advent of the gay fellow whose money furnished their
wine, and whose stories of romantic adventure contributed to their
entertainment.

Nat was a bold, handsome fellow, whose curling black hair and
flashing black eyes and wild, careless manner played sad havoc with
the hearts of the young girls of Hagen, and many a comely maiden
would have been made supremely happy by a careless nod of greeting
from this reckless young vagabond.

Not so with Emerence Bauer. Her timid, gentle nature shrank
involuntarily from the rough, uncouth manners of the handsome Nat,
and the stories of his extravagances only filled her mind with
loathing for the life he was leading and the follies he was
committing.

As she compared her own cheerful, manly Henry to this dissipated
Adonis, whose roistering conduct had made him the talk of the
village, she felt that her love was well placed and her heart well
bestowed.

To Nat Toner the aversion manifested by Emerence only served to
create in him a passionate love for her, and he was seized with an
uncontrollable longing to possess her for his own.

Up to this time he had not been informed of the betrothal existing
between Emerence and Henry Schulte, and his rage and disappointment
on discovering this fact was fearful to behold. He cursed the young
man, and swore that, come what would, and at whatever cost, he would
permit no one to come between him and the object of his unholy
affections.

His enmity to Henry Schulte, which soon became very evident, was
manifested upon every possible occasion, until at length Henry's
universal good nature gave way under the repeated taunts of his
unsuccessful rival, and he resolved that further submission would be
both useless and cowardly.

Nothing further occurred, however, for some time, but fresh fuel was
added to the fire of Nat Toner's anger by an incident that he was an
unobserved witness of. One evening he was returning home from the
tavern, where he had been drinking with his companions till a late
hour. His way led him past the residence of Emerence Bauer, and as he
passed by upon the other side of the lighted street he witnessed the
affectionate parting of Henry Schulte and the lady of his love.

Setting his teeth firmly, his eyes flashing with the malignity of
hate, he strode on, vowing vengeance upon the innocent cause of his
anger, who, with his mind filled with many pleasant dreams of the
future, pursued his way towards the little farm-hou