Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-07-23

rest anu WHICH you nave missed, 10
make the whole collection perfect"
" She turned very pale for a mo-
ment, and did not know what to say.
I took advantage of her silence to
turn to Frau Won Bendeleben, who
still seemed quite overcome. said to
her dryIy, that Ruth Knew that I loved
YOU before my engagement to her, but
that she had made me suspicious of
you, that she had intercepted this let
ter of mine to you, and kept it back
so that I, waiting in vain for an ans
wer, at last came to believe in your
falsehood; that l had found this PROOF
of what she had done only the other
day in her jewel case, when l sent
her ornaments to Vienna. You see,
dear aunt" | added, that the pro-
duction Of this letter and this air Of
the surprised and injured wife is an
admirable comedy, which she IS act
ing in a mastery manner. But she
has given herself quite unnecessary
trouble. If Ruth had only waited a few
days I would have quietly proposed a
separation to her. She would thus have
been spared a great deal of agitation,
and it would not have been necessary
to ruin the lock of my writing desk by
opening with a false key the drawer
in which those letters were kept"
Then l went up to the table, took up
the letters, and put them in the pocket
of my coat. They are the letters of
a young girl to her betrothed,'
said, land you can understand that
they are not intended for the perusal
of third person"
'Ruth's passionate temper now
displayed itself to full measure. Nor
LITIGATION at the discovery of her
falsehood, anger at my calmness, and
the humbling Of her pride caused her
to forget all considerations. The
words came pouring forth from her
rosy lips, while angry tears stood in
her eyes and the small hands were
clenched. Il hate you! I despise you! "
were the sentiments which, in thous-
and variations, were hurled at me.
quietly allowed her rage to expend
itself, and turned again to Frau Won
Bendeleben. expected to hear from
her a word of good sense. But she sat
there with her hands folded on the
table, and seemed to have no ear for
her daughters excitement and no eye
for me. At length Ruth threw herself
at her mothers feet, and with a loud
cry she hid her face in the folds OF
her dress. The latter rose, and cast
ing a cold glance at me, she said in a
loud voice, which instantly quieted
Ruth's sObs:
1T is enough! It Is well that II
should be so. I can only say one thing
to you: if Ruth knew, as you declare
she did, that you had liason with
+ the daughter of Pastor Siegismund
| she must have loved you very deeply
to become your wife in spite Of it, in
CRATE that you are! And now leave
us; my child needs rest. Bendeleben
will speak to Judge R, and take
steps for the divorce"
4 laughed aloud, l could not help
! il, as | walked along the corridor, at
! the turn affairs had taken. My aunt
is indeed a clever woman; | per
! cieved from the clever turn she gave
| to the affair. But man struggles in
vain with all the weapons of logic
against a wOman's ideas. | made no
effort to convince my aunt, but went
, to the baron. He met me in a very
hostile mood; he reproached me bit
terly for having so little appreciation
of my position as to be willing to
marry a girl of the burgher class. He
said that l had cast a slur upon him
by this passion of mine | had made
his daughter unhappy, and many other
things that I will not repeat. They
were very angry with you, too, my
Gretchen. You poor girl, in your po-
sitiOn at the castle, had no right to
possess a heart And yet our youthful
hearts beat more quickly when We
saw each other, and love, which finds
it a matter of perfect Indifference
whether a coronet surmounts the
names of both or not, drew US to-
gether-and that was a crime!
4 parted from my uncle without
condescending to defend my actions,
as he had hoped l only said TO him
that I would take steps for getting
the divorce, and to that end I wodld
speak to my lawyer tomorrow. He
started a little at that, and fearing
the eclat, he proposed that we should
have only a separation; she could
travel on the score of health, and, in
the meantime. we should both grow
caImer. Afterward l might get sent
to another garrison, and Ruth would
forgive me for my deceit, and she
would be cooler.
q" 81 have never deceived Ruth" I
replied; she has nothing to forgive.
I have nothing against her taking a
journey, but, unfortunately, l cannot
change my decision with regard to
divorce. as | have come to the firm
conviction during my marriage that
our relations would not improve, but
would grow steadily worse. 1t is the
best thing for Ruth, the best for me,
and. as I said, I shall take the first
steps toward it tomorrow"
&c ''C'est bon" said my uncle, bow
ing though he was very pale. i will
not stand in your way. I shall re-
quire my daughter to go away and
Will speak to my lawyer, for my own
part-so I think there is nothing more
for US to say?'
&c Nothing, uncle" I said, and l
took my hat and left the house. You
know what followed. I brought you
the child, the divorce was accomp-
lished, and on the same day when my
aunt tried TO take the child away,
Ruth and I had had the last hearing,