The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1874-09-24
C0NRADss LOVES.


BE- she best dancer and swordsman in tn
village. Iii. complexion was darker thai
that Of .st Of bis neighbours, for ther,
vss . tradition Of Magyar blood in tn
fsnily, and his face was by no mean,
lacking in intelligence of . merry and peace
fsi sort.
The village had lock of having beer
flashed years ago; but a "reader OF men
night have looked at Conrad, if he saw
lin there, and said:
I" But that fellows only half done vet
He doesn't only half understand himself
Ply shsf~'s nothing in this sleepy vale,
- wsks him up"
IT, however, the process of waking up
vas to imply any sort Of shaking, there
hsi hssn little enough of that in the life
which Conrad had thus far led The
greatest events of the outside world had
hssn only ~ storms on the ocean, sending
hardly = ripple Of their uproar into the
little land-iocted cove of the old, dull vii.
lsgs.
Gottlieb MidSnrger, Conrad's father,
with bis old crouy sud partner, Franz
llsferdahl, had made and ,.ended watches
in the came dingy and time-~oru shop
where their fathers had filed and hammer
ed before tn. n; and one life was like an
other, and about As unvarying as the tick
ing .f the fst-faccd tmepieces behind the
s-b~sbs IN the shop. window.
Just now, however, as il the course of
sssure we're being disturbed, variou. rip
pies were beginning to come. Rumors
there wsre, fer instance, that the king,
GOD preserve him was preparing TO
fight . war with somebody, and that all
young heroes like Conrad Midbu,ger would
seen be needed for the ARMY.
Ssrenger still, and utterly unaccountable,
eonsidsr'ng his tim. of life, old franz
II. fsrdaii had caught the emigration fever,
SD made up his steadfast mind to join
the great German tide that sets prrpet,-
ally toward the shores Of America. AL
ready he had sold Whatever he had to sell,
except his a,g pipe, his Cute and his
d.akht<r Christine, for these he intended
s.ki.x with him to tho western Eden.
"Perhsps,' thought the villagers, "it'-
not 80 strange far old Franz Us for some OF
ss. II-'s been lonely aimee his wife died.
ssa then he was great traveller in Lis
younger days"
This vas ,rue enough, for Franz Hotter
dahl had been to Berlin, and America
c-u'i not b. - very mac!, beyond.
The old man hal ,ali his .larr in the
shop 80 his fri-nt q ,ttli-h. and had made
As xs.d bargain. a. he could for hi. house
a-d ruo,enblps: but none If h- anx 100.
s..h he took with him when he std hi.
.sspins Christine act out upon their lons
pilgrimage.
CLr,.tins ~.pt. indeed, as if she meant
t. rui" her pretty bin- eyes entirely; for
Il. little old vilngs had been gerry dear Ia
her. sni her in"th-r's grave WAS there. II
shsrs ~ere other reasons for her sorrow,
she hop, shr,s TO herself: albeit shs may
hsvs wondered why one person. vt least,
hsA not asked = question or 50 concerning
thsn.
A Tor Conrad Midburger. he had A~id
eesA bye, with all the rs.t, t. his father
cid friend, aud to the fearful Christine /:
an3 he had rubbed his great black ewes
aitss~ard in . way that looked as il the
whole thing a good deal of dream to him.
II it sas. th,rs vas no help for it. since
Christine aud her father were far enough
away before he woke up.
Nevertheless. when Conrad mi 'sed, day
after day, the accustomed form of old
Frsns in the shop, as well as tue CHEEKY
vsies of Christine loferdahl calling hel
father home to dinner, the expression Of
his lace would change at times, and on
to ,ki&k.
Net quite 80 much as that, perhaps, a.
least not yet; but pretty soon Conrad 8
eyes 'ook note of growing difference in
the ways and seeming OF old Gottlieb
Midburg himself. Just what it was would
have been hard to say; but, by degree,
tie old man began te neglect his pipe, ther
his glass of beer, and then his work, anc
finally, he took to his bed and died; anc
ihs neighbors said, almost with one accord
that Franz IIoferdabl broke his ole
friends heart by gong away
d" Broken his heart" said Conrad Il
hinssl; but he did not break mine anC
/ have heart, tool can teel it beat; snC
loved old Franz, and loved my father
very much; and l feel as if could cry al
day il were not so big man."
The strongest evidence that Conrad ha'
. heart, however, was yet to come. A
the days went by, after his fathers death
the shop, and everything in it and about j
became Utterly distasteful to him. Da,
after day no sat down to the beuch ant
tried to work; but the very ticking of tn,
watches wac insuAsrably oppressive, Will
again and again he started up aud droT pee
his file or his hammer in renewed astcnish
ment at the continued absence of thes
s~o old men.
If only Christine would come" he sai'
TO himself, "and call old Franz to dinner.
But she did not come, and the silenc
and loneliness grew more aud more irk
some, and so, by aud by, when goo
customer OPPORTUNITY made his appearance
Conrad Midburzer almost gladly close
With bis offer to purchase the snop an
hopss. He sold, too, every thing else tina
bis fsther left him, except the old man
pipe aud sword, and the medal his fatbe
before him had won in the old wars wit
the French. Neither did Conrad, al
zo.s sasn Franz Hoferdahl, tell any of h
seightors bow great or how small was tt
golden store he found himself possessed o
but the Midburgers had been = careful
ksging and CLOSE mouthed race for gener
tons.
And when the sales we're all complete
and the transfers duly made, and Coma
L. -o1.E~hs -