Year: 1874

her toilette for the bally" enquired the
widowed Madame Won Herbeck of the maid
who was entering the room, carrying shawls,
hoods and other winter wrappings.


The young lady will be here Immediately,
Madame" she answered.


"Then, at six o'clock bring in the tea
With the mercury at zero, a cup of warm
tea can do no harm before drive"
Catharine left the room and Madame Won
Herbeck rose from her seat and walked q
few times up and down the large, beautiful
apartment.


The lady was about fifty years of age, and
her face indicated gentleness and kindness
She wore a dress of heavy silk. A black
mantilla hung over the back of a chair. A
lace handkerchief and gloves lay near, and a
head-dress trimmed with white ribbons was
visible in an open basket standing by her
Everything seemed to be in readiness for the
journey to the Sylvester ball, which was to
be held at B, the principal town of the
province, and distant about half mile
An expression of lively interest passed
over Madame Won Herbeck's features as she
said, musingly, ''If Emma would not trife
with her happiness. She is not likely to
find another wooer like Lobau. But it is
useless TO preach reason to child of eighteen
almost spoiled by adulation. Emma is beau
tiful, more beautiful even than her mother,
my early lost sister Antoinette, yet in few
years this mischievousness and petulance
which her adorers now regard as so irresisti-
bic, will, through more serious thought,
perhaps through the knowledge of her past
foolishness have vanished. And, perhaps if
L were gone, this throng of admirers would
soon disappear"


Madame Won Herbeck had become, through
the death of her husband which occurred
three years previously, possessor by his will
of all his property and the estate of Birken-
walde. The marriage had been a childless
and not very contented one. OF his posses
sions she had full control during her life,
but at her death it had to 90 to q cousin of
her husband.


Emma's father, Captain Won Rohr, had
died during her infancy, and her mother
followed in few years. The young orphan
was taken charge of by her aunt, who be-
slowed the most tender affection upon her.
She had been sent to the chief city Of the
province, and her fine talents there care
fully cultivated, SO that in the future she
should be enabled to rely upon herself.
Since then, she had lived with her aunt, and
the greater the happiness derived by the
latter from the presence of the bright joyous
creature, the sadder the thought that Emma
who appeared created to diffuse pleasure
and delight through a home circle, should
be forced to seek q place among strangers.


Ever happy and gay,


Dancing life's hours away
sang-jubilant as a lark, a silver clear voice
in the corridor. The door opened and the
most charming creature imaginable, FASTENED
over the Threshold. opened her arms, and
enfolded the form of Madame Won Herbeck
in them.


"Emma,- you will certainly crush your
white tarletan dress and your bows and rib
bons, with such stormy embrace, said her
aunt, warningly.


..Well, my darling aunt, if the dress and
the roses are to hinder me from giving you
a hearty kiss, they may 60. l must beg you
10 excuse me for keeping you waiting SO
long. My crimps would not adjust them
selves as they ought, l had to re-arrange
them till they should lie properly so that l
might resemble The Churchgoer' in the
almanac. l intend to bear a very grave de-
meanor at the bal, for we shall begin a new
year. Who knows what it may bring forth! :"


r OF u mOuieut u urcdinf cApicocAoh poooeu
over the lovely face, which soon changed 10
a joyfully, happy smile, as she exclaimed,
while raising her aunt's hand to her lips,
Whatever it may bring, l will bear it
bravely, if only the love of my good, true,
best of aunts remains. " Madame Won Herbeck
softly patted the cheeks of the charming girl
and said, Emma, you love me so dearly and
vet will not do what / so earnestly desire!"


Emma glanced mischievously, lightly
blushing toward her aunt and said, enquir-
ingly, .'Lobau, is it not; have l guessed
right?"


"why are you so irritable, so unamiable,
towards our neighbor! Is he not truly
honorable man."


Aunt honorable, that sounds so old. so
formal" and Emma declaimed pathetically.


"And Brutus was an honorable man."


swell, then let the term honorable 90,
though the young man of twenty-eight is
really entitled to it. Is not Lobau witty,
handsome. amiable man."


.Yes, willingly admit all that; the thing
is he is too yielding, you see, aunt"


Catharine Just then brought in the tea,
and after carefully pouring out cup for
her aunt, and drawing her chair nearer to
the table as the maid left the room, she con- |
tinued:


"You see, dear aunt, scarcely know how |
to make it plain to you. 1t is only when
man is something of tyrant that he can
make the right impression upon me. If l
am TO seek his approval, must have little
anxiety about him. If ! should marry, l
would not allow it to be said, That is the
husband of Madame Won L0bau.' No, my |
husband must know how to impress every |
one, especially me. L0bsu takes delight in
everything, say he laughs at my Stiffness, |
and even takes no notice of my impertinence.
That only provokes me to be still more dis
agreeable. Lately, at small gathering at
Restorf, said to him, during the cotillion, |
The heat is intolerable here, l wish some
one would bring me glass Of lemonade.


...Miss Emma, he answered, eagerly, "a
glass of lemonade shall be at your service
Immediately


..He hurried away and returned with
servant bringing q glass, and taking it from
him handed it to me.


s.sOh.' said, this is not what | asked
for


".Did YOU request anything elses"


'sI only drink raspberry lemonade, Herr
Won Lobau.'


"'I am sorry that you did not at first say
so.'


al did say raspberry lemonade, Herr Won
Lobau.'


".As you assure me so positively that you
did, | could not have heard well, and Will
get you what you desired


snow, aunt, is it not dreadful! Do you
know what should have done in his place
Emma stepped back q few PAGES from the
table, knit her brows and said in the deepest
tones of which her voice was capable, "fou
little piece of impertinence," l should have
said, ''do you think will submit SO quietly
to your rudeness. If. instead of thanking
me for the desired refreshment, you prefer
to deceive me, in the future you may select
some one else, shall not submit to IT.


With the last words her voice rose to Its
highest pitch, and her aunt, in whose face
amusement and vexation contented, inter-