riage was just coming across
the square.

"No, thank you. I require no third person between my husband and
myself."

Her words sounded cold and hard.

"You look so miserable," groaned her mother.

"Then the sooner I get home the better."

"At least send back a messenger at once."

"Perhaps you think he beats me too?" she inquired, ironically, turning
to go.

"Child! child!" cried Mrs. Baumhagen, stretching out her arms towards
her, "be reasonable, don't be so blind where facts speak so loudly."

But she did not turn back. Calmly she took down her mantle from the
hat-stand. Sophie gazed anxiously into the pale, still face of the
young wife, who quite forgot to say a pleasant word to the old servant.
At the carriage-door stood Uncle Henry.

"Let me go with you, Gertrude," he entreated.

She shook her head.

"It is only out of pure selfishness, Gertrude," he continued. "If I
don't know how it is going with you I shall be ill."

"No, uncle. We two require no one; we shall get on better alone."

"Don't break the staff at once, child," he said, gently,

"I do not need to do that, Uncle Henry."

He lifted his hat from his bald head. There was a reverent expression
in his eyes.

"Good-bye, Gertrude, little Gertrude. If I had had my way, you would
not have heard a word of it."

She bent her head gravely.

"It is best so, uncle."

Then she went back the way she had come.

The rain beat against the rattling panes and dashed against the leather
top of the carriage, and they went so slowly. The young wife gazed out
into the misty landscape. The splendor of the blossoms had vanished,
the white petals were swimming in the pools in the streets.

"Oh, only one sunbeam!" she thought, the weather oppressed and weighed
her down so.

Absurd! How could any one be so influenced by foolish gossip! Mamma
always looked on the dark side of everything--and even if she always
told the truth, she had been imposed upon by this story. Poor Frank!
Now there would be vexation--the first! She would tell him of it
playfully--after dinner, when they were alone together, then she would
say, "Frank, I must tell you something that will make you laugh. Just
fancy, you have a very bitter enemy, and his revenge is so absurd, he
declares"--she was smiling now herself--"Yes, that is the way it shall
be."

She was just passing the old watch tower. What was she thinking of as
she passed this place a few hours before? Oh yes--a crimson