Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-06-08
WHEN GRANDMOTHER
WAS YOUNG.
ev JuIius BERGER.

How changed you are lately, Clemens
tine: altogether different from the happy
girl of a few weeks ago"
You are mistaken, grandmother, there
Is nothing the matter with me-"
My chlld you canno deceive me; my
old eyes know toe much and have seen too
much of human nature not to understand
what Is going on i'll your heart"
And what have your dear old eyes seen.
grandinother?"
THAT 1 shall not tell. and I shall not
try to guess your secret until you tell it
to nee. but If you will listen l shall tell
you something from the time when l was
very young. 1t was at Christmas time.
and there We're only two of us children at
home-Willy, who is dead long ago. and
myself.
Willy was studying medicine, and came
home only during his vacation. when he
generally brought some friend along.
so also this time at Christmas he did
not come alone, but accompanied by a
college chum. Count Won Itchy, a young.
handsome fellow, with lark brown hair
and eyes, who looked at me, who had new
er met any young men before. in a way
which made me feel very strange.
lit was the day before the end of the
vacation. ] was sitting in the library,
iceding a story of two young lovers, when
suddenly | felt two strong arms around
NE. and soft lips pressed against mine in
a long kiss.
Il tried to cry out. but could not and
almost tainted, and when l opened my
eyes the young count was on his knees
before me, asking me to forgive him for
he had done.
ne said that he could not help it, and
could not leave without telling me how
dearly he loved me and asking me If I
could not love him just a little in return"
cn. now perfectly lovely. ~grandmoth-
er: And what did you answer h.m?"
II cannot tell you. Clementine. how I
felt. I looked for a long time into his
beautiful brown eyes, and lone of us said
a word; but when he once more put his
arms around me and kissed me, / could
rot help but give him back his kisses, and
so we sat there until 1t was almost dark,
ana before he left the next morning / had
promised to become his wife,, and when
the old carriage rolled out Of the yard.
carrying him and Willy away from me,
l cried as I had never cried before.
After that I had many letters from
him. though no one but Willy knew of our
love; but one day a letter came from my
brother that L must no longer think Of the
count. that he was a scoundrel who no
longer cared for me and had become en-
gagged to a rich girl.
When i read this letter 1 tainted, and
when my mother found me with the let
ter In my hand I was delirious, and the
same evening I was in bed with brain
fever.
When 1 again recovered 1 asked for
Willy. only to be told that he had lost his
life in a duel with my faithless lover. Two
years after 1 married your grandfather,
who made me as happy as 1 had never
dreamed 1 could be-"
The old lady smiled through tears. but
the memories Of days gone by had been
too much for her. and she fell asleep in
her easy chair.
timer
"Arno. my darling!"
But what the window heard and saw IL
not to be told to indiscreet ears, but when
the old grandmother woke UP q young
couple were kneeling before her and asked
her for her blessing.
And she gave 1T to them, young once
more at the sight of their love, which she
had known even before they had known It
themselves.