The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-05-24

pose. He laid down his pipe reached
for his hat and Coat-for in the lodge
he generally went about in his shirt
/ slneves--and went over to the hotel
. The concierge, who knew hermann
conducted him to room ten on the en-
trcsole Hermann knocked. A voice
babe him enter. An. il was the Ger
man-American. whose papers had
puzzled his eNcellency,
( You wished TO see me, Herr Grum-
/ BACH"
| Yes" said Grumhach, offering a
chair.
Hermann accepted the courtesy
with dignity. His host drew up an
other chair to the opposite side Of
the reading "a bic The light overhead
pat both faces in a semishadow.
You are Hermann Breunner, be-
gan Grumbach.
Yes"
You once had brother named
! Hans"
Hermann grew rigid in his chair.
l..I-AaXa- uQ-hrQthErah replied his
voice dull and empty.
Perhaps not now" continued
/ Gramhach, but you did have
Aermaun's head dropped. My
! Cod yes. / did have "a brother; bu,
/ he was a scoundrel"
Perhaps he was scoundrel lie
! is--dead." softly.
/ Gods will be done" but Hermann :
face turned lighter.
/ AS a hoy he loved you"
+ And did not iaXe him ," said
| Hermann Hercely. did / not worship
/ that boy who was to me more like II
son than IL brother? Had not all the
brothers and sisters died but he? But
/ you--who are you to recall these
things"
"a knew your brother; ] knew him
we'll lie was not a scouudreI; only
! Weak. He went to America and bO-
came sucCessl al in business. He
| was not coward; he did his fighting
| brave!y and honofablg."
| "Oh, no. Hans could never have
| been coward: even his villainy re-
| quired courage. But go on
| He dled facing the enemy. and his
/ last words were of you. He begged
! your forgiveness; he implOred that
/ YOU forget that black moment lie
/ was young. he said, and they offered
! him a thousand crowns. In moment
/ Of despair he fell"
despair - Ind he confess to YOU
| the crime he committed?'
Yes"
4IHd he tell you to whom he sold
| his honor t'
That ne never knew. A Gypsy from
| the hills came TO him, so he said
4' From Jugendheit%"
u say that ne knew nothing. lie
! believed that the Gypsy wanted her
/ trtss 5rtfr-s--tr 4isia far ransom Hans
| spike of a girl called Tekla."
~Tekla7 All, veg; Hans was in iov'
with that doll-face.'
"Don-face or not. Hans, evidently
loved her, She Tilted him, ana he die
not care then what happened. lIi'
un. desire MAS to leave Drelberg. And
! this Gipsy brought the means and tht
/ opportunity -.-
Net Il4gGndheit ."
WHO Knows Hans followed the
Band of Gipsirs INTO the mountains
/ The real horror ol his act did not come
home Ia him tiH then. All. +he re
morse, But II Was too late They
! dressed the little one in rags Bu'
when J ran away from them I tool
her little shoes and cloak and locket.'
Hermann was on his feet,
GrumhaCh reli atted his cigar which
| had gone out The smoke wavere'
about his face and slowly assembled
IFS eyes were as bright and CLOWN,
as Goals, He waited. He had mad
the slip without reconciliation; hu
what was done was done. SO h,
waited.
trrrr1HTrTT rtrur1T,r.rf- trtr-tttttt4
the table and leaned forward,
lis it YOU, Hans, and l did not know
you9"
1t is /. brother"
My Cod Hermann sank dowl
weakly. The ceiling spun and tn
gaElight e9arated itself into a hun
drod lamo<. You said he was dead
80 | am, to the world, to you, AM