Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-04-02

"As l laid my hand on the door-knob
| Of the little salon, heard inside the
| baron's deep voice saying:
Yes, my dear boy it is a de-
| lightfuI surprise
Boy thought; who in the world
can it be?' and l entered.
Il can still see them all 80 plainly
| as they stood before me then-the
! baron, according to his usual custom,
even in the hottest summer day,
standing before the stove with his
hands behind his back, with Hannah
beside him; on the sofa sat Frau Won
I Bendeleben; she had on gray silk
dress and cap of pink ribbons; be-
fore her stood a slim young officer,
who was laughin"ly holding both her
hands in his-Wilhelm Won Ebe hardt
Z CAS- | entered he turned around; we
stood opposite and looked ct each
! other, AfterWard, after long years,
now even l sometimes ask myself. why
| people who are destined for each
other do not know this at their first
meeting! Oh, if 1 hao had PRESENT.
menC of what an influence he was to
exert over my life, l would have fed
to my own dreary home, and perhaps
! then l should have been happier.
| Here is our madcap!' cried the
, baron. Dear Gretchen, look at this
young man for a moment. He declares
his name is Wilhelm Won Ebechardt,
g u
ship. But I shall not believe it till he
brings me a certificate from his com
handing officer; a little, lean cadet,
who was forever hungry could not
grow up into such a strapping lfeuten-
ant in a few years time
He did not seem to know exactly
what to say to such an introduction as
this, since he had no idea who I was.
But Frau Won BendeIeben came 10 his
rescue; This young lady, dear Will
helm, is Fraulein Margaret Siegis-
mund, Hannah's friend
THE entrance Of the other officers
brought this scene to a close 1 went
up to Hannah. Then followed the tire
some introductions, and excuses to
the mistress of the house for the dis
turbance, etc.
Lieutenant Won Eberhardt leaned
against the piano and looked across at
me. A little, light-haired officer, the al
jutant, stood in front of us and as
sured Hannah that in all his life he
had never been in such charming
quarters. He spoke a great deal and
with great vivacity, and envied Lieu
tenant Won Eberhardt for finding
uncle, aunt, and cousins here so unex-
pectedly.
THE captain and the first-lieutenant
were elderly gentlemen. The first,
round as bullet, looked as If he were
fond of spirituous liquors; the first
lieutenant during the whole OF his
stay, hardly spoke three pleasant
words; he looked dark and gloomy,
and scOIded on the smallest provoca-
ton. cannot now recall the names Of
either of the gentlemen. The colonel,
a fine, agreeable man with finished,
courtly manners was a Baron Rosen-
berg.
Our table was lively and amusing.
The little light-haired adjutant, Herr
Won Bergen, Lieutenant Won Eberhardt
Hannah, and made up the lower end,
and we were soon in gay converse
ton. We talked about excursions,
dances, and everything under the sun;
then suddenly the band of the regi-
ment struck up-the attentive colonel
had ordered a serenade for the ladies.
All, had never heard such band be-
fore; I was absolutely electrified
music and flowers are the most de-
lightful things on earth, so long as one
Is young.
Gretchen called out the baron,
go and sing US a song, but popular
song, please
THE twilight had come on, and the
servants were just going to light the
candles in the silver candelabra, when
the colonel said:
oh, don't popular songs sound
best in the twilight
"Lieutenant Won Eberhardt had
risen and offered me his arm.
MAY I lead you 20 the piano?
I'VE went into the next room; Han
nah followed US and prepared to &C
company me. felt myself trembling
I tried in vain to think of a song. I
don't know how it was that this one
finally came into my mind. I sang:
The moon shining brightly,
A seat meath the trees,
There my lover and I
Could whisper at ease.
His eyes were so tender,
So sweet was his kiss,
So golden the moonlight
Oh, moment of bliss!
Such enchantment, such rapture
Oh, stars of the night,
Could ye prolong it,
This dream Of delight!
Now the moonlight has faded,
The stars are all gone,
My lover has left me,
And I am alone
My singing was different from usu-
al. Was it because IF the dark eyes
that never left my face during the
song?
"'Brava, Gretchen cried the baron,
with whom the simple melancholy air
p,,R