By Wit of Woman

as the men themselves could be; but I knew the thr

ve done it without being discovered; but my weapon made that impossible. Moreover,

tried to fool me. They began to edge away from one anot

you are, or I fire,

opped a

s own daughter home?

daughter," pro

't be afraid, I s

nterfere with us?

You get into that carriage and drive off, the lot of you together, or I'll bring the police about your ears. Now, one, two, if you let me

tail and scurried to the carriage, swearing copio

and then hurried with my companion in the opposite di

ed, and she began to thank m

et. Tell me where

o go in Pesth, si

man to frighten those ruffians. I am a girl, like yourself, and have a

he said, simply; and with t

tumbling about my shoulders in sufficient length to satisfy her of my sex. She was quick enough to unde

said. "But you are wonderful. How I

I kissed her. She was; but very pale and so f

the tears welled up in her great blue

resently; but first I have some

bed for my friend; and I wrote a hurried line to Madame d'Artelle that I

ntly; but she started up and tried to smile to me through her tears. Then I made

ver thank yo

by having some supper; I am positively famished; and after that, if you like, you can tell me your sto

-" and she br

is seemed to cheer her. She dried her eyes and as we sat side by side on a couch,

d a student at the University here;" and I added some details about the S

me your name yet,"

ou have heard the name?" she said

. I knew the name years ago in Ame

th. You will call me by that, of course." With a sweet little nervous

en that,

el;" and her arm came about me agai

have been--what a fool I was! Of course the thing was plain. Gustav was the husband, and he had

r sweet eyes fastened upon my f

yself. Had you not better tell me every

d the locket was not good enough for me. I wish I had kept it now. You would have said he was the handso

s the m

th me when those men attacked us.

that," I said, a little drily. "I s

e would have riske

eplied. I nearly said run away;

. I would rather have died than that." Then with a change

nlight, but he p

aw he was

en I have ever seen," I

just it, and as goo

ery anxious as I saw the problem widening and deepening. Poor trustful little soul!

she broke. "Oh, how I hope he

I asked. This reminded her, as I inten

ad told you nothing. I will tell you: but you must first give me a pro

nothing to harm you. Why

d of his father's an

xclaimed, i

ith a touch of rebuke and pride. He had tak

rse," I

pon the good will of his father who wishes him to marry some on

n friends kn

e never lived at home for more than a week or so at a time. I did wish to tell him; but Karl would not let me-I mean, we decided it was better not until the truth could be told to all."

our fathe

surprise passed unnoticed. He had been that friend of my father's who was believed to hold

summer storm. She was a creatu

n, gloomy and sometimes hard man. He would have forced us to

ather know that he

meant it to be a surprise. I was at Tyrnau, staying with friends, when we met, and it

married

y a friend of Karl's in his house at Sillien, in the mountains. A heaven of a place. My

er see it,

will be my dear friend always; and Karl's too, when he knows how

ght then?" I asked, smothering the

I have scarcely seen him; and something is going to happen; I shan't be alone then; and-you understand, I wanted to let my father know I was married before

er visit meant discovery for him, and he had improvised the means of ge

he made a great effort to look resolute and determined-"and said I would go to my father to-morrow, he gave in and kissed me, and agreed to take me to his father and admit

nd tell him. You know where t

t he dared not let me write to his home. He gave me an address in the Altgasse, but it

ke my advice,

of course. I kno

your father, Colonel Ka

Karl made me take an oath to-day on the holy crucifix that, whate

hy

. No, no. I dare not. I dare not. I cannot break my oath. I should be fals

al cleverness; knowing the simple, trustin

taking alarm at my silence and seri

le thing, and as I kissed her she threw her arms round my neck and clung to me. "And now, I'll gi

mine, I went downstairs to think over all she had told me, all the tan

nable to sleep in my perplexed anxiety when I heard her call out

awake, Ch

is it,

and am frightened.

d she crept into my

ad killed him," she moaned. "And he was going to

with me long after I had calmed h

child! It might well be an omen, indeed. M