Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-12-23
A CHRISTMAS STORY.


TEAR NJ. ABICHT-We celebrate
IL ChristmaS-eve this year, as all years
| by lightning Christmas candles in Father
land fashion. VIII youno1t come m and il9 enjoy
family party but that is rather an induce
ment, think, when one is SO far from
home as yon are; and besides, you know
| Mr. Heddermann looks upon you and all
his young countrymen rather as son:
| than strangers.
| II write in English, partly not to expose
my poor German, and partly because Ger
trude begs me to do so, that you may be
sure to reply in the same language. She
| says she is proud of her scholar, and de
sires me to tell you that the tree is to be Lii
at seven o'clock precisely, and she hopes
you will be punctual to the minute.
| Yours most sincerely.
Tuesday'' LUCY V. II. HEDDERMANN.
dear MADAME.-It gives me much hap
mess to accept with pleasure, as Miss
Gertrude teach me to do: The sight of the
man eyes, so far from Germany. Make
my assurances to Miss Gertrude that shall
| be prompt, and my regrets that she may
not find this English sans 'eproche. l beg
also to be presented to your niece, and,
kissing your hand, am always dear mad
anne, Yours,
| !" Wed,esday." MAMMALIAN ADICHr.
"DEAR MIR. ABIcHT.-- Mamma is SO very
busy to-day that she desires me to write in
her name to thank you for that beautiful
note, and to say that as my aunt, Miss Van
Ripp, can not come till the later train on
the tree till halt past eight. You will come
then, wont you? We shall all be dread
fully disappointed if you don't. Your
English was splendid!
"Anf Wiederscden,
''GERrRuDE HEDpERMANN."
In these three notes lie the key of
the mystery. A plague on postoffices
and drop-letter boxes! If note num-
ber one had only miscarried, then note
number two would never have been
written, and there would have been
no worse consequences than the failure
of one guest at the Christmas cele-
bration while if note number three
had arrived safely, instead of wander
ing off Heaven only knows why or
where, Max Abicht wouldn't have
been left standing, hat in hand, in
the dining-room of the Heddermanns'
English basement, wondering un-
speakably at the manner of his re-
ception.
Unversed in American customs, he
did not know whether or not this was
the way in which guests were gener-
ally welcomed in republic namely,
by a servant who, with loudly ut
tered Irish exclamation, showed them
into q pitch-dark room, clapped the
door to, and, Gathering down some
mysterious stairs or other, appeared
no more. If the custom, it certainly
was an embarrassing one. If not,
something must be wrong, and he
racked his brains to discover what
this could be. Had he mistaken the
day? No. Saturday, Monday, Tues
day; it certainly ,cas Wednesday
certainly auas .Christmas-eve. What
could it mean?
It meant simply that the fair Ger
trude, in her power above, was too
busy with French novel and q hair
dresser to notice rings at the bell;
that MIR. Heddermann, belated by
the payment of his holiday largesses,
was not yet up from the Office; that
Mrs. Heddermann, having dined early
to leave the evening free, was now,
while awaiting the arrival Of her Sis
ter, confabulating delightfully."- with a
friend in the back-parlor, all uncon-
scious of our hero, the topic of her
discourse being himself, his prospects,
good looks, family, and his probable
engagement to her daughter. The
two ladies', with their coffee-cups and
shining tray, made quite a comforta-
BILE little oasis in the big begilt room
and just as Max below essayed dis
tracted tumble after means Of exit,
mamma above was saying:
".We had half hint on the mat
ter before he came over, you know.
Old Abicht, his guardian, desires the
match, and so do all tho family. A
girl of my Gertrude's expectations is
not to be picked up every day; the
young man has sense enough to see
Mat-not that he needs to marry
money with his property. But then
wealth naturally does seek wealth;
and when you come to put money
and beauty and accomplishments all
together, why" Mrs. Heddermann
interrupted herself and took o sip Of
coffee.
"And is the matter all settledp'
asked the friend.
"Hem--well, not in SO many
words" replied the mother, diplo-
matically; /" but, Of course, we will
see how it is going. Gertrude il a
difficult girl to please "a very difficult
girl; Still, I hink-" and the SEN
tence ended with significant smile.
Meantime Max Abicht, unconscious
of the happy destiny thus lightly
sketched out for him above stairs, waa
cropping in a vague way about the
gloomy apartment below. He thought
It must be the dining room, in which
he had once partaken of sumptuous
repost; but the darkness confused his
recollections. For the life of him he
couldn't remember on which side
the door ought to be. He poked and
felt and stumbled, grazed now chair,
now a table, now something big.
which seemed a sideboard; but door.
handle found he none. Then be
dropped his hat, and, STOPPING for it,
brought his head with resounding
force against some hard object. The
blow bewildeged him still farther; and
J at last, finding himself . chair, he sa'