El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-03-01
The Intercepted Letters
By siEfrid siwertz.

EADAME NICANDER was born in
NJ the country. Her parents small
~ farm was situated on the plains
and far away in the distance the church
steeple Of the village was dinly visi-
Bile. She still remembered many things
from the days she had lived there, her
trips across the moors and marshes In
the evening, and how she used 70 MAKE
a bridal gown of heather for the doll
which the young woman OF the manor
had given her. She remembered the
weddings, chrtstenings and funerals OF
the peasants, celebrated by three Gays
her father died she had been ooIlged
TO take a position as servant Win
the squire of the manor. N1cander
was coachman there He had brown,
curly hair and big dark beautifu4 eyes
in those days, and, being from the city
he was held in great respect by the
other servants. But he was drunk
ard even and ran after every petucoat
that came near him One day when ne
had been drinking heavily at the VII
lage inn. he upset his master and mis-
tress. driving the carriage into often
but they did not chase MIN away De
cause he was a handsome fellow ana
looked well on the box Of the carriage.
Besides. everybody liked him in spite
OF his faults. He always had so much
to tell when he came back from the
railroad station, and when he was not
talking he was singing at his work
most OF the time an old song with the
refrain: "Amenaa wore q wreath OF
roses" or "A young cavalier proud
and brave"
He never missed an opportunity. to
steal a kiss from her when she hap
pened to pass by the stables and she
did not struggle very hard to avoid
it
But it all changed when Blom. the
painter, came to renovate the old paint
ings and frescoes in the village cnurcn-
It was summer and Blom had rooms In
the servants wing, for the work was
done for the sQuires OF the manor.
They met every day. she ana Blom, Dut
only at supper and always In the pres
ence Of Nicander and the other ser
wants From the yer first she notlced
that he looked at her as nobody had
ever looked at her before. he old NOT
say much, but his very presence made
her feel strangely happy. He did not
smile very often, either, but when ne
did, the smile went to her heart ana
made il beat faster. There was MOTH
ing in all the world like his smile.
One day she went into the church
because It was so quiet and cool there.
Blom was working on q Iresco on
column underneath the organ He hao
not heard her coming and she stood
long admiring his quick and skillful
hands at work. Suddenly he turned
around and caught sight OF her his
face became transformed with happi-
ness. but almost Immediately afterward
he turned red and tried hard TO 1ind
something to say to her.
When Miss Anna is looking at me,
he said at last, 1T is impossible Tor
me to paint"
some Of the paintings over the altar,
which BlOm had touched Up.
He laid aside his brushes and went
with her. here was an old painting
rzasHa loo a
former dean Of the church A dark
line divided the painting IN two parts.
On one side the dean and his seven
sons arranged according to height and
on the other his wife ana six daughter,s-
All had the same round face and their
hands were crossed over their chests,
in the upper corners were angels blow
ing trombones-
bear the least emblance TO the prs
ent minister. who was as skinny as
nail and had no children She pointed
to a small cabinet in black and oak,
and said:
THAT is where they keep the chalice
and the silver crown which our young
girls wear when they are married.
But she Immediately regretted her
words and turned as red as blood. She
stood near the door, staring straight
at the plaster angel above the altar
He was behind her and suddenly she
felt his hand touching her arm She
had to lean against the door post and
IL seemed to her as if the altar dis
solved into a golden mist and as IL the
plaster angel unfOlded his wings and
flew away into a rosy cloud
Then the other said very softly.
would Miss Anna meet me next Sun
day on the bench in the Linden ave
She promised. and on the appointed
dav they met and everything was de-
cided. She was to remain in her po-
. - -
on travelling in order to get together
enough money to establish studio for
himself In about a year and a half
they were to be married
Some time afterwards, Nicander, who
was in his cups. met her one night and
tried to take hold OF her, but she evaded
him.
"OhI know everything" he said.
you are a nice one, to let one man
kiss you and then get engaged to an
other What the devil do you want
with that sickly looking painter?
She tried to run away, but he caught
her roughly by the arm and again tried
to embrace her, and did not stop until
on he left her alone. She did not tell
any Of the other servants Of her en-
gagement as she felt as II this in some
way would cause her trouble, but Ii
secret II Blom had not finished his
work and left. They arranged to write
every week.
Months passed. Blom went from town
to town and a month or two later he
was way up IN Nordland
She spent her evenings alone now and
the thought that he was so far away
made her feel terribly lonesome But
something even worse was in store for
her. After last letter which she had
TO wait for for a long time, he stopped
writing altogether. She wrote one let
ter after another to his last address.
but no answer came. Weeks and months
passed without q single message. tt
T-ss an awful winter for her. She spent
MANY hours IN the dairy measuring the
foau1ing milk. but the memory Of him
ALWAYS haunted her. She walked to
church along the snow-covered path
but it was not herself who attended
the service. She sat at the table in
the kitchen together with Eicander and