Argosy, Vol. 1 (December 9, 1882) — page 89: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

* Are you Herr von Fromberg? ” “ Certainly not,” he stammered, with a quick look of appeal to me. “ This ” He quailed before the look I gave him and stopped. You are not going to deny yourself, man?” I cried. “ Deny myself, Von Fromberg,” he answered with a forced, uneasy laugh. “Why should I? My name is Fisher. Do you want me?” he said to the two. “ Certainly not. Our business is with this gentleman. This is Herr von Fromberg, is it not?” “ Yes, certainly,” was the reply with another forced laugh. “ Now, will you keep your word?” said the man in a meaning tone to me. ‘“ Or will you compel me——” He did not finish the sentence. “ Oh, just as you like. Only I warn you it’s all an infernal blunder; ” and with that I went with them. At the bottom of the stairs I turned and looked up at the man for whom I was mistaken. He nodded and made signs to me as if thanking me and urg- ing me to keep up the deception. I said not a word more, but went with the two men in dogged silence. When we reached the station I flung myself into a corner of the railway car- riage, my companions mounting guard over me, one at my side, the other in the opposite corner. We traveled through the night, changing trains more than once; some times traveling at express speed, sometimes crawling, and now and again making long stops at junctions. I scarcely spoke, except to protest that it was all a fool’s journey; and when the elder man attempted to talk to me, I stopped him peremptorily, say- ing that as a stranger I had not the least wish to learn anything of the family’s affairs. I would not hear a word until we reached the castle. There, however, a surprise awaited me that pierced the shell of my apathy in an instant and filled me with a sudden longing to go on with the strange part for which my companions had thus cast me. The greatest deference was shown to me on my arrival, and I was ushered into a large and lofty room, while the elder man went to inform the prince of my arrival, the younger man remaining with me. The castle was certainly magnificent; and I could not refrain from an intense wish that I were indeed the heir to such a glorious place and position. My thoughts slipped back to the old life that I had thrown away, contrasting it with the mockery of my stale, humdrum existence, and I asked myself what I. would not give for such a career as I felt I could build out of the materials fortune had now shoveled into my lap with this taunting munificence. Then I saw from the window a young, golden haired girl standing among the flower beds. She was dressed all in black, the exquisitely beauti- ful and regular features set and saddened with an expression of profound grief and melancholy. She was holding some freshly picked roses in her hand, and after she had plucked orie or two others, a serving maid approached her and said something to her; and she turned and looked towards the window at which I stood. iS eomicbooks CO