Year: 1867




If my love for another makes me
proof against your charms, Fraulein,
| AIN not likely to yield to the temp
tatlon Of riches Poverty and | are
well acquainted already. It's dangers
and hardship cannot scare me, for |
have experienced them ALL"


There are some dangers you have
not experienced. A comely young
fellow may run risks sometimes that
he knows not Of" .........- . sE


There was wild look in her eyes
as she spoke, and her words lett a
vague, uncomfortable impression on
me. But Lori entered the room at
this moment, carrying my bedding in
her arms and further conversation
with Gretchen was impossible. She
helped her sister to spread the bed
upon trestle in the corner of the
room ; then she fetched sheets and a
patchwork counterpane, the design
of which l can distinctly recall even
now. There were triangular bits Of
red cloth inserted here and there,
which looked to me like 80 many
small tongues of fire Il have good
reason to remember them.


When her task was done, Lori
stood before me, with her arms akin
bo.


"You feel sleepy, young man, no
doubt, after your long day. We
keep early hours, for we are up be-
times. You shall have a cup of coffee
and slice of black bread at five, be-
fore we bid you Godspeed. Nay, no
excuses. 1t is in cur VOW. Schlafen
Sic Wohl.n


Had / spoken the truth, [ should
have said that, far from being sleepy,
l had never felt more wide awake
than | did then. Ever since supper
strange rcstlessness of mind had
taken the place of the languor which
had oppressed me- Gretchen made
as if she would have spoken when
Lori ceased. She turned towards me.
saw her fingers working nervous
~ at the black apron. l believe it
was her sisters silent ascendency
over her which restrained her, for
intercepted a sideways glance from
LorTs stealthy eyes which she shot
towards Gretchen. With a face in
which fierceness and terror and an
guish seemed to be conflicting, the
latter looked at me, as she followed
her sister from the room, without even
wishing me the customary "good
night"


What did it all mean? Now, for
the first time, | think, | began re-
volving in my mind oil that l had
seen and heard since | entered that
house, and disagreeable sense of
something strange and mysterious
gradually took possession of me.
What was there about these sisters
to inspire mistrust? With the elder,
indeed, could understand it. There
was physical repulsion which
made the blood curdle in my veins
when | thought of her. But the
younger was beautiful to look upon.
She had shown herself tenderly in
clined towards me. Why should
find myself thinking Of her, with a
feeling akin to dread? Her words
required to me. At what danger
had she limited ? There had been
something wild about her eyes, about
her talk, at times. Then there was
her extraordinary proposal Was
she mad ? I remembered her strange
conduct at supper the fierce authori-
tative look wherewith her sister had
overawed her. 1t seemed a likely
solution to much that was otherwise
inexplicable about them both. But,
if so, how unaccountable that Lori,
knowing her sister to be subject to
fits and fancies like these, should
offer hospitality to stranger! There
was nothing immodest about the de-
meanor of either of them there
was nothing that could suggest the
suspicion that this was a guet-a pens
of any sort, The idea of robbery
was ridiculous. Was not my power
ty, so apparent in the threadbare
students blouse l wore, a sufficient
safeguard? Why, | had not even
my knapsack with me, as they knew
and | was young and muscular
not an easy victim for open violence,
had any been intended.


| racked my brain with endeavors
to arrive at some definite conclusion
for as to trying to sleep, found it
useless. My brain seemed on fire by
this time Every moment l felt my
self growing more excited, more
keenly alive to every sound, and all
my mental perceptions quickened
The single candle they had left me,
burned dim it seemed to fill the
room with all sorts of grim shapes
and shadows. After long interval
during which everything in the little
house was absolutely still, l got up,
in my restlessness, feeling that any.
thing was better than to lie tossing
there, prey to feverish fancies. !
walked about the room with the can.
| die, examining every article in it.
FIRST, there were the colored prints
upon the walls,-among others, one
of the Loreley, | remember, and one
a scene from Schiller's Robbers
which made my blood run cold as
looked at it. There was a cupboard
which l opened ; nothing but few
plates and one old knife. sat down
again upon the bed, and my eye was
attracted once more to the red ton
cues of the patchwork quilt Il
was very ingenious piece of work
| tried to follow the Kaleidoscope
pattern into which the various shreds
had been wrought with that strange
device of crimson cloth at regular
/ II