Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-04-16

bed, carefully posing his gigantic fig
ure on the tips of his toes, and putting
| into the thin little fingers a bouquet
| from the greenhouse, or an orange.
pushed the curtains aside SO carefully
| with his great hands, to press kiss
on his child's forehead, and his voice
| was so soft as he asked after her
| health.
with her all resentment had died
out; the care and anxiety Of the par
ents touched the delicate creature,
and she forgot that they were to
blame for her illness.
g How kind you al are she said,
when someone prepared little pleas
ant surprise for her; and she would
stroke her mothers cheek caressingly
and nod pleasantly to me.
''She never mentioned Bergen, but
the baron spoke of him all the more.
Several times already he had asked
the doctor if Hannah were strong
enough to bear a great joy; and as
many times the answer had been:
Not yet
But when Hannah was able to sit
up all day and had dined with us sew
eral times, it was at last announced:
" Joy will not do her any harm
now, on the contrary; but you must
be very quiet about it
Then one day, toward the end of
November, when the first snow-fakes
were whirIing in the air, the baron
had his two best black horses har-
messed, and drove into TIE city; and
Frau Won Bendeleben said TO me:
You think, don't you, Gretchen,
that Hannah is still in love with Ber-
GEM
{" Yes, I feel quite sure of it, re-
piled.
with a panied expression about
her mouth she walked restlessly up
and down the room.
I am sure you must know what
we are about to do. My husband has
gone to see Bergen, and very prob
ably we shall have an engaged couple
in the house today. Hannah has
grieved herself i'll over her love, and
shall be compensated for all her trou-
bic. My God send his blessing upon
her!'
she sighed.
my heart beat fast for joy.
" But does Hannah know about it
No, she knows nothing. You know
the baron likes surprises; if it only
won't do her any harm. Would to God
this day were overt
''It was easy to see, in the fine face
under the lace cap, that she was by no
L, means happy in the prospect; her
eyes were dim and her lips tWitched
neryously. perceived how it stood
she had been obliged to give way in
this particular: the baron had no ears
for her wise and mild representations
The joy of seeing his chtld's life saved
outweighed all other considerations
with him. He only wished for her hap,
pines, while her mother, already for
, getting all the anxiety and care they
had just gone through, saw in the fut
ure sOn-in-laW only the poor noble
man of the lowest military rank. II
was dreadful to her not to be able tC
, / present u6F pretty I1duudu also DIS d
countess, and this, she felt sure, she
would have been able to do if Hannah
had only been reasonable. However al
hopes of that kind were now at al
, end. She passed her handkerchief
across her eyes, sighed again, and sent
: me upstairs, with instructions, in case
, Hannah should ask for the baron tC
: say he had gone to W1esenau, a neigh
boring estate.
: my heart beat fast with excitement
as I saw the fraiI figure in the chair
: by the window, looking out, 1istlessly
: at the whirling snowfakes; on her lar
, she held an open casket, into which
/ she put dried oak twig she had been
holding in her hand; and as if to turn
, my attention to something else, she
/ said:
The first snow! Do you remember
Gretchen, when we were children, how
We used to always roast the first
apples and put them in to roast?'
t Yes Hannah, and why shouldn't We
. be children again today? I will get
some apples and put them in to roast.
To be continued