The Stories

[COPYRIGHT, 1SS9.1 'inued from lust vcek. ■Vnai; was very Kmaoiyou,iBai, mi which my wifo looked at me somowhat reproachingly. "If ho roally intended it," sho romarked, "and I do not seo why that was not the case, it was kind in him' "As for me," said Aunt Martha, very sympathetically, liI think that tho study oL Realism may be carried a great deal too far. I do not think that thero Is tho slightest necessity for people to know any thing about burglars. If people keep talking and reading about diseases thoy will get them, and if they keep talking and reading about crimes they will flnd the iniquity is catching, the samo as some other tnlngs. Besides, alistic description gots to be vory tiresome. If you really want to bo a writer, young man, why don't you try your hand on somo original composition? Then you might writo something which would bo intcresting." "Ah, madam," said tho young maa, casting his eyes on the floor, "it would bo far beyond my power to write any thing more wonderful than What I have known or seen. If I may tell you some of the things which happened to me you will understand why I have become convinced that in this, world of amazing roalities imagination must always tako a second place." "Of course wo want to hear your Btory," said Aunt Martha; "that's what we have been staying hero for." "If I am unbound," said tho young man, looking at me, "I eould speak moro freely." "No doubt of it," said I; "but perhaps you might run away bcforo you finished your story. I-wouldn't havo that happen for tho world." "Don't mako fun of Mm," said Aunt Martha. "I was going to ask you to cut him loóse, but af ter what you say I think it would perhaps bo just as well to keep them all ticd until the narrativos aro completed." With a sigh of resignation the young man bogan his story. "I am American bom, b.ut my father, who was a civil engincer 'and of high. rank in his profession, was obliged, when I was quito a small boy, to go to Austria, whero wo had extensivo contracts for tho building of railroads. In that country I spent tho grea-ter part of my boyhood and yoüth. Thero I was educated in the best schools, my iather sparing no money to havo mo taught every thing tbat a gentleman should know. My mother died when I was a mero infant, and as my father's vocation made it necessary for him to travel a great deal, my life was often a loncly one. For society I depended entirely upon my fellow scholars, my tutora and masters. It was my father's intention, howevor, that when I had finished my studies I should go to one of the great European capitals, there to mix with the world. "But when this period arrived I was in no hasto to avail myself of the advantages he olïered me. My tastos wcro studious, my disposition contemplative, and I was a lover of rural life. "My father had leased an old castlo in Corinthia, not far from the mountains; and here he kept iiis books and charts, and here came lor rócreation and study whenever fiis arduous dutios gave him a little breathiag spell. For several months I had lived at this castlo, happy when my father was with mo and happy when I was alone. I oxpected soon to go to Vienna, where my lathor would introduce mo to some of his inSuential friends. But day by day I postponed the journey. "Walking ono morning a few miles from the castlo I saw at the edge of a pieco of woodland a f emale figuro seated beneath a tree. Approaching nearer, X perceived that she was young, and that she was sketching. I was surprised, for I knew that in thls part of the world young women, at least those of tho upper classes, to which tho costume and tastes oL this one showed hor to beong, were not allowed to wandor aboufc the country by themselves; but although Istood still and watched tho young lady for somo timo, no companion appeared upon the sceno. "The path I had intended to take led past the pieco of woodland and I saw no reason why I should diverge from my proposed courso. I accordingly proceedod and when I reached tho young lady I bowed and raised my nat. I think that ïor somo time she had perceived my approach, and she looked up at m8 with a f aco that was half merry, half inquisitivo and porfectlycharming. I oan not describe the effect which her oxpression had upon me. Iihadnevoreoen her before, but hor look was not such a one as sho would bestow upon a stranger. Í had tho most powerüul dosiro to stopand spcak to her, but having no right to do so I should have passed on had she not said to mo in tho best of English: 'Qood moxmng, sir.' Then I stopped, you may be suro. I was so aooustomed to spoak to thoso I met in either Frcnch or German that I involuntarily said to her: líonjour, Mademoisene.' "rou ñeca no speak French,'she said; 'I am neithor English nor American, but I speak their anguage. Are you tho gentleman who Uves in Wulrick Castlc? If so, we are neighbors, and I wish you would tell mo why you live thoro nearly all tho time alono.' "At this I sat down by her. 'I am that person,' I said, and handed her my card. 'But before I say any moro, please tell me who you aré.' 'I am Marie Dorfler. My father's house is on the other side of this piece of woodland; you oan not soe it from here; this ia part of his estáte. And now tell mo why you live all by yourself in that old ruin.' 'It is not altogether a ruin,' I answered; 'part of it is in very good condition.' And then I proceeded to give her an account of my method of life and my reasons for it. 'It is interesüng,' she said, 'but it is very odd.' 'I do not think it half so odd,' I answered, 'as that you should be hero by yourself.' 'That is truly an out-of-the-way sort of thing,' she said, 'but just now I am doing out-of-the-way things. If I do not do them now I shall never have the opportunity again. In two weeks I shall be married, and then I shall go to Praguc, and every thing will bo by Unoj and rule. No more delightful ramblei by myself. No more sitting quiotly in the woods watching tho little birds and hares. Xo more making a sketch just whero I ploase, no matter whether the ground be damp or not.' 'I wonder that you are allo wed to do these things now,' I said. 