Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-03-25

! enough At times, when she shut bel
eyes and let her thoughts go back tt
he old sleepy village. She listened
very silently When her father said:
~ bcli We Wilhelm behaved himself
veil in The srmie. There's good blood
in the E,sburgers, and Wilh.lm is 4
tine boy"
He must be a man by this time
said Christine. And then she thought
ahat a very tall, fine looking man he
must be. and how we'll he would appear
IL his uniform.
| Bat when, after awhile, there was
news OF peace, and then they heard
that the army was going home to be
disbsnded, old Hans Hoferdshl grew
strangely thoughtful, and Christine
tried in vain to arouse him. One sI.
tumn morning lie said to her:
| "All the other soldiers are going
home. think it is pretty near time
for me to go too"
ITO Germany, father ?" exclaimed
Christine, with . sudden light in he,
eyes.
NO." slowly replied the old man
Germany IL not the only fatherl and.
I am y very old soldier, and think this
10 my last campaign"
Christine understood him then. A
few weeks later she found herself sit.
ting alone in the house, while the chill
ing wind that whistled past the windows
was freighted with the fret white har-
bingers OF winter. To her it seemed q
cold, forlorn and empty sort Of world /,
and when her thoughts wandered t.
the village where she was born, she
could but imagine the old shop as
closed, and the snow Fl ,kes beating
against the spider webbed windows.
The door-bell rang, but Christine did
not hear it. The servant admitted
somebody, but she did not know it,
until she was conscious OF heavy step
almost beside her, and then clear,
strong voice said to her:
"Christinel Christinei"
She looked up in the face OF tall,
erect, noble looking man, who wore
upon his breast medal of honor, aud
who're eyes we're absolutely radiant.
"Christine," he said again. do you
understand me? I have come"
Her heart was overburdened with de-
light and it seemed as il the old G. r.
man home had come with him. She
arose and threw her arms around his
neck, AMI said, with tears in her eyes,
:: 0 Wilhelm, I'm so happyl SO glad
you have comet"
Some hours later, as they sat by the
CRATE in the parlor, where the fire
burned warm and cheerily. they tx
changed stories of all that happened to
them. At length Wilhelm said to her:
"Ah, Christine, did not know my.
self when you went away. l dill not
know that had heart; but soon be.
gan to fiud it out. Que love after anoth.
or seemed to wake up and speak to me,
to tell me 1t was there, uutil at last the
biggest love of all came to life, and it
grew and grew until it crowded out all
the others an filled up everything, and
then | had to come across the ocean
and find you. But who would have
dreamed that you would have kept any
thing for mo, waiting all this time for
me to Gomez l Was terribly afraid
about that"
"Oh, I don't know" said Christine.
II don't understand it all All the
lime it has seemed as il I were only
and that if I waited long
enough you would surely come"
"And here I sm," said Wilhelm,
u only l thiuk there is great deal more
Of me. somehow, than in those dear old
sleepy days at home"
The scions Of the old watchmakers
became happily united. and on Amer
loan soil grew in prosperous circum-
with cheerful thoughts of
- Vaderland," IS it once appeared to
khem.