Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-06-18

do come up, II only Tor an nOuf, LOT
my husband would miss you 50 much.
This is for that tall Anneri who was
confirmed at Easter she continued,
putting a label on the black dress. 1t
is made out Of one of Ruth's mourn
ing dresses,-she stroked the soft
wooden stuff with a sigh-'she has been
widow a year now; her husband
died a year ago the day before yester-
day, and she came here the day after
Christmas. Good heavens! I can see
her now as she came in the ballroom,
so pale and dishevelled. Oh, how much
one has to go through!
1--WE had soon finished arranging
the things. You might go to the coun-
tess, Gretchen, and ask her If she will
come in to the Distribution said
Frau Won Bendeleben. In the mean
time | will light the candles on the
tree You can hear how the little COM
pany in the next room are clamoring;
they are getting very impatient.
Mamselle Rissman can hardly restrain
them
Il was not much pleased with this
commission. The remembrance Of how
I had once gone there with Hannah to
summon the lovely countess awoke
within me. l had just decided to send
Johann. when I perceived Liesel, who
was coming hurriedly out Of the coun-
tesss room, and who nearly ran over
me as l was hurrying along.
g Gracious. F'raulein Gretchen! Oh,
don't be angry with me! You will see
now / was right after ALL always
said it would be so. You can tell Kath-
arine Of it, for she never would believe
me. Now, you can see for yourself how
the Herr Lieutenant is holding the
countess in his arms and calling her
my darling" and heaven only knows
what! Who would ever have thought
it would be this evening! l must go
down and tell them at once, for not a
soul knows Of it yet.
Leisel! I cried-I held her tight
II by the shoulder~ what are you talk
ing about? Who did you mean?'
Good gracious! what could mean?'
came awhile ago quite unexpectedly.
and is with the Frau Countess. I al
ways said they would make a match
of it.
1" She ran off, and, quite stunned,
leaned my head against the cold wall;
the tortures of jealousy seized upon
me with terrible force. So that was
why he loved me no longer, because
he loved this beautiful woman-what
was I in comparison with her?
"The door of Ruth's apartment
opened and bright light shone out in
to the corridor. saw his tall, slender
figure come out, and a woman in a
long white trained dress followed him.
'Au revoir, my beloved she said,
throwing her arms round his neck,
while Eberhardt embraced her again,
and looked down at her tenderly.
I will get dressed at once. and
then you can come and get your be-
trothed. Only take care that mamma
does not faint away when you make
your unexpected announcement. Mon
pect the skies to fall than to hear Of
an engagement. She has no idea that
We have loved each other so long
she laughed in clear, silvery tones,
and he bent down and kissed her.
'Au revoir! my angel! I am going
straight to your parents
Il shut my eyes, and drew back
deep into one of the inches that were
made in the wall My heart beat wild
ly with grief and anger. If ne only
does not see me- I thought. But my
fears were unnecessary, for he walked
past me with his head held high, his
eye flashing with the JOY of victory,
and on his lips a smile of sweetest
content He had looked like that when
he had kissed me.
"Oh, if l could only have sprung for
ward and called out to him: you are
mistaken, it is l alone whom you
love; you are deceiying yourself as
she is deceiving you, this cold, heart
less woman!' Now 1 knew what it
was to hate; hated her who had rob-
bed me of his heart with deadly hat
red. Hitherto I had steadily resisted
this feeling; l said to myself that she
had only slandered me to him because
she would not endure at any price to
have me, who was SO much beneath
him in rank, made his wife: but now
I knew that she loved him herself, and
it was easy for her to thrust me
aside, She had all the power of rich,
charming, beautiful, and clever wo-
man-and what had I to offset that?
controlled myself by a strong effort,
and went back through the hall. I
could still hear the impatient cIamor
of the children, and Mamselle Kiss
mann's reproving or soothing tones
coming from the room next the large
salon. [ was going quietly to get my
hat and shawl and go home, when
Johann came up to me and said:
Frau Gretchen, the Frau Baroness
begs that you will give the children
the presents alone, for she is detained
just at present. The Lieutenant Won
Eberhardt is in there, he whispered,
by way of explanation. 'Franzel would
soon have ridden the legs off his
brown horse-he was sent to the city
almost every day with letters. Well,
now he is here again, man and horse
can have some peace once more
He opened the salon door for me.
There stood Pastor Renner beside the
blazing Christmas tree, waiting for
the distribution.
We are to begin at once I said
in a low voice. Ftbp baroness iS a.