Year: 1878

man hints that he was keeping secret from the villagers, he one day made him startling confidence. He was concealing a treasure i; yes, sackful of gold. Neither more nor less than twenty thousand florins, all in gold and he behaved like beggar before the village from fear of being robbed But how did he get possession of so much gold? An! he had been soldier. Every one knows what strange fortunes may befal a man ill times of war. | When his eight years of service were over he left his regiment instead of taking re engage ment, as had always intended to do, and l Stralghtway travelled home with his treasure. | Old Blasius listened with every fibre of his 1 geld-thirsty heart. His soul was so full of Stefffs strange luck that there was no room left for doubt His consideration for StefH was great from this moment. The two grew fast friends, to the wonder of the whole village and of poor Maria. They were constantly seen walking together, and Steff1 sat for hours and hours at Blasrs worrying Maria with his most unwelcome courtship.

 l Blasl, who had never treated his daughter harshly, now behaved with cruelty towards her; he forgot himself so far at times as to 1 strike her, using every means to force StefH upon her notice. Oh, the miserable life Ma ria now led! Her father had threatened to kill her if she attempted to see Lenz, who was at present working at some distant farm, and could only come to A on Sundays. More over, he locked her up in the house, and he and Stef1 kept watch over her always on that | day, SO that she could not even go to church.

 And poor Lisbeth, when she found herself forsaken for rich Blasl's daughter? In her de- spair she ran away, and was seen no more. Her aunt came down to the village to look for her Ill every house, to ask everybody after her; no one had seen her.

 One day little boy, who was crab-fishing i on the shallow border of the river, found silk kerchief entangled in the reeds; and people 1 by this knew poor Lisbeth's fate. They open | ly reproached Steff1 with her death; but he ! did not care what they said, and inwardly re- | joiced that his good luck had removed the only l stone in his way

 ''It was very wise of her,' thus his thoughts ran, ito do herself what should have been | obliged to do for her, had she meant to come forward and stand in my way"

 | H.

 When Blasl came home from the Pfarrer's he first scolded his daughter well for having complained of him to Frau Barbara; then, as | punishment, he locked her up in her room He had double reason for doing the latter, for when he had assured himself that all the | doors and shutters of the house were well fas- | tened, he lit little lamp removed his huge bedstead with vigor one would not expected | in that shrivelled form, lifted the boards, and 1 shovelled and scraped both with spade and hands until he brought his precious pot to | light. He then tenderly lifted it out uncover ed it with one trembling hand, and approach ed the lamp with the other to let the contents | sparkle in it's rays, his tears streaming down 1 upon the gold as he did so. When he had Wept over it to his hearts content he covered l 1t up, buried it again, and put everything over it in it's accustomed place. Then he blew out the light, opened the shutters, and went about his days work with heavy heart. The days ran on; peoples most fervent wishes could not keep one of them back; and | henslons grew boundless. Everybody now believed in the comet, and that it. would bring | the end of the world with it!

 The peasants were not so much afraid of | their own lives-they knew that death might take them by surprise at any time-they griev- | ed for the impending destruction ot all their | earthly possessions, the fruit of not their own labor only, but of that of their fathers and grandtathers for many generations back, and which they had always hoped to leave behind them to their children and children's children. Whatever they now looked on. seemed to preach to them of the vanity of all earthly pride; whatever each used to take the greatest delight in became now the source of the bitter est grief

 Thus one would look with fearful eyes on the ranges of well-cured hams and sausages in his larder, agonized by the thought that no one would enjoy those stored-up dainties in the future. Another would walk about his fields, shaking his head mournfully at the plen- tlful corn, doomed before it was ripe for the scythe. A third lamented over the fine old trees in his wood; there was not even time left for cutting them down and marking the tim Der ; and if it could be done, where would be the use? Men grew lax in their work, maid ems gave up spinning for their marriage out fits, women neglected their housholds, chill dren had dreams about the comets arrival. The good Pfarrer had prayers said to calm their minds: the schoolmaster visited from house to house with comforting words all was of no avail the panic grew with the flying hours, and reached it's climax when the awful day arrived.

 The 18th of August dawned upon them rath- CT sultry and heavy; there was something op- pressive in the air that added to their alarm. Every passing hour increased their anguish A thick fog, which covered parts of the coun- try at nightfall-a quite unheard-of phenome- non at this season-terrified them. Anxiously they watched the gradual dying out of day light Would it ever dawn upon them again?

 As if by common accord, they all expected the comet in the night it never struck them that it might in it's career meet the earth in the daytime; and it seemed most natural in comet to fix upon midnight for it's extraordina- " performances all unearthly appearances have ever come at that critical moment, when one day meets another to part in the same in- stant forever.

 No one would go to bed on that night; that was the tacit agreement.

 The inn was crowded that evening. Most of those who had no particular home to take care of assembled there, to work themselves up by drink and talk to that pitch of courage necessary to meet such an.event as this Some of the younger men tried with fun and jokes to raise the dismal tone of the conversation first indulged in: They laughed, sang, drank, and played, and were the merrier as they be- lived it was for the last time they had met to- gether in their favorite place of resort.

 But fathers and sons kept at home with their own people: Now and then a friend or relation would look in, trying both to bring and carry away better cheer. Neighbors agreed to watch together ;all the windows were bright; the whole village presented most unusual as- pect. 2 a

 After nightfall the fog cleared away, and the stars twinkled with uncommon brightness, as people thought and many an anxiously in- quiring glance was sent up towards them.

 BlasFs house was one of the dullest on that

 

 brink of death, go to the expense of an extra candle. The lamp fiickered dismally on the hearth. He kept his shutters closed, and only opened the door now and then, putting his head out to see whether StefH was coming. .

 Steff1! his solace, his help his comfort He had kept up the old mans spirits by repeated ly assuring h1m that there was no comet con- ing. He had promised to keep watch with them through that anxious night. But he had nnlv hoo with s.. Al~, morning, and had not returned

 At dusk Lenz had suddenly stood at Blasl's door. Maria gave a little shriek, and would have run to meet him, but Blasl stepped be- tween the two lovers. 'sWhat dost thou want here ?" he cried.

 .' I want to shake hands with you and Maria; it may be for the last time in this world, you know"

 '' Nonsense" cried Blasl angrily; "thou art not on any pretence to come in or to speak to my daughter. Let me shut the door,"

 May, Blasl, said the young man, q have