The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-23

little while longer. He was astonished at the length of time he had already been away from home when he came 10 think of 1t, but resolved not to return yet.
 Finally he made his way to the town where Serlo had ms theatre. Three years had passed when he reached that town since the day he set out upon his travels and entered into his apprenticeship of life. Serlo received hlm with open arms. The members of the theatrical company which Wilhelm lad organized out of the dscards were still in town. Mignon had not accom- raned them-she had insisted upon al- ways remaining with Wilhelm. Will helm cautiously inquired for Mariana and Serlo told him her story. She was dead. She had had a cn..d, boy, no one knew what had become of him. My sonn' thought Wilhelm, and pang shot through his heart.
 Wilhelm had become familiar with shakespeare, had translated his works and desired to have them acted. Serio consented and Wilhelm, not yet cured by any means of his love for the stage, rlaycd the part of Hamlet in the tragedy of the Prince of Denmark. The part of Ophelia was taken by the sis ter of Serlo, Aurelia, who did not need to simulate the madness of the daugh- ter of Polonius-she had 1t. Some un- fortunate love affair had brought her to this condition. Aurelia was widow and had with her a boy three years old whom she called her son. oh, l have found out all about her. said Phlina to Wilhelm, "her husband died more than three years ago-the boy is three years old-and you know she had love affair with nobleman named Lotharia." Poor Aurelia was ra pidly approaching her end. At length she died But before her death she confided to Wilhelm a packet, which she made him promise to take to Loth- ario. Wilhelm obeyed her dying injunc- I ton.
 He found the Baron Lotharia at his castle. The Baron was astonished at | Wllhelms visit and the cause of 1t. It | was true, he said, that he had in form CT years, paid some attention to Au- relia. But nothing in the way of love had ever passed between them. He certainly was never in love with the managers sister and this was the first intimation he had ever received that she was in love with him. As to the boy it could not be his. It was only the wanderings of a poor girls mind. which --ad weaved out of nothing this romance. Wilhelm was convinced that the Baron spoke the truth and this in- cident again called to his attention the unreality of the world in which he was living. He had been in search of the Artistic, the Poetic. and had found sor- didness, insanity. ingraitude and stu pidity on all sides. Mnere was the real romance of this world anyway?
 He thought of what Werner had once
 said to him about the romance of bust.
 ness. Believe me- Werner had said
 you need only to look upon some great scene of business activity to make your-
 self ours forever. Cast a look at the
 natural and the artificial productions of
 all the regions of the earth; consider how
 they have become. one here and another | there, articles of necessity to men. How pleasant and intellectual a task it is to
 calculate al any moment what is mos.
 required and yet Is wanting or hard to
 find; to procure for each easily and soon
 what he demands; to lay in your stocK prudently beforehand and then to enjoy
 the profit of every pulse in that mighty
 circulation. Visit one or two great trad
 ing towns, or one or two great seaports
 and see if you can withstand the i'm
 pression. When you see how many men
 are busted. whence so many things have
 come and whther they are going. you
 will feel that there is nothing paltry
 or unromantic in business.
 "If the princes of this world hold the havens and the highways and levy tribute
 for everything which passes we merch-
 ants embrace with joy the opportunity
 of levyng tax and toll by our activity
 on those commodities which are the rea',
 or the fancied wants of men. Our god
 dess bears an olive branch rather than
 sword-dagger and chain she knows
 not But she, too, can give crowns to her favorites and her crowns are pure
 gold from the furnace and the mine and
 glance with genuine pearls which she | n.
 The crowns of the goddess you follow
 what are they but the pasteboard and | tinsel."
 | Then Wilhelm thought. among other
 things, of the wiles of Philina That
 lively person had left the company
 eloped, in fact. with young Frederick,
 her quondam page. And while he thought of this who should appear at Lothario's s castle but Frederick himself He was | Lothario's brother. The young scape- grace had for years lived vagabond life from preference. Lotharlo and Will helm became warm friends, and the young merchant felt no disposition to return. for a while. at least. to the unreal existence he had been pursuing under the name of art. Lothario's un- cle just had died. leaving the Baron q large estate. and he confided to Wilhelm that he needed man with some knowl edge of business to set the affairs of his deceased relative in order. Wilhelm glad | ly undertook the task and the two jour neyed to the castle of the dead uncle. | What was the astonishment, the rap ture of Wilhelm to find there the beau tiful Amazon who had ridden out of tn, woods tc him when he lay wounded by | rios sister. the Baroness Natalla The delight of the calm, well-balance young woman at again beholding Wilhelm was equal to his own at beholding her Mig | non haG accompanied Wilhelm to the