Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1908-08-05
Continued.


Pushing aside the curtains, l followed
him with tottering steps.
They had laid him in the great
bare room; it had once been the salon
Of the house, but the divorced wife
had taken the luxurious furniture
away with her; only the splendid red
silk curtains remained before the
windows, and a rosy glow came
through them on the pale, still face
before me in the co n, casting over it
a flush as of life.
Speeches I stood before the
coffin, looking down on my dead hap
piness. May God forgive me for the
thoughts that ragged within me! They
were not submissive. l VS. rebellious
against the cruel, memorable fate
which had not spared me, and yet
how powerless was against it!
"Friedel stood by me, the tears still
rolling down his cheeks.
All, Fraulein,' he said at length,
7 wish I could see tears in your eyes!
You look so horribly pale, so sad; cry
a little, let tear fall on the coffin;
he will not rest in his grave if those
who loved him do not weep for him
So Friedel, if l only could cry
said-but I could not. Wilhelm will
stay with me! What shall l do with
out you in the world?'
"And then 1 bent down and laid my
face against his cold cheek, and kissed
his eyes. I stayed long, long time
alone with him, for Friedel, too, had
gone away. whispered to my Eber-
hardt and looked into his dear face,
then I cut off lock Of his hair. They
had adorned the room with orange
trees, and number1ess wreaths of
white roses covered the dead; they
were all blooming yesterday in an
their splendor- only yesterday 7
" I have not even wres5n for you,
my only treasurer Whispered. What
tan I give you in your cold grave?'
"Then il occurred to me that Kath-
arine mad taken from my mothers
breast as she lay in the coffin little
medallion which contained a lock of
hair which she had once cut off my
head. Katharine had replied, to my
curious question, that when the hair
Of a living person was laid in the
grave of a friend, the dead person
would soon draw the living after him.
/ quickly took a pair of scissors, took
down my hair, and cut off one of my
long brown braids, that had been his
delight.
" Here, my love; this is still better
than flowers I whispered, laying the
braid under the clothes next to his
heart Now, farewell; bless you for
all your love, and come for me soon.'
4 was just bending over to kiss him
again when the door opened and sew
eraI officers came in, followed by the
baron I turned away from the coffin
and walked out of the room with bent
head, a few of the roses and the lock
of his hair in my hand. AS was clos
ing the door 1 heard one of the gentle
men ask who I was.
The baron replied, with some en-
baTrassment:
" The lady who takes care of his
child
= bore that also; it did not give
me pain-nothing had power TO hurt
me now. A scornful smile played
about my mouth at this denial of my
own rights on the part of
man whom I had loved like a father,
and who had also loved me dearly;
even. in this moment he could not
overcome his pride.
Then I heard another voice:
" Pardon me, Herr Baron; if that
Young lady is Margaret Siegismund,
Eberhardt has already told us long
ago that he was engaged to her; it is
well known among the officers, and
we will take occasion later to offer
our condolences to the betrothed of
our dead comrade.'
Z heard something like a murmur
of assent from several voices; then
nut on nv shawl and turned to go,
though did not know whittier. But /
could not have listened to words OF
sympathy at any price, well meant as
they might be.
''Friedel came, and brought me my
picture and Eberhardt's letter case,
which he had taken from his pocket.
Il asked him if he knew any place
where I could stay till the funeral
was over.
He nodded.
Only wait a moment, Fraulein
siegisTpund.'
After a while he came back accom-
panied by a stout, good-natured wo-
man. whose small blue eyes were full
of tears. She was the landlady OF the
house, and she kindly offered me
room till the next evening. I accepted
it thankfully, and sat there sunk IN
my grief
4 spent the night on the sofa, and
the, next morning I went softly up
stairs. TO look once more at his dear
face. But the coffin was already
closed: so l went back again, and
sat alone for hours in the little room.
Then I heard, all at once. the regu-
of eo1diorS the words OF