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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1885)
170 THE WEST SHORE. " How I can remember you Bitting there in the cor ner!" wid Alexis. "You were knitting and pretending to be tho haiufruu, with your little luuud senium In, and the golden curls oeping from under your funny little cap." " While you went out shooting with a toy gun, and brought home a tour apple or two," laughed Lise. " We will go everywhere!" cried Alexin. "Lise, I am determined we will bo happy by ourselves these next few day. If we are to lead the dull, hard lives other people load for the rest of our lives, we will have something to look back upon to comfort us. Oh, Liso! it is a shame that we should be separated. Why ? " This impetuous cry reached other ears. A figure came along tho path leading to the boathouse. It was the oount Hoeing them, ho stopped short, then gave Lise a satirical little bow, and, without glancing at his son, passed on. They looked at each other iu dismay. "Who enres?" said Alexis, so defiantly that Lise smiled. After all, what a boy he was! Hut her heart sank as he told her about the planned expedition to Warmbrunu. She had boen somewhat puzaled by the countess' oolder manner that morning. Now she under sUxhI; the knowlodgo brought the blood to her cheek, reserve to hor manner. She left Alexis abruptly. She would promise nothing in answer to his entreaties, not even that she would meet him again, and ho went back to the castlo dejected, and secretly hardened himself against all but Lise herself, whom he regarded as an innocent victim to the machinations of her elders. Meanwhile the oount had gone straight to his wifo, greatly irritated by what he had seen and heard, confess ing that she was right The countess sent at once for Herr Bartnann, and forced horself to arise and receive lira. In a few moment he appeared and expressed his regret at the sudden illness of the gnftdige Frau. " Yea, my good Uarmann, I am not strong. It is for this reason I have sent for you. Be seated, and let us speak low, for it is of my most private affairs I would lak." Herr llarmann took the proffered chair. What was coming? "You are aware, my dear Bartnann, that the count would never have sunk his capital on the estate, as he has done, had it not been that lie wished to keep up the property that our son might iuherit and eretuate the family name. Were Alexis to offend his father-were he, for instance, to suggest a marriage which we should not approve-the count is just in the humor to sell the pn.jH.rty, aud to will everything to his sister's children. 1 have no power with my husband, when he is once stirred into action, Baraaun; and this is why I have cut for you. I have been urging the oount to make his wilL His excuse is that there is no noUry at hand, lour future son-in-law is, I believe, lawyer. Lise is here. What more natural than that he should wish to pay you a visit? Ii you oould privately suggest the mat ter to Henr, Hear Ulrich, and invite him openly we should make his acquaintance, and I might lead the count to make a will in Alexis' favor. Do you understand?" she coiiuluded, meaningly. " I believe I do," said her factotum, somewhat drily. He understood that she was afraid of Lise. and was strat- egizing for the presence of Franz Ulrich to annul the i n- l i : tt i ji ' tr i ii emDryo uirwiuou. no niiew ji wus a wine iubu. xetine countess dread annoyed him, and he went home frown ing as blackly as the count himself. In the evening he wrote to Ulrich, but he did not tell Lise. He was silent at supper time, until she filled his pipe and brought it to him; then he seized her fair little hand, and said, very gently: " Lise, you would oblige me by not going out to-morrowat least, by keeping in the garden. And do not receive any one, my child. Believe me, I have a good reason, a serious reason, for asking you this." The blood rushed to Lise's face. Innocent though she was, she felt guilty. "But I had promised to go to the Frau Pastorin's coffee the day after to-morrow," she faltered. " I prom ised Lenuchen to teach her a new embroidery stitch." "You may go where you please the day after to-morrow. I spoke only of to-morrow." "What could it mean?" thought Lise; but as she asked herself she fancied she knew. The countess did not think her good enough for the companionship of her soul First came a rush of angry pride, then a buret of tears. She was leaning out of window that the evening air might cool hor burning eyes, when the scent of a cigar minglod with the perfume of the jasmine on the veranda floated upward; she heard a footstep on the path outside the garden wall. Some one went along whistling a Prus sian quick march. It was Alexia. The thought com forted her. Her adopted brother did not despise her; she was good enough for him. He would find a way of seeing her, too, in spite of them! and with incipient re bellion in her heart she fell asleep that night Alexis, who guessed that his father's moody air was the result of "some nonsense his mother had put into his father's head about Lise," pretended to lounge about the house, but as soon as he felt himself unwatched, he stole off. Lise's heart beat as the bell rang. She dropped her work and crouched upon the sofa as she heard the old servant rejeat the sentence her master had taught her before leaving the house: " The Fraulein had a headache and could see no one." Very well" Lise hoard the worth, distinctly. They sounded care or angry. What would Alexis think of her? Why should they have forced her to be rude to Alexis? It was tyranny. When hor father came in she had so far controlled herself as to maintain a ij eremty which was her principal charm. But she could tmateT eye" "hone ftnd "cin' "She love, that boy-better than Franz!" was her Uther s dismayed conclusion.
