Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, August 30, 1903, Page 29

o ——— 2 ——. B R S . 5 E ! The (Copyright, 1903, by J. W. Muller.) CHAPTER IV. On the Sea-alp. Spring! HAT change of decoration! As by enchantment I find myself In the midast of the great, proud solitude. ‘“They’’ have indicated - to me that I may remain here for a considerable period, and alone, or at least as good as alone, for, with the excep- tion of an old valet, the cook and one lackey, I have no entourage except one cavalier. And now I am here and I have made a great discovery. I am young still, only 20 years old! The “Sea-alp’* can be reached only over the Alp-sea, 1,000 feet above sea level. No path leads hither, only along the right hand shore might it be possible in emerg- encles to get here. Where the lake ends there arises in un- approachable jcecrowned majesty the White Emperor. We royal ones thus are among our own kind. From the walls of the White Emperor an immense piece seems to have fillea into the depths and smashed there. Everywhere are rack-wrecks., They lie heiter-skelter. But the forest drapes the ruin, cloaks it with vines, lets Alpine roses and golcen- yellow flowers blossom over it Through the gorge the gray mountain torrent riots and over the winling path the snow-banks on the roeks shine nearer and nearer, Ever wilder, ever more sublime, ever more magnificent! There was the sbhrill whistle of a chamois. A whole herd g es Uke an arrow’s flight up the steep walls. A shower of loosened stones falls into the sea, And now we arrive. A fairly large green meadow lies like an emerald in the gray walls of the White Emperor. Rock, nothing but rock! A broad, shining snowfield above, and at the end of the gorge a glacier with gray top and a deep blue splendid grotto from which the water bursts. Over my head the blue heavens and at my feet a colored sea of spring flowers. And in the midst of this blissful mead the Bea-alp! It consists of three buildings erected in the bloekhouse style, the so-called King's House, the Cavalier's House, and a building for kitchen and the servants, I dwell in the King's House. Its whole laterior shines with red shimmering cembra pine. From my bed-room I can leok stralght at the gleaming crown of His Majesty, the White Emperor. Of my companions in this Alps Idyl I will nume “Tony" first. Young, tall, lean, the _whole fellow musele and power. Light hair, lI'ght eyes, brown face. Fe can see an eagle a quarter ef an hour before I can find it with a spyglass. You must know that I am a miserable hunter among other defeets. When I arrived he yodled at me like a madman and gave me his hand, which almost killed my noble valet. Too bad that His Excellency the Lord Marshal was not present. Besides Tony, two other Alpine moun- taineers heip to maintain our stight com- munication with the outer world. And then there is Loisl, the forester's aid, who has been assigned to me. And he looks llke a King's son! And what a son! Other than I! This King's son would bring a race to the throne that could win the world for itself. When Tomny, Loisl and my littleress are together, and Tony opens his red mouth with the gleaming teeth to address one of us two, | expect every time to hear him say to Loisl: “Your Royal Ilighness.'™ Loisl himeelf does not say much. And that, too, becomes him well. He cannot bear me, which makes me very scrry. But I understand it. A man lke him, so truly by the grace of God, must have a naturnl hatred for all that pretends to be of a qQuite especial grace of Ged. Very well do I chserve bow much selif-re- straint it costs him to salute me in homage and to stand before me with deffed hat. Therefore I avold as much as possible fore- fng him into this pesition. If it were pes- sib'e I should like to associate with him In a perfectly social way. It would make me very happy could he learn to like me. His mather is sa!d to havo been a great beauty. She lives somewhere nearby. 1 should like to know her. If one climbs behind the Sea-alp over a mighty rock-strewn way and up a neck- breaking path one reaches the White Em- peror Mecdow. There, it is said, & wonder- fully beautiful dairy mald lives in loneli- ness. She Is, they tell me, Loisl's sweet- heart, and day after day bhe finds his way up the dangerous path to see her. I have to think a great deal of the two beautiful young people, af all the happiness that there is on earth and of which I shall never know anything - B . - - . There must be something special in con- nection with Loisl. Accidentally 1 learned that the forester of the district—he is & late arrival-made a mistake in assigning him to me and had been ordered to recall him, But I vetoed that energetically. I this I thought leas of my own pleasure in himm than of the love of the two band- some beings up there each evening on the ‘White Emperor Meadew. So, for the first time in my life I have done good. ¢ . . - . - - Count Gebhardt is the cavalier who has been given to me as companion. The Count is only two years older than I, so we could be young together. He is very reserved al- ways, but never a courtier. Therefore he is satisfactory to me. Of his inner person I know nothing. I should like to learn, not as a Prince, but as one man knows another. But I do net know how I shall go about it. He is my direct antithesis, for he never speaks of himself, and [ think forever of myself, despite the warning of my good, wise brother, that we must net think of * ourselves or we shall he lost as on a lonely height. We never speak together of per- sonal matters—of course not. [ must net be a personality to him at all I long to ask him to tell me of his family, his home, his youith—of all that which is not to be found in the Almanachk de Gotha. He was most surely a real boy, with & head full