The Penn's Grove record., 1884-05-17

mans face. listened as If fearing by any
breath or motion to break the spell
stealing over her. At last Fritz started
to his feet, put his flute into his pocket,
and. tossing back his brown hair with
a merry shake of the head, exclaimed
laughingly-
y dare a | shall shock you, Greta;
but. all the same, l am getting abOmln-
ably hungry. What am | going to do
for my dinner2 | was told that there
was a capital inn in the nelghborhood,
kept by a German womaL-a certain
Mutter van Tann-where an uncom-
monty good venison ragOut is sometimes
to be had. Can yOu tell me if 1t IS
near PSI
"Yes" answered Greta quietly !; you
will come with me, please. The inn is
my home, and am Mutter a Tann's
daughter"
Good natured hospitable Mutter van
Tam came bustling forward herself to
receive the guest her daughter brought
to the door, ushering him Immediately
into the smoke begTimed inn-parlOr,
Just then without an occupant.
Eyes, unidentified and hungry too, }"
he exclaimed In answer to her greeting,
but quite happy in the certainty of
citing the very best dinner here that
was ever cooked by the very best look
ing landlady in Holland ~
The buXom lanlady beamed.
81 shall do my best to prevent your
regretting having come to my inn, sir.
What shall | give you"
Nothing more nor less than one of
your celebrated venison rdgoutS ,nlutter,
which are sand to be uneqUalled by any
thing in the kitchen of the King him
self"
Mutter van Tann's face fell.
"PeThaps you don't know, Sir, that
the ragoutS are very expensive" she
said slowly, eyeIng furtjvely the rather
shabby dusty coat and boots of her
guest.
"No matter, mutter /; my whole heart
is set Oh one of your fdgouts."
''They cost four g%uldens."
"If they cost four hundred, | must
have one"
"Ah, young man, that is all very
well but l know the ways of students
like yourself More than one have |
had in my house who ordered one of
my very best rdg0utS, and then away
they went with their purses us full as
they came, leaving Mutter van Tam
fodr guldenS poorer"
"Come, come. now, mutter !' cried
Fritz merrily, Selling both the landlady's
hands aud compelling her to look
straight into bis honest blue eyes. ''Tell
me-do l look like such an out-and-
out rascal ?"
"No, sir, that you don't l' said the
landlady, melting and laughing in spite
of herself. "Where do you come
from 2"
From Berlin"
"BerlIn. sir? Ach, that is where the
old King lives, about whom people tell
such queer storit ! | am a Prussian
too, and right glad lam to meet acOun-
trymau Well, l suppose you must
have your way and | must be off to
see to the ragout. Come along, Greta,
and try for once to help your mother.
Have you been wasting your time out
there with the birds and fishes again all
the morning ?"
"There, mldter-ScOld me instead of
Greta for it was 1 who wasted her
time this morning, and haven't finished
yet, for | want her TO stay and entertain
me while you are off about the rdg0ut.
| must have something to console me
for your absence, you know"
With a smile and a frown Mutter
van Tam departed and Fritz turned
to Greta, who had oeen standing in the
window, paying very little attention to
her mothers remarks.
won't you come and sit here on the
sofa, Greta he said gently, with a sud-
den change of manner, land talk tome
a little about yourself while l am wait
ing ?
The girl obeyed Immediately, and a
long conversation ensued, consisting
chiefly of questions from Fritz in re-
gard to his companions life and Occu-
pations, which she answered unreserv-
eddy, being at last led on to talk freely
of her thoughts and feelings, AID re-
vealing by degrees the secret depths
of her p"re, Innocent, dreamy nature
to the young man, who listened with
reYerent sympathy, his establishment
ever growing deeper at the strange dis
similarity between mother and chlld.
Soon Greta begged for more music,
and Fritz, after gratifying her wish
asked her if he could sing something
for him. The girl assented readily,
adding after a moments thought
"My favorite is an old song taught
me by grandmother, which l can sing
in German as well as Dutch. Per-
haps you could accompany it with the
flute 2
The air was very simple and marvel
lousy sweet and mOurnful. After
Greta had hummed it over once or
twice, FritZ's quick ear enabled him to
accomplish the desired accompaniment;
and softly the sad plaintive air floated
through the shabby smoke-stained inn
parlor into the kitchen, where Mutter
van Tam was absorbed heart and soul
in the rdg0ut.
"What a melancholy song you have
chosen, Greta - he exclaimed, when
the girl had finished, trying to speak
cheerfully. Cant you give me some
thing more lively as a remembrance to
carry away with me ?n
Tears rolled down the gIl's cheeks
! as she stood silent for a moment then,
without a thought of harm, impulSively