The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1874-09-02

weary enough, and they had reached
resting place at last they had written
home to their old neighbors, as all
Germans do, but little information had
come back TO them. They knew that
old Gottlieb Midburger was dead and
that Conrad had given up the home
and the shop, and that he had gone to
the great war with the French and
that was nearly all.
Franz Hoferdahl had not landed on
the shores of the New World pauper
in anything but youth and strength,
and he found friends readily enough
to take the place of the old ones as
far as might be, and, after he had got
over his first daze and bewilderment,
and become somewhat accustomed to
the racking changes in all his habits
and ways of life, he tried to settle
down as man of property and SUBJ
tance, and be happy.
"II only old Gottlieb Midburger
were with me-" he said to Christine,
II think could do it. l would give
good deal just to see the old fellow
lay downhis pipe and look into dir,
ty watch.
Christine said very little, but her
bright American home became dreary
enough at times, when she shut her
eyes and let her thoughts go back to
the old sleepy German village. She
read all the accounts of the great war,
too, wondering if any of her old neigh
bors had been in this battle or that,
and she listened very silently when
her father said .. ...
"If Conrad Midburger was in any
Of that fighting, I'll be bound he be-
haved himself well. There's good
blood in the Midburgers and Conrad
is fine boy" ...
"He must be man by this time"
said Christine.
And then she thought what a very
tall, fine-looking man he must be and
how well he would appear in his uni
form. ..
But when, after q while, there was
news of peace and they heard that the
army was going home to be disbanded,
old Franz Hoferdahl grew strangely
thoughtful and Christine tried all in
vain to arouse him, or amuse him, un-
til one Autumn morning, he said to
her: y-a--
Gall the other old soldiers are 60
ing home. think it is pretty near
time for me to go too"
"To Germany, fatherp exclaimed
| Christine, with sudden light in her
eyes. go father!''
"No, Christine" solemnly replied
the old man; Germany is not the on
ly fatherland. l am q very old sol.
dier and l think this is my last cam
paign.
Christine understood him then, but
all in q dreamy and unreal sort OF
way, until, a few weeks later, she
found herself sitting alone in the
house, while the chilling wind that
whistled by the windows was freighted
with the first white harbingers of the
Winter. 1t seemed cold, forlorn and
empty sort of world to Christine
and, when she tried to think of the
village where she was born, that, too
seemed empty and deserted and she
imagined the old shop shut up and the
snow-fiakes beating against the spider
webbed windows. ...
The door bell rang, but Christine
did not hear it, nor did she know the
servant had admitted anybody, unit
she was conscious of a heavy step
almost beside her and a deep, cleal
voice, full of manly strength, but tina
trembled in a thrilling musical way
said to AeI:
"Christine Christinev" 7" f.t
She looked up then in the face-i
SCARED and war-bronzed face-of {
tall, erect, noble-looking man, VIII,
wore medal of honor on his breas
and whose large, dark, penetrating
eyes were absolutely radiant as the!
!, looked down into her own.
"Christine," he said again, "do yol
understand meP have come"
"He had comel" she thought, 70
one brief, burning moment, and j
J seemed as if light and life, and happi
ness and strength, and the old Ger
man home itself, had come with him
| She now had an odd, quick fancy tha
[ the door of the old shop opened an
= the sun began to shine, and she eoul
D see the two old men at their work, bu
= she rose and threw her arms aroun
! his neck, and only said, between he
} sobs, 80 Conrad, Pm SO happy S
7 glad you have come!"
| 1t was a sober day and sober NEE
e ing, after all, but, some hours later, q
t they sat by the crate in the parlol
e where the FIRE burned warm and cheel
D lily, while the first merry snowflake
a Of the opening winter fitted softly b