of madness and fialish- ness, The happy one. Probably he has already love@i—a first love, springlike, pure and good. Is he happy? Did he go willingly with me? Why did he come to court” Hew could he come to court, free as he is and sagacious and strong? In one regpect we are ecengoniunl We both love'solitude. And we both leve it so passionately that we avold each other wherever and whenever we can. [ fear the count acts sadly agaimst his instruelics, for as a matter of fact he rhould renain forever at my heels. If he knew how grateful I am te him for letting me go! He is small ard exeeedinzly graceful, almost dainty. He hes the fimest lmnd I ever saw on 4 man, white anl slender, yet full of character and strensth. Hs features are as distinet and fine as the head of an antigue eames. What 1 do net ke is his inten-e el>- gance. That is so exciasive that it has won even the admiration of my vale ., If Laisl feels a dislike for ¢ hits eon- tempt for the count knows no hountls, . . . . . . . . CHAPTER V. I wish to know Laisl's mother zal tell him so. On his best bebavior, bul witi face as if 1 demanded sometiing out- rugecus, he replied “What does your Raral Highness wish with my mother? She is a poer, worn woman, and il besides And she will not receive you well™ “Why not?™ “S§ke cannot bear the great.” “Then you are just like ycur mother?™ “Why ‘just? “Well, you cannot bear me." He did not say “no.” He only leoked at me, and-truly, he did pot say “ne! | should have hugged him. In the dawn we started on a towr. We had to creoss the lake and then ge over mountain acd valley for nearly three hours. Weary Kings “I CREPT NEARER AND LISTENED. It was = beaming morning and I was as bappy as a schowl boy who begins his vaca- tien tigre After we left the boat Loisl walked ahead. I called him beck. “Tell me something ef your mother.” “There is nething to tell about her.™ “How eld is she?” “Akeut #. Maybe she is older.” “Where does she live?” “With Miss Fritz.” “Who is that?” “I’oes jour RNoyal Highness not know Miss IPritz?" “Why? ls she o famous a person?”’ “Surely. Miss Frita—" “What a strunge name.™ “Ske was christened as a boy.” “As a bey 7" “Her father wanted a boy. But the girl came. Them the old man got into a tre- mendeus rage, and, as he had made up his mind te have a Loy, the giri had to be a boy fer a time: So he named the child as a boy. Ah, =heis a p pso-, th s Miss F itz It was the laog st speech that I had heard from Loisks mouth. He spoke with elo- quenee, abroutely inopived. I was. stil inguisitive. “So yeur mwther I8 with the splendid Miss rita? Is not yeur father living any mere 7™ “My fatler™ When I lealed al = I was frightened. Ilis face was distorted, the whole man was in passionate execitemment. [ cried to him: “But Loisl!" He forced the words through his throat: “My father?! If I Emew where he is— Heaven, if I knew—'" “De you net know yeur faller at all?’ “Hew should 1?7 A grand gentleman it was wie treated my mather so, who ruined her bhedy ard scul.” “¥eu meed not pity me, beeause I am enly Laeisl, emly Lolsh without a father. But I will ind my @ne father yet. And then—" Witheut peying further attemtion to me he wemt far ahead. One grand mountaim view followed an- other. The curious Miiss Fritz dwelled on the highest estate in the land and we had to eltimsh brawely. She came t© meet us from the field, dressed Mhe a peasant. Her hair was braided and laid simply around her head. Bbe was between thirty and forty. lHow A Modern Romance By Richard Vo SS I BECAME AN EAVESDROPPER.” did she look? Good. I lked her. I liked her extraordinarily weil. She had thrown back the wide sleeves and one could see that her arms were as brown as her face. “Sce, 1 work,” said the brown, sturdy arms. “There is nothing more precious than work. Work fromm morning until evening. Work the whole life long. Yes, look at me. I am a happy being—happy through freedom and work."” The Count approached her, introduced himself and told my name. She was not in the least embarrassed. She was clearly glad to see the son of her King in her high Alpine farm. Smiling, she came to me. Now L knew; this Miss F'ritz was not only strong, but also good. Her smile betrayed it. She made a motion as if she would give me her hand, but unhappily she checked the impulse. So I gave her mine and she squeezed it heartily. Before we had spoken a word together | knew that we would hecome good friends. T accepted her frank invitation to be her guest, with pleasure. I confessed that I was hungry as a bear and also spoke of my intention of visiting Loisl's mother. Miss Fritz became very serious at oneae. 1 observed that she looked at the Count with surprise and inguiry in her face. At least it seemed 8o to me. Then she sald: “That is too bad. Lolsl's mother isn't here this week. She is up in the mountain dairy, where the air is better for her.” Ard* rgair it seemed to me as if she looked strangely at Count Gebhardt. He steed turned away from me, so that I ecould gather nothing from his expressjon. Meantime we wandered toward the house. I said to her: “Loisl told me about youw. How did you happen to go up here?* “Very si mply. The world was too narrow for me down in the valley, g0 1 climbed up here—and here I am.” “Did you find this farm here when you arrived?’ “I found nothing. Where the buildings stand there was a pine forest. Where the wheat grows was a morass. [ razed the forest, drted the morass, and now you see for yourself.” "“The beginning must have been hard." “Not at all. True, people thought that I was craxy, for so long as the mountains have been standing no daring peasant had ventured to cultivate fields so high above the valley. At first I could get no help here, and had to hire Italian labor. But at last it succeeded. 4nd now, please entes, your