The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-09-18

A great. Swapping, muscular fellow was
Conrad Midburger, and he was admitted
to BE- the best dancer and swordsman in
the village. His complexion was darker
than that of most of his neighbors. for
here was a tradition Of Magyar blood in
the family. and his face was by no means
lacking in intelligence of merry and
peaceful sort.
The village had a look of having been
finished long ago; but a ''reader of men,
might have looked at Conrad. if he saw
him there. and said
but that fellows only half done vet.
He doesn't half understand himself. Pity
there's nothing in this sleepy valley TO
wake him up"
III, however, the process Of waking up
was 10 imply any sort of shaking. there
had been little enough of that i'm the life
which Conrad had thus far led. The
greatest events OF the outside world had
seen only as storms on the ocean. sending
hardly a ripple Of their uproar into the
little land-locked cove OF the old dull vii
lage.
Gottlieb Mdburger, Conrad's father.
with his old crOny and partner. Franz
Hoferdahl. had made and mended watch
e. in the same dingy and time-worn shop
where their fathers had filedand hammered
before them; ard one life was as like an
other, and about as unvarying. a. the
ticking of the fat-faced time-pieces behind
the cobwebs in the shop-window.
Just now. however. "a if the course of
nature were being disturbed, various rip
piles were beginning to come. Rumors
there were. for instance. that the king.
God preserve him - was preparing 70
fight war with somebody, and that all
young heroes like Conrad Midburger
would soon be needed for the army.
Stranger still, and utterly unaccounta-
Bile. considering his time of life. old Franz
Hoferdabl had caught the emigration fe-
yer. and made up his steadfast mind to
join the great German tide that sets per
petually toward the shores of America.
Already he had sold whatever he had TO
sell, except his big pipe. his flute and his
daughter Christine, for these he intended
taking with him to the western Eden.
Perhaps" thought the villagers. Its
not so strange for old Franz as for some
Of us. He's been lonely since his wife
died. and then he was great traveller i'm
his younger days.
That was true enough. for Franz Ho-
ferdahl had been TO Berlin. and America
could not be 80 very much beyond.
The old man had sold his share in the
as good bargains a he could for his house
and movables; but none of his anxious |
neighbors knew exactly how much of
ready cash he took with him when ne and /
his weeping Christine set out upon their I
long pilgrimage.
Christine wept. indeed. az If she meant 4
TO ruin her pretty blue eyes entirely: for |
the little old village had been very dear
10 her. and her mothers grave was there.
II there were other reasons for her sorrow.
Christine kept them TO herself albeit she l
may have wondered why one person. at /
least, had not asked her a question or 40 4
concerning them.
As for Conrad Midburger. he hal said 4
goodby wiihall the rest. To his fathers old /
friend, and TO the fearful Christine and he
had rubbed his great black eyes, afterward. /
In a way that looked a. if the whole thing
was good deal of dream 10 him. III In
was there was no help for IL, since Chris
tine and her father Were far away before
he woke up.
Nevertheless. when Conrad missed. dav
after day. the accustomed form Of old
Franz In the shop, as well a. the CHEEKY
Voice OF Christine Hofertiahl calling her
father home to dinner, the expression of
his face would change, at times. and one
would almost have said he was beginning
to think.
Not quite so much AZ that. perhaps, at
least. not yet; but pretty soon Conrad's
eyes took note Of n growing difference In
the ways and seeming Of old Gottlieb Mid
burger himself. Just what IL was would
nave been hard TO say: but, by degrees,
she old man came 10 neglect his pipe, then