Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1911-04-20
CHAPTER xxxIIl.
The Story Of Helena Won Ritz.

There is In every true woman's heart
a spark of heavenly fire, which beams
and blazes in the dark hours Of adver-
sity.-Washington Irving.
But MADAM; but madam" tried
to begin. At last. after moments
which seemed to me ages long, !
broke out: But once. at least, you
promised to tell me who and what you
are. viii you do that now?"
Yes! yes!" she said. Now shall
finish the clearing Of my soul. You.
after all, shall be my confessor."
: We heard again faltering football
in the hallway. / raised an eyebrow
in query.
1T is my father. Yes. but let him
come. He also must hear. He Is In
deed the author of my story, such as
1t ia.
Father" she added, come, sit you
here. have something to say to Mr..
Trist."
She seated herself now on one of
the low couches, her hands clasped
across its arm, her eyes looking far
away out of the little window, beyond
which could be seen the hills across
the wide Potomac.
1--WE are foreigners" she went on,
as you can tell speak your lam
guage better than my father does, be-
cause ! was younger when I learned.
II Is quite true he Is my father. He
is an Austrian nobleman. of one of the
old families. He was educated In Ger
many, and of late has lived there"
II could have told most of that Of
you both" said.
She bowed and resumed:
MY father was always student.
AS a young man in the university, he
was devoted to certain theories of his
own. NJ est-ce pas vrai, mon drole?"
she asked, turning to put her arm on
her fathers shoulder as he dropped
weakly on the couch beside her
He nodded. Eyes, I wass student"
he said. 81 wass not content with the
ways Of my people"
so, my father. you will see." said
she, smiling at him. being much de-
termined on anything which he at
tempted. decided. with Ave others. to
make a certain experiment. II was
the strangest experiment. l presume.
ever made in the interest of what is
called science. 1t was wholly the
most curious and the most cruel thing
ever done"
She hesitated now. All / could do
was to look from one to the other,
wonderingly.
This dear old dreamer. my father,
then, and FIVE others"
IT name them!" he interrupted.
There were Karl Won Goertz, Al.
brecht Hardman. Adolph gu Stern
bern, Karl Won Starnack, and Rudolph
Won Wardberg. We were all friends"
YES" she said softly. "all friends,
and all fools Sometimes think Of
my mother"
my dear, your mother!"
But ] must tell this as II was!
Then, sir, these six, all Heidelberg
men, all well born. men Of fortune, all
men devoted to science, and interested
in the study of the hopelessness of the
average human being in central Eu-
rope-these fools. or heroes, I say not
which--they decided to do something
in the interest of science. They were
of the belief that human beings were
becoming poor in type. So they de
termined to marry"
Naturally" said I, seeking to re-
lieve delicate situation-"they
scorned the marriage of convenience
they came to our American way OF
thinking. that they would marry for
love"
"You do them too much credit
said she slowly. THAT would have
meant no sacrifice on either side
They married with the deliberate in
tention of improving individuals of the
human species! Father. is it not SOP
Some speech stumbled on Ills
tongue; but she raised her hand
Listen 10 me. ! win be fair to you
'ather fairer than You were either e
Yourself or TO my mother
YES. these six concluded to i'm
lrovs the grade Of human animals
! They resolved, 20 marry among thu