The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-01-02
Tragedy Of a
Masked Ball
BY MARGARET C. DEvEREAUX


took 1t for the theme of his immorta
poem Since the idea has been thu
embodied II has been very popular il
various forms, Soon after ii appeare
masked ball in Staffhausen tool
place, at which young girl name,
Catherine Hauser took the part o
Marguerite. Herman Geiss, who wa
In love with her. learned through hi
sister that Catherine was intending I,
be thus costumed and he took ii int
his head that he might press his sui
under the guise of Faust. Carl Hau
ser. GATHERINGS brother, who was t.
escort her to the ball, was to go a.
Valentine
Without knowing Of the adoption Of
these costumes, Hans Ritter, rival oI
Herman's, decided to attend the bal
as Mephistopheles. 1t never came GU
whether Ritter in his action at the bal
played devilish part or, finding him
self related by costume to the Others
who were all well known to him
thought ii would be fine thing to
make bad blood between them, intend
ing to undo what he had done before
any trouble should arise from it.
Be this as it may. Herman Geiss no
sooner saw Il girl dressed as Marguer-
ite than he asked her to dance with
him and paid her marked attention for
the rest of the evening. The ball was
in full swing when Ritter, seeing Carl
Hauser (Valentine) standing near a
curtain, conceded himself behind it
and Kissed. Look out for your sister;
she is In danger"
Hauser looked around. but the room
was crowded. and Ritter managed to
escape without being detected. Carl
was wrapped up in his sister and. be-
ing a hot blooded fellow, did not stop
to consider that the words he had
heard might have been little per-
Torrance aside TO make the attentions
Faust was paying Marguerite more
realistic. He did not know who Faust
was, but proposed to stop his attentions
to his sister Going to the couple, who
We're in the midst Of dance, he or
dered Catherine TO come with him.
Cess, not knowing that he was her
brother, pushed him away Indignantly
Catherine remained with Cess, and
Hauser, going away, found friend
whom he sent TO Geiss with a chal
lenge. Hauser was at the time a stu
dent at a university, member Of a
dueling corps and an expert with the
small sword. When Geiss received the
challenge he had left Catherine. and
she knew nothing Of what had hap
pened
Had each one of these persons
known who the others were doubtless
what followed would not have Oc.
Cured Another unfortunate feature
was that Ritter, who had whispered
the words that caused the trouble, had
been drinking a good deal OF German
wine. Whether he thought the matter
of no great Importance, whether he
forgot to take precautions against trou
hle liable to arise from what he had
said, was not satisfactorily explained.
There were those who believed that he
had acted either through sheer malice
or from desire to injure Geiss in Sc
curing the hand of the girl he him !
self wanted.
After the ball Geiss and Hauser met !
in a forest near the town There was
a full moon. and they crossed swords |
by its light. Each wore the costume
he had on at the ball. Those who
claim that Ritter acted from malicious |
motives aver that he In the red and /
black costume of Mephistopheles wit
messed the fight from behind the trunk
of tree. forming perfect picture OF
the arch tiend watching the result Of
his devilish work.
Both the contestants were excellent /
swordsmen. but the Hight was very
bad for such trial OF skill. Hanser
was the better man az such work, but I
the light flashing on his enemys sword
bothered him. The result WAS deter
mined by Geiss not seeing perfectly.
for in trying 10 wing his opponent and
thus end the duel without a tragedy he
unintentionally stabbed his opponent
I'm the heart
Meanwhile the affair. so closely re
sembllng the story of Faust and Mar.
guerite. was talked about. and at the
last moment report OF II reached
ears. She was getting ready T.
for bed when she heard that a duel /
was about 90 take place and hurried az
once 10 the place ~ the combat When
her brother fell she was stil some dis
lance from him. hut staggering on.
reached him just Ia time FOR last
ook between them before be died
As soon ~ Hauser fell Geiss ran TO
ward him. and ln the face turned 90 +,
he moonlight recognized GATHERINGS ,
brother He saw a once that be not 4
lnly had taken = life. bot q life that 4
T0uid forever prevent his winning the \
yirl be loved lie was hurried away \
rom the ground. and the next morn IN
ur before daylight left stanhausen y
or America He wrote q pathetic Set
er a. Catherine temuBntng what b.
I'D done and saying that bis ife was
run that moment bIiebted
Catherine did not marry and ceiss
vas never hgain beard from after BE-
eff for Amerien There was 10 safis-
aetorr explanation ns - h5w thP frar-
~ w.s hruught about except that Y
Iausaf tod bic aecgnds - the uart- ,
BE- 10 had receffeg and the reInise
aren him sheu b. tired 81 ct bis SIS
r. away frnm Geiss Ritter wns i1f