'I am not allowed,' she answergd. 'I do thom in hours when I am supposed to be painting flower pieces in an upper room,' 'But whon you're married,' I said, 'your husband will bo your companion in such rmbles.' 'llardly,'sho said, shrugging hor shoulders; 'he will be forty-seven on tho 13th of next month, which I belleve is July, and ho is a great deal more grizzled than my fathor, who is past fif ty. Ho is very particular about all sorts of things, as I suppose he has to be, as he is a Colonel of inf antry. Nobody could possibly diflappro ve of my present performances more than ho would.' I could not help ejacuulating: 'Why, then, do you marry him?' She smiled at my earnestness. 'Oh, 1 that is all arranged,' she said,' and I havo nothing to do with it. I havo known for more than a year that I'm to marry Colonel Kaldhein, but I can not Bay that I have given myself much concern about it until reoently. It now occurs to mo that if I expect to amuse mysolf in tho way I best like I must lose no time in it.' I looked at tho girl with an air of earnest interest. 'It appeara to me,'saidl, 'that your ways oí amusing yourself aro very much liko mine.' 'That is true,' she said, looking up with animation, 'they are. ís it not delightful to be free, to go whoro you like, and do what you picase, without any ono to adviso or interfexo with you?' 'It is (Lelightful,' said I, and for half an hour wb sat and talked about these delights anc kindred subjects. Sho was much Ínter ested in our castle, and urged me to make a sketch of it, so that she ma; know what it now looked like. She hac seen it when a little girl, but nove elnce, and had been afraid to wande very far in thls direction by herself. ' told her that it would be far better for her to see the castlö with her own eye3, and that I could conduct her to an eminence, not half a milo away, where she sould have an excellent view of it. Thís plan greatly pleased her, but looking at her watch sho said that it would be too late for her to go that morning, but if I happened to come that way the next day, and she should feo there to finish her 6ketolilf the weather were fine, she would be delighted to have mo show her tho eminence." "I think," interrupted Aunt Marth, "that she was a very imprudent young woman." "That may be," he replied, "but you must romembor, madam, that up to thls time the young lady had been subjected, to the most conventional trammels and that her young nature had just burst out into temporary freedom and true Ufe. It was the caged bird's flíght into the bright Bummer air." "Just the kind of birds," said Aunt Martha, "that shouldn't be allowed to fly, at least until thoy are used to i. But you can go on with your story. 1 'Woll, " said the young man, "the next day we met I took her to the pieoo of high ground I had mentioncd, and sho Bketched the castle. Alter that we mot again and again nearly every day. Thia sort of story tells itself. I became madly in love with her, and I am sure she liked me very well; at all events I was a companlon of her own age and tastes, and suoh a one, she assured me, she had noverknown bef ore, and probably would never know again." "Thero was some excuso forher," sald Aunt Martha; "butstill she hadno right to aot in that way, especially as sho was so soon to be married." "I do not think that she reasoned much upon the subject," said the young man, "and I am sure I did not. We made no plans. Every day we thought only of what wo wero doing or saying, and not at all what wo had done or would do. We were very happy. "One morning I was sitting by Mario in the very place whoro I had first met her, when wo hoard some ono rapidly approaching. Looking up I saw a tall man in an undress military uniform. 'Heavens,' oried Marie, 'it is Colonel Kaldhein.' "The situation was one of whioh an expectant bridegroom wouldnot bo likely to ask many questions. Mario was seated on a low stone with her drawing block in hor lap. She was finishing the Bketch on which sho was engaged when I first saw hor, and I was kneeling olosa to hor looking over her work, and making various suggestions, and I think my countonance must have indicated that I found it very pleasant to make suggestions in that way to such a pretty girl. Our heads wero very closó togother. Sometimes we looked at the paper, Bometime3 wo looked at each other. Bat in the instant i caugnt sight of 9ie Colonel the situation had changed. I rose to my feot and Marie began to piok up tho drawing materials which were lying about her. "Colonel Kaldhein caino forward almost at a run. Hls eyes blazed through his jjfold spectacles, and his close-otit, reoaisn oearu jeemea 10 do singeing with tho flres of rage. I had but an instant for observation, for he carne dlreotly up to me, and with a tremendoua objurgatlon in Gorman he struck me full in the faco with suoh foroe that thé blow stretched me upon the ground. ';I was almost stunned, but I heard a scream irom Marie, a storm of angry words from Kaldhein, and I feit sure he was about to inflict further injury. He was a muoh stronger man than I was, and probably was armed. With a sudden instinct of self-preservation I rolled down a little deolivity on tho edge of which I had fallen, and, staggering to my feet, plunged into a thicket and fled. Even had I been in the full possession of my senses I knew that undor the circumstances I would havo boen of no enefl t to Marie had I remained upon the scène. The last thing I heard was a shout from Kaldhein, itt which Ö declared that he would kill me yet. Fot Borne daya I did not go out of my oastle. My face was brulsed, my soul waa de Jected. I knew there waa no possible chanco that I should meet Marie, and thatthero was a chance that I mlght meet the angry Colonel. An altercatlon et this time would be very annoying and painful to the lady, no matter what thQ result; and I considered it my duty tj do every thing that was possiMe to avoid a meeting with Kaldhein. Therefore, as I have said, I simt myself up withiu the wall3 of old Wulrick and gave striot orders to mj sorvants to admit no one. Oontinuecl in next Wtekt' Istue.