LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume X, Issue 1273, 17 April 1878, Page 3

LITERATURE.

FRANZ WERVER, A Christmas Talk, Founded on Fact. By Lois Selbon. {Continued.) * This is the most extraordinary story I ever heard,'said Kudolph 'Going ! - and you say she lovds you-and is poor! And pray what reason does this paragon assign for refusing my|brother ?' 1 Because she i« poor, and unknown, and proud 1 Because she knows you would not give your consent to such a matoh ; because she will not even be engaged to me without your knowledge and sanction.' 'lt sounds • quite romantic ; almost as goid as a play. But Bhe u right. The young woman has more sense than you have, Franz. The idea ! my brother marrying a sorter in my warehouses ! a girl picked up ' ' Hold there, Rudolph ! Dare to say a word of that kind, and I will not answer for the conseqaences, though you are my brother. And now I swear to you that I will never marry any other woman than Lisa Klein ' Franz turned from the room with this, leaving his brother standing in amazement at the young man's unexpected audaoity. ' Who w uld have thought it ?' he soliloquised to himself. ' But I will ride out and have * look at this girl : there's some trick in it. he would never refuse Franz '

But when on the following day Herr Werner ascertained for himself that the cottage was empty, and its occupants bad eft no trace behind them, he was astonished ; and perhaps a little uncomfortable about his brother. On his return news awaited him in the shape of a note from Franz ' By the" tim* this reaches you I shall be half-way to Franckfort. I cannot stay in D now that she has gone. *'erhapa by wandering from place to place I may find some clue by which to trace her.—Fraz '

* Foolish fel'ow I' was his elder brother's comment. 'On the whole, perhaps it is the best thing that have happened. Nothing like change of scene f r a lovesick brain! I hope he will not nnd the girl, though—but he could not marry her, thank Heaven, without my consent.' With which comfortable reflection, Herr Werner forgot Franz and his vagaries for things of greater importance. An Jong intervals Herr Werner would hear that a letter had come to '-scar or Francisca f<om Franz, bu r . there wa3 never any message for him, and as he aske I no questions about the headstrong young man, no information was given him Thus the weeks ami the ninths went by eventlessly enough, till o>ie day there came a letter addiessed to the firm generally, in an unbusinesslike hand. It so happened that the head partner opened it. ' Oscar, Oscar,' he called out hastily, a moment afterwards, ' look at tbi« ! Some one must go off at once, I suppose it had better be you.' ' vv hat is the matter ?' exclaimed Oecar, astonished at the sound of distress in his brother's voice.

' There : read for yourself. Franz is down with fever, and the doctors say here it is dangerous. Poor fellow ! 11l ! —all alone a < ongst strangers— dyiog perhaps ! Go at once, t 'scar, and bring him back with you—if you can.' There were but few railways in Germany at that time, therefore Oscar's progress was very slow; at Jast, he -'id rumble into Franckfct, and found his way to Franz's abode. Franz was past recognising anybody. He was tossing about in the delirium of fever, raving of the unkindness of hi* brother Rudolph, his cheeks crimson, his eyes sunk and glittering Then he would calm down for a time and call upon Lisa to come to him, imploring her to tell him where she had hidden herself. He was always Seeking for her and never finding her !

This was the burden of his feverish wanderings, and for many days and nights Oscar despaired of his recovery. At last the crisis came—that deep sleep from which the fnver-patient awakes to new life and strength, or which leads rapidly to the end, if he wake up at all on this side the grave. To ' scar's great joy, Franz's awaking was a renewal of hope, and he could write home a comforting letter to Rudolph, telling how their brother had recognised him with a faint smile on his whit h face.

That was a bright day for Pupolph Werner. A great fear had seized him what if his tyranny had led to all this and Franz should not recover ! How gladly would he have given »is consent to the marriage over and over agiin under the influence of that terror, if that would have brought Franz back to health. Hut when the comforting letter came, the c»ust of pride, which bad been melting fast, hardened again. He was most thankful to think the danger was past, but he was very glad that Franz had not found ' that girl.' 'Onceget him back, and we will make it so pleasant for him here, that he will forget all about that stupid business—if the fever has not taken it out of him already 1' he said to G-retel. So he sat down and wrote to Franz, telling him how happy he was at the thought of soon welcoming him home. Then Herr Werner rubbed his hands and looked happier than he had done for many weeks.

At last, on a hot evening in July, jnst six months after Franz had left home, the luxurious travelling carriage, bearing him aud Oscar to D , rolled into the old town and halted before Oscar Werner's house. Francisca and Rudoloh were at the door in a moment, and it was with difh* culty that they repressed all signs of alarm at Franz's altered looks. Pale, haggard, worn to a shadow, it was almost impossible to recognise the once bright, handsome face and figure. The meeting between the brothers was very touching. Neither alluded to the past; bu* before leaving him for the night, Rudolph patted Franz affectionately on the shoulders. •Youwil be all right now, old you know what a capital nurse Francisca is ' But Franz did not recover as quickly as Rudolph had hoped. The journey had thrown him back, and it wai quite the end of August before he was sufficiently wpII to get about by himself. And, once arrived at this point, he never got beyond it. Month followed month, and he appeared to get weaker instead of stronger. Nothing seemed able to rouse him.

Lisa's name never once passed his lips. His brothers hoped that he had forgotten her, but Francisca thought otherwise. She had noticed how all his rides took him through Hildendorf, either on his way in or out. That, and seeing 1 -isa's name on the fly-leaf of a little book kept always in the young man's pocket, caused her to make up her mind to speak. ' Rudolph.' she said to her brother-in-law, on the morning she had come to the above determination; " Rudolph, I want to tll you something very serious. If you do n»t want Franz to die, you must find *' that girl" for him.' ( udolph started and changed colour. 1 My dear Francisca, this is absurd ; be has long got over that stupid affair. He is get ting all right, and I hope to see him take to business again soon.' But Herr Werner moved a little uneasily in his chair, and there was not the usual decided ring in his voice. The next minute he asked, in his old authoritative way : 'Oh ! 1 see Franz has told y.u to speak to me about the matter, Frauciaci ?'

1 The girl's name has never bet n mentioned between us, Rudolph. Believe me, if ever a man fretted away his life in sto ct, FraDz is fretting away his,' Francisca added solemnly.

Rudolph looked very much disturbed and annoy* d, ' I had hoped never to hear of this ail'air again. Jußt think what yon would feel if asked to associate with one uf our work people?' Herr Werner thougt he had hit straight home. To his ehargria, Francisca answered somewhat hautily in her tura, ' I own I do not folluw j ou there. If the girl is a good (jiri» w pbs mm to be, and ij ebfi can male

Franz happy, I shall certainly not object to her.' ' You are very good. Francisca. I cannot help thinking you are mistaken.' It waa some weeks after the above interview that a travelling carriage stopped at the tiny host el-y »f a hamlet about thirty miles nor hof Fraukfort. Out of it stepped a tall, stately-looking man. whose head came in very rough contact with the rafters SB he entered tho low public room of the house. He called out in haughty tones, asking if there were any accommodation to be had, and if he oonld have anything to drink ? - 7h h* otrntinvM "*