Daily Republican., 1880-07-23
APLUCK Y GIRL

$50 you won't 90 to church this
evening, Malchen :" said Otto Won Pol
helm to his eldest daughter one Sun,
day in December, as he and the rest Of
his family were setting out for the
market town to hear pastor Knopps
preach an Advent sermon.
"No, father, Dorothea can go in my
stead, and will keep the house."
"Keep the house alone ? No I will
leave Hans to protect thee and the
manse, to-"
81 would rather not have HaDs,''
said Malchen with little pout, as she
glanced at an ugly glwk who vas hel
fathers head servant.
"Then thou shalt not have Karl"
grumbled old Polheim, spe akipg rather
to himself than to the girl, and wrap.
ping his ancient blue cloak tightly
round him, he struck his iron-tipped
staff two or three times on the flags Of
the hall 10 intimate to the members. Of
his house hold that it was time to be
off.
They came gathering down stairs
and running out Of different doors--a
large ard rather noisy troop. Otto
Won PoJleim was a land owner on a
small scale-what would be called In
England a gentle nan tarmer--and he
had family Of ten SONS ard daughters
without counting two servant wenches
and q couple Of l:borers whom he
treated as his children. The eldest
of these two laborers, a tall, rosy-cheek-
ed, fair haired, blue eyed fellow,
named Karl had shown signs of late OIL
being ga bit soft" about Fraulein
Malchsn, and this displeased her faith
or; for though he was kind master
he had a 'squire's pride, and would
have kicked Karl straight away out Of
his house If he had suspected Malcher
Of cherishing any regard for him. AT
least this is what he had once said To
Karl with more bluntness than pru.
dence, for worldly wisdom would, per.
haps, have suggested that he should
begin by turning of Karl before Nal.
chen's sentiments towards him had
ripened into affection.
"Now, come, let's be off," repeated
old Polhsim, impatiently; "come, wife.
and you, Bertha, Frida and Gretchen
you, Hans, take one Of the lanterns,
and you, Karl, lead the way with the
other"
Karl skunk ont, looking rather sheep
ish, but scarcely had he got into the
open air than the candle Of his lanterr
was blown out and he ran back to ge
another. Malchen was standing in thu
hall and struck q match for him Sht
struck a second and third, for some
how the phosphorus would not act
and the operations for lightning was de-
layed a little. When Karl took the
lantern his hand touched Malchen's
and the girl blushed. cts a cruelty
cold night to go out in" faltered she
"And I don't like leaving you
Alone" whispered Karl. 81 think
shall steal out OF church, ami com.
back to see if you are SAFE"
sob, no, the door will be barred, y
exclaimed Malchen in q futter.
"Then I'll climb over the orchard
WALL" answered Karl, nothing daunted,
and he executed a wink as he went
forth into the cold.
"How very andacious he Is becoming
muttered Malchen to herself; but she
apparently thought that it was of nc
use to bar the door If Karl meant tt
get over the garden wall, so she sim
ply shut 1t and turned back to spend
her evenings in the kitchen.
Herr Won Polheim's farm stood in 9
lonely part of the country, about two
miles from R, in Bavaria. 1t had
once been a castle, and all the rooms
on the ground floor were large, windy
apar tments, with wainscoted walls and
old oaken furniture.
There we're faces, Of course, in the
red embers of the crumbltng pine logs,
and Ksrl's was chief among them.
Malchen, who was a pretty, sentimen-
tai Young lady of II, but somewhat eau
tious. as beseems the daughter OF a
gentleman who can prefix q Won to his
name, asked herself If she liked Karl.
Did she truly feel for him more than
she did for any other man Would
she grove for him II he met with an
accident ? II he left her fathers ser
vice 7 After fencing q little with her
conscience, the damsel decided that
she did not quite know what she ought
to think about Karl, but that he WAS q
very bold and MOTTO be easily'put-do"n
Young man she admitted to herself
frankly enough in her quaint German
She sat listening for footsteps, and
conned over in her mind what sharp
thing she should say to dismiss Karl II
he had the impertinence to present
himself before her. The worst OF 1t was
that Karl was Just such young man
as might be Indifferent to sharp things.
His GOODNESS really exceeded belief.
Wby. that very evening in touching
her fingers he had actually squeezed'--
but here Malchen gave a slight start,
for she heard footsteps and fanoied that
Il was the never-to-be suflclently-
blamed Karl, who had played tr9ant
from church, faithful to his impudent
pro,lise. She rose and stood ooyly
IN the middle Of the kitchen, her cheeks
mink and her bosom heaving. She
thonoht sLe would take 10 flight as
soon as Karl's heavy tread should re,
sound in the passage; but she waited
two or three minutes without nearing
the door open, yet there were steps s'.ps
GU tside, and, now that her ears . were Na,o
Strs;nad abe heard voices. Her reia
tivsa lad not been gone an hour SO II
was not likely that they could have re-,
turned SO soon. Whose, then' ooutu
these steps and voices beF
The kitchen had high window sev"