Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-06-25


glimpses OF her coquettish, cold-heaTt-
ed nature that was sure il would he
so; it was unavoidable. But it grieved
me-grieved me inexpressibly, to see
that proud eager face so weary, Sc pa
thetic, and SO worn. MY God, thou
leadest thy children through strange
paths! l thought. Any faintest linger-
ing resentment against him, which
was still hidden away in my heart.
vanished before his sad looks, and
added to the bitter hatred l felt for
his wife. She alone was to blame for
everything.
What strange thing is the human
hearti All the old ardent love for him
had sprung up anew as he stood before
me so Unexpectedly, and grew warmer
and deeper the more realized that he
was not happy.
Katharine / said the next morn
ing, in trembling voice. as knelt by
her bed, do you know who saw yes
terday?
"She looked at me in surprise; then
she said, reading something strange in
my eyes, Not Lieutenant Won Eber-
i hardt?'
Yes, Katharine; saw him again,
but how?'
" 'Well?' she said, eagerly.
He does not get on with his wife;
| and he looked so sad
4 knew it long ago. nodded Kath-
| arine, and was glad of it. 1t serves
him right, and he ought not to expect
anything else. l prayed God it might
be so when I saw you so wretched
and despairing, and I was glad when
heard the first reports that his mar
riage hadn't turned out all he expect
ed. hope it will be still worse, so he
can realize how he sinned against
you!'
For shame, Katharine!' | cried,
springing up Indignantly For shame!
could not have believed you could
be so revengeful. If you could only see
how sad he looked-how joyless-'
Gretchen, take care said the old
woman, harshly. Don't begin that all
over again. Your feeling for him may
become sinful; he has a wife ana
child
&" 'sinfuI?' I repeated. A burning
flush ran over me. I pressed my hands
before my face, and drew a long
| breath. Whittier had I been straying?
All, If he had appeared before me RAJ
diant with happiness, I could have re
treated calmly, and comforted myself
with the thought that he was happy
but no! I felt powerfully drawn toward
him to comfort him, to speak a kind
word to him as compensation
for all the scorn his wife cast in his
teeth-and this compassion, this sym
pathy, was sin?
And yet she was right, my old
Katharine; I must not think of him L;
he had thrust me out of his heart
so roughly, he would not know any
thing Of me, and-he was the husband
of another.
Katharine said, you said this
morning that you had long known that
he did not live happily with his wife.
Please tell me what you know.
Why, child. the very sparrows on
the" roof chatter about it, began the
old woman; the whole village is full
of it. The glamour did not last long,
but l would not say anything to you,
because I knew that your kind heart
and your old love would flame when
you heard it. The young countess re-
CURED all sorts of absurd sacrifices
from her husband very soon after the
wedding, even before the honeymoon
was over. She could not make herself
comfortable in the fortress, so she beg
ged her husband to hang up lis SOL
dier's uniform, and go to Vienna with
her. There was a great uproar about it
at the castle; Liesel told me about it.
To be confirm ID.