The Washington herald., 1919-10-06
ON THE HEIGHTS
By BERTHoLD AUERBAcH
Condensation by the Rev. r. Perry Bush D. Do

il only increases her desperation
and she resolves upon suicide
She writes thus TO tho Queen:
Il expiate my crime in death" And
TO the King: We are trcadlnC the
wrong path. You belong not to
yourself alone but 70 your people.
Death is my eIpiation Cor sin.
Life must be yours. God knows
we did not mean 70 Do wrong"
On the way to end her life. the
countess meets a pitiablc woman
who had been ruined by hcr brother
Bruno. This woman browns her
self in the lake and Irnra stumhlcs
on, bruised and bewildered. and Is
found by WslpurEa and Hausai on
their newly purchased freehold.
Concealing her identity from all
but WalpurEa. she accompanies the
party TO their mountain home.
Report Of the countess death soon
spreads abroad and search is made
for her body. but no trace OF IL is
found, yet a tablet is erected by
the lake bearing this inscriptions
Here perished Irma, Countess Of
Wildenort- in the twcnty-frst year
OF her life Traveller, pray for and
honor her memory"
Back at court. the KinC, upon -ecsiv-
ing Irma's letter il d.-ply repen-
tant and saddened by the reelection
that there is no greatness without
morality" He goes to the Queens
room TO ask her forgiveness. but
she is full Of bitterness and reiEns
to be asleep and later she vents
Ier spite and vituperstion upon him
The King thinks that Dr. Gun
ther is responsible for this. and the
physician is discharged ana goes
hack TO live in his old homr IN the
highlands
For three years Irma lives with
Walpurga- supposedly d"ad. hut rcsuy
eNpiating her sins and 50 -rowinE
in sweetness and purity that all who
enter her presence look upon Ter a.
an angel and are IU,5 sr3 nspi--d.
At length on a day when Th, king
and queen and the court arc a.
nearby village, Ivma, fatally i,l. sends
for Dr. Gunther. who haS;sns to her
side and, placing his hand upon her
forehead. nronounccs this bCnedtc-
ton: In your fathers name I tless
YOU ara with this kiss ! kiss away
your burdens You are free
Waipurga hastens to the Queen.
who is now stricken with sylf-con-
demnation for her hateful spirit and
her unjust pride in her own viTtun.
She realizes that Irma's p-nauce i7
one through which she herso,s ought
TO pass. and when. she reaches the
shepherds hut there is mut"l for
giveness.
The king has been hunting ir thu
vicinity. Since receiving lv0la'S l'it-
ter he has lived a manly lie. and
in penitcnce has sought 10 promote
the welfare oc all his peoDl, Word
is conveyed To him OF what is taking
place, and he rides with all haste.
but arrives on the scene only 10 md
that the countess has passrd aw6N-
but his heart leaps with 10y VIII,
the queen turns to him with the cry.
Forgive me. Kurt You have OK
plated You - alone. She - alone
Her majesty takes out an anulrt-
which she has worn next to her hear
1t is the betrothal ring the king haE
given her. and he puts It aEain upo~
her finger and clasps her in his arms
The countess was laid at rest a
early dawn Down In the valley IN
king and queen were reading ne
journal. They Eazed a. the ros,
dawn and lifted their eyes 10 the
rnountains-to where Irna had been
buried. on the heights"
CorguEht, 1879 ty the Pos o. TIE BHS,rr.
PoSt) CopyriEht in the Uuitc: Einrdrm The
Doniunnk, its Caonies and deprad-riss. m
der the COPYRIGHT act. ~ the Paa puhi.S
Co. Boston. Mas o s A An nights res-vel
Printed ty rermiSsion o' and IITsngerrrl: vi-h
HArp- a Sons authorized Irullishers.
Published ~ srecial urrSnge7nsnt with the NJ
Clre Newspap-r Syndicate. Al nTho rcsr-7sd