fire in the little salon, chat
ting gayIy about Hannah's approach
ing marriage, and was being indem-
nifed for a long and anxious period by
the presence of my beloved, the door
opened and Ruth came in.
TT was quite dark in the room: we
had been chattering in the twilight;
only the light Of the fire IN the fire
place cast a faint red glow on the