Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-02-27
A MUTED MESSAGE
AN INTERESTING STORY
Former Webster City Young Lady
Contributes Article to The
Outlook.

land Mrs. Ed. Brown of this city, who
was former resident here, is now
living in the United States after a
Iseveral years stay in Leipsic, Ger
many. 1t will be remembered that
Miss Pattee and Miss Lillian Weav-
Ter, both Webster City girls, managed
an exclusive school for young ladies
in Munich and that Miss Weaver was
in America at the outbreak of the
war, getting together class Of
young ladies whom she was to con-
duct abroad. Miss Pattee at once
turned the Munich school over to the
government for the use of orphaned
German children and conducted the
affairs of the school herself. She is
bright gifted woman and recent
article-"A Muted Messag her
in late number of The Outlook will
be read with interest by Webster City
friends:
All the world loves lover, and,
having reached the years when my
love affairs are chiefly those Of other
people, confess ! was deeply touch
ed that day when young Lieutenant
Won ullrichstein came to intrust his
hearts Utmost treasure to my keep;
ing. We are so surfeited with ro-
mances of American gold furnishing
up impoverished European titles
that it at least has the spice of var
iety to know of the reverse happen
ing, or nearly happening, now and
then, though I grant it may be the
exception that proves the rule.
| knew his story well. 1t happen
ed some years ago, when Muriel Lee
had been spending the summer with
me in Munich. Muriel was the typi-
cal American girl, tall and 1.-THE and
irresistibly good to look upon; she
was, however, a little. nobody, in
spite of her air, and really of no par
ticular depth or intellectually. But
her dark eyes had lights in them that
mirrored immeasurable, deeps, and
her smile made you forget everything
but sunshine and song. Besides, she
was not even rich: her portion was
nothing more than the moderate
comfort that is called abundance in
an insignificant Western town. Un-
fortunately, she was the only child
of doting parents. l say unfortun-
ately, because she resented sense
of duty that deprived her of the UNI
tramme!ed freedom that most of her
friends enjoyed. That summer with
me in Munich was an exceptional
hiatus in a European trip while her
parents were taking the cure at Mar
ienbad, boredom which Muriel had
rebelled against with all the strength
of her sound young body.
We had gone up to the mountains
for an outing, and, after visiting the
royal castles, we had fingered on in
Hohenschwangau to invite our souls.
The last evening we had just finish
ed our supper under the trees by the
little .gem-lile lake when Karl Won
Ullrichstein drove up with his, moth
er. | had not seen them for some
months, and when her Excellency re-
duested the pleasure Of our company
for the evening it was like an invl-
tation to Court; it was practically a
command.
That evening settled the fate OF
Karl Won Ullrichstein, as he after
wards told me. ! suspected nothing
at the beginning. | had seen men
captivated by Muriel before, and es-
cape without scar. During the next
six weeks, however, his plans COIN
cided miraculously with ours, and 1t
finally ended by her Excellency in
wiling us out to their castle in the
mountains, an ancestral domain that
would have conquered any American
girl of romantic Imagination; and
before Muriel had gone to join her
parents at Marienbad, to start on her
homeward way, he had declared him.
self. only to be rejected with her
positive assertion that her parents
would never permit it. Undaunted'
The had followed her to Marienbad,
and had in courtly European fashion
asked the father for Muriel's hand;
lwhereupon Muriel's mother grew
historical and Muriels father re-
NAMED obdurate, unmoved by the
flame and honor and social prestige,
in addition to vast wealth. which the
one son and heir of the house of I'LL
lrichstein inherited, besides being an
exemplary young fellow on his own
account. They objected on principle
| to international marriage, and Muir
liel was rescued from impending
| e., -afa