Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-07-08

| tdoiC anu hOA W hiS
broad breast, he said quietly, THAT l am
the wisest man in Heidelberg is thesis
open to much argument there is no doubt
that am the happiest."
Gabriel the elder continued his visits to
the Round of VEAL" and now every
night was made memorable by smile and
nod from the fraulein. But Gabriel be-
| gan to notice, and everybody began to no.
tice, that the girl had fallen into regular
habit of bringing in the Professors tankard
and filling his first pipe. The circumstance
began to be talked over. 1t was absurd to
suppose that Herr Derrick had had any.
thing to say about the matter to anybody,
. and the Professor was not the man to talk
of his own affairs. These matters, how
ever, have mack of getting spread widely
abroad without the apparent Intervention
OF tongue or pen, and the news was known.
1t was public property all over Heidel-
berg in week. Professor Bayer and the
Fraulein Minna were going to be married.
Then it was comfortable and pleasant
thing to witness the honest loyalty of the
| student crowd. Not g youth there who
wore spectacles but found need to wipe
| them when he learned the story ; not an
unspectacled young savant who did not
| feel his heart ache. And yet in a week,
or at the most a fortnight, it was tacitly
decided among the crowd of disappointed
suitors that fate had ordered all things for
the best. 1t was admitted that there was
nobody but the Professor who was worthy
to carry away so much beauty, and it was
recognized that nobody but the fraulein
was worthy to enslave SO much learning
and su1h an honest heart So the student
crowd dubbed the pair together, and,
| eliminating desires selfish, worshiped them
together from afar.
The news Travelled slowly to the unshy
Gabriel, for two reasons. The first was,
that as yet he spoke and understood the
| language indifferently, and therefore missed
much OF the talk that went on in his neigh.
borhood. The second was, that his old
small successes had made him unpopular
with the crowd of devotees who were
chiefly interested, and none Of them spoke
to him when they could help it. Yet
gradually the story percolated to his IN
Outstanding, and when he knew it he was
scornful and amused.
"Do you think" said he, "that she
cares for an old fellow like that-old
enough to be her father? The things
monstrous."
at is fit and becoming" said one of the
late worshipers, in whose presence these
words were spoken, " that beauty should
honor learning"
Learning !" said the elder Gabriel
scornfully. Learning is all very well.
But he weighs two hundred weight if he
weighs pound. He's as bald as a cannon
bali, and as old as Noah. Besides, she
doesn't care for him..
And how may you know tina: 2" asked
the late worshlper.
"Am 1 bound to tell you everything"
asked Gabriel in answer.
You are bound to hold your tongue or
to speak the truth" said the worshiper,
with rather an air of menace.
Pooh p said Gabriel, 1--WE kissed the
girl myself score of times"
81 have known puppy to bark at the
moon, said the worshiper. "But do not
doubt that Diana loves Endymion after all. "
The student retired into his native
language to seek this satiric bludgeon. a
great laugh went round the room, and Ga.
briel demanded to know what had been
said. The speech was translated to him.
Rubbish " said Gabriel, unabashed.
az don't believe they're going to be mar
ried at all. To begin with, that old fool
would never have the cheek to ask her at
his age and she knows better what she's
worth than to take him. I'll bet any one
| of you what you like it isn't true"
al will not sit by" said the late wor-
shipper, struggling once more with the
British tongue, "and hear the Professor
so spoken of. As for the news, it is true.
More shame for the lot OF you, then
cried Gabriel. 1.-The whole crowd OF you
were after her. Why didn't you make
fight for her ;"
Fight for yourself, if you will, said
the student in cold scorn. g The Professor
can take care of himself"
Can he ?" shouted Gabriel. "Tben if
he can, he shall. If don't kiss her under
his nose tonight, I'm Dutchman."
" make the quarrel my own afterward,
returned the student. 81 take it now.
You will receive my cartel in an hour"
Gabriel did receive the promised cartel
in an hour, and, after laugh at its comic
English, threw it into the stove.
" If any OF the snub-nosed tribe comes
to me with his polished strip of hoop-iron,
said Gabriel, who had an Englishman's
natural and beftting contempt for all men
of continental race, "Pll pound him to
jelly"
As the afternoon wore on Gabriel be-
came conscious of an inward unwillingness
to proceed with his plan. But the promise
to carry it into fulfllment had been pub
licly made, and wherever he went he was
aware, in spite OF his ignorance of the lam
guage, that he and his threat were under
unfavorable discussion. So he hardened
his heart, and, with his customary air of
! I L.
that night into the main room of the
Round of Veal " and awaited his time
The Herr Professor seemed long while in
| coming, but he came at last. Gabriel sat
near his customary seat, and, receiving
| friendly nod from the great man, stared
straight at him without answering it. But
the Professor had only seen familiar
countenance with his bodily eyes, and his
heart was with the peroration of the thirty
ninth section Of his first volume. By and
by, when the Professor was comfortably
seated, the fraulein came tripping in with
her customary smile, wholly shy and partly
saucy, and set the big glass tankard and
| the great porcelain pipe before him. Herr
| Bayer's soul came out of the thirty ninth
section, and his specialized eyes beamed an
almost fatherly love and kindness on her.
( The nscks OF the student crowd were
craned, and Gabriel saw it. He arose and
put an arm round the fraulein's waist.
The girl moved back little, but he held
her tight, and with nod at the Professor,
he stopped and kissed her. Herr Bayer
arose with q doubtful look upon his face.
Gabriel regarded him stesdfastly.
AN inzult. | vancy?" said the Pro.
fessor with suave guietude.
"If you like, said Gabriel.
Herr Bayer said no more, but he walked
round the table, and seized the insolent
young Briton in grasp undreamed of.
With one very big and muscular hand on
the nape of Gabriel's neck he marched
him to the door, and there, with a kick
which was surprising for its agility in a
person of his figure, he sent the misguided
young man clean into the middle of the
street. Then returning he drank draught