Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-04-23
gke 9astor's Daughter
u. Feimbrrs
ID. Feimbrrs

True love is ever sweetest,
When kept from all apart;
Then hide thy deepest raptures,
Within thy secret heart.
"It was well that Frau Won Benoe-
Iahen was not in the salon, that the
engaged couple were thinking only Oh
themselves, and the baron did not I'M
derstand such things. l think my race
must have shown that this song was
addressed to me. But from that mo-
ment nut myself under restraint, and
no one would ever have perceived any
thing.
Through this fortunate turn or al
fairs at Castle BendVleben, had ire
ouent opportunities of seeing my De-
trothed. Bergen came over constantly
Shaving over every Saturday, ana, OF
course, Eberhardt never failed TO &C
company him.
"Hannah doomed like rose; she
laughed and TESTED the livelong day.
We had a thousand secrets in prepara-
ton for Christmas, we shut ourselves
IN for hours in our room, and even
Frau Won Bendeleben's displeased
look by no means disturbed our happy
mood.
AT this time Hannah had her por-
trait painted. The artist, an old man,
almost bent over, came from the city
for that purpose. He saw me frequent
". and at last begged that l would sit
to him. The baron, who happened to
be present, entered into the idea
heartily, and that is how l happened
to have a little miniature, which the
baron wished should be sent to my
father. For the first time, l uttered a
falsehood. l gave it to Wilhelm as
Christmas gift.
at was a very happy time that Han
nah and l were living through now,
and what JOY it was, when, on Satur-
day evenings, the dogs in the castle
court began to bark, and Hannah,
crying, Gretchen, they are coming!
flew downstairs toward the little Ber-
gen, who sometimes looked like a
snowman, and had to thaw out his
blonde mustache. And behind him
stood Eberhardt's tall figure, and his
dear eyes looked everywhere by the
light of the lantern, till at last they
rested on me; and then those evenings
in the warm room in front of the fire
place. The baron carefully brewed a
punch to thaw out the frozen riders;
we sang and laughed, and it would
have been even more delightful, had
not the slender black figure Cf the
young pastor appeared too often in
our midst. Hardly a week went by that
ne did not spend several evenings at
the castle, and Frau Won Bendeleben
encouraged him openly.
"In the first place, long conferences
on account of the Christmas-tree for
the children were necessary. Present
ly he had to have advice with regard
to the schools; in short, he always had
some very excellent reason for coming
to the castle I took but little notice
Of him, and he only spoke to me on
ordinary subjects; my father was Of
ten the subject, and replied pleasant
Iy to his questions about his health
SO it was all the more unpleasant to
me, when Frau Won Bendeleben some
times leased me a little about the
Herr Pastors interest in me. / avoid
ed him as much as I could; / had
never been to see his mother again,
and when I went over to see Katha-
rine, I never looked across at the win
dows of the neat little house, so I need
not bow.
katharine had been delighted to
hear of Hannah's engagement and ap-
preaching marriage, She VS. glad to
see the last barriers removed that
stood between me and my fathers
house. She thought, and very justly,
What will Gretchen do at the castle
when her friend is no longer there?'
and she wondered that I should bear
the prospect of losing Hannah so
philosophically.
christmas was drawing near;
Frau Won Bendeleben often came back
from the city with her carriage packed
full, and splendid presents for the
Countess .Satewski, in Vienna, were
sent off. The latter, by the way, on re-
ceiviug the announcement of Hannah's
had written a very cool
letter of congratulation which SEEM
ed to be quite to Frau Won Bendeleb-
ems taste, but which did not disturb
the little brides equaminity in the
least.
1.-The day before Christmas, Bergen
and Eberhardt came just in time for
the distribution of presents to the
village children, who were singing a
Christmas hymn with their shriu
voices in the great hall, with their
eyes meantime fixed expectantly on
the tables and the blazing Christmas
tree. Pastor Renner spoke a few suit
able words, and then the children
scrambled for places round the tables;
Hannah and I we're in the midst Of
them, now helping little girl to pack
away her doll and her STOLEN, now
swapping the fingers of some sturdy
urchin, who had permitted himself to
make a raid on his neighbor's nuts,
with a warning: Take care, you
naughty boy. next year there won't be
any for you!'
"Eberhardt helped, too; his laugh,
and the dron sayings of the children,
sound in my ears now: but at last the
happy little flock scattered, and we
were left in peace again.
That is a labor groaned the