Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1911-09-27
CHAPTER xxxilI.-continued.

She nodded YES Debauchee,
rake, monster, degenerate, product of
that aristocracy which had oppressed
us, l was obliged to marry him,
man three times my age! l pleaded.
] begged. 1 was taken away by night.
/ was-I was They say l was mar
ried to him. For myself, 1 did not
know where [ was or what happened.
But after that they said l was the
wife of this man, sOt, monster, the
memory only of manhood. Now, in
deed. the revenge of the aristocracy
was complete"
She went on at last in a voice icy
cold. q fed one night, back to Hun
gary For a month they could not find
me. l was still young. l saw my
people then as I had not before. l
saw also the mOnarchies of Europe.
All, now 1 knew what oppression
meant! Now I knew what class dis
tinction and special privileges meant!
l saw what ruin it was spelling for
our couEtTy-what it will spell for
your country. if they ever come to
rule here. All, then that dream came
20 me which had come to my father,
that beautiful dream which justified
me in everything l did. My friend,
can it-can it in part justify me-
now?
For the first time. then, I resolved
to live! l have loved my father ever
since that time. l pledged myself to
continue that work which he had I'M
dertaken! 1 pledged myself to better
the condition of humanity if 1 might.
There was no hope for me. l was
condemned and ruined as it was My
life was gone. Such as I had left, that
1 resolved to give to-what shall we
call it?-the idee democratique.
Nov, may God rest my mothers
soul. and mine also, so that some time
I may see her in another world
pray l may be good enough for that
some time. / have not been sweet
and sinless as was my mother. Fate
laid a heavier burden upon me. But
what remained with me throughout
was the idea which my father had be-
queathed me"
"Ah, but also that beauty and sweet
ness and loyalty which came to you
from your mother" l insisted.
She shook her head. Wait" she
said. Nov they pursued me as
though l had been criminal, and
they took me back-hoTsemen about
ne who did as they liked. | was, l
say. Il sacrifice News of this came to
nat man who was my husband. He
had not the courage of the mobiles left
But he heard of one nobleman against
whom he had a special grudge, and
him one night, foully and unfairly, he
murdered
News of that came to the emperor.
My husband was tried. and. the case
being well known to the public, it was
necessary to convict him for the sake
of example. Then. on the day set for
his beheading, the emperor reprieved
him. The hour for the execution
passed, and, being now free for the
time he fed the country. He went to
Africa. and there he so disgraced the
state that bore him that of late times
/ hear he has been sent for to come
back TO Austria. Even yet the en-
peror may suspend the reprieve and
send him to the block for his ancient
crime. If he had a thousand heads
he could not atone for the worse
crimes he has done
But of him and of his end know
nothing. So, now. you see I was and
am wed. and yet am not wed, and
never was. I DO not know what am.
nor who am. After all, I cannot tell
you who l am or what I am, because l
myself do not know.
1T was no longer safe for me in
nv own country They would not let
re go 10 my father any more, As
fer him. he went on with his studies,
zone part of his mind being bright
and clear. They did not wish him
nbovt the court now, All these mat