CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER X.
CHAPTER XI.
CHAPTER XII.
CHAPTER XIII.
CHAPTER XIV.
CHAPTER XV.
CHAPTER XVI.
The grey mist of an autumn morning lay upon forest and field. Throughits shadowy vapors a swarm of birds were sweeping by, on their Southwardway, now dipping low over the tops of the tall fir forest, as if givinga last greeting to their summer homes, and then rising high in the air;turning their flight due South, they disappeared slowly through the fog.
At the window of a large manor-house, which lay at the edge of theforest, two men stood, watching the course of the birds and conversingearnestly with each other. One was a tall, stalwart figure, whose firmand erect bearing betokened the soldier fully as much as the uniform hewore. He was blonde and blue-eyed, not handsome, but with a strong andspeaking countenance; a typical German in form and feature. Yetsomething like a shadow lay upon the man's face, and there were,wrinkles, on his brow which surely were not the result of age, for hewas yet in the prime of life.
"The birds have started already on their journey to the south," said he,after watching the flight attentively until they had finally disappearedin the cloud of mist. "The autumn has come to nature and to our lives aswell."
"Not to yours yet," objected his companion. "You are just in the hey-dayof life, in the full strength of your manhood."
"True enough, as to years, but I have a feeling that age will overtakeme sooner than others. I often feel as if it were autumn with me now."
The other man, who might have been a few years the speaker's senior, wasslender, and of middle height, and clad in civilian's dress. He shookhis head impatiently at his companion's last observation. He appearedinsignificant when compared with the strong, well-built officer nearhim; but his pale, sharply cut face wore a look of cold, superiorrepose, and the sarcastic expression around the thin lips, together withhis aristocratic air and bearing, suggested a hidden strength behind afeeble exterior.
"You take life too hard, Falkenried," he said reprovingly. "You havechanged strangely in the last few years. Who would recognize in you now,the gay young officer of other days? And what's the reason of it all?The shadow which once darkened your life has long since disappeared. Youare a soldier, heart and soul, and have repeatedly distinguishedyourself in your profession. A high position awaits you in the future,and the thing above all others is—you have your son."
Falkenried did not answer; he folded