Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-03-26


and she always honestly told me her
misdeeds. Sometimes, we got really
angry with one another after a ball or
picnic, when her list OF confessions was
unusually long. But where was the
use? She knew that l could not help
'forgiving' her, as she said, directly she
asked me, little fondling puss that she
was; and she knew, too, that all young
men she had fooled and .tormented
would be at her feet again directly.
You know that song:
II know y maiden fair to see.
Take care!
She can both false and friendly be!
"And it goes on:
She has two eyes so soft and brown.
Take care!
She gives side. glance and looks down.
Take care!
Trust her not, she's fooling theeI
"Well, child, that was Lore all over;
just as if it had been written for her.
But you mustn't think badly of her,
for ali that. She was a dear, sweet
little thing; and in spite OF all her fol-
lies, she had a. good, honest heart. As
/ said, she was universally admired;
and so it seemed strange that young
Dernau, the merchant, who was a,
next-door neighbor OF hers, should be
so stiff and cold, and take no notice
at all or her. Sometimes / twitted
her with the fact that he had never
once danced with her, and Was quite
insensiole to her charms. That al
ways made her angry. and she would
pout her rosy lips and say:
"Tm sure don't want him, Chris
tel; he's bear?'
swell, you know, bad times came
for poor Germany. The French con-
quered us, and the King and our beau
tiful Queen Louisa had to fly with
their children; and it seemed as if we
should all become French subjects.
1t was q bad time for us in our little
town, for the authorities favored the
enemy, and we were disturbed by
! sounds OF fighting all round us. All, it
was terribly sad! for all prosperity was
at an end, and we spent our days in
misery and anxiety. Poor Lorchen
had, too, a special trouble of her own,
for accounts of the wild doings of the
French reached us from all sides, and
it was said that they had very
rough-and-ready way Of counting, for
ii IL German girl took their fancy they
just sent their soldiers to carry her off,
and then took her away with them to
the war: We were const antly hearing OF
deeds OF violence and robbery, and the
laws, being administered either by the
French or their adherents afforded us
no redress or protection whatever.
What could we do? People hid their
| valuables as far as they could in hol.
low trees, behind walls, or in the
ground, and whenever any Frenchmen
were known to be in the neighborhood
they hid their wives and daughters as
we'll. Poor Lorchen had the hardest
time OF all, for her mother was so
nervous that she was always seeing
| danger, and she insisted on the poor
girls spending the greater part OF the
| day down in the cellar, and many an
afternoon / spent there, too, keeping
her company.
"Look, said I, on one of these oc.
casions, you can see straight into
Neighbor Dernau's garden, through
this little window.
"But Lorchen bl,shed and turned
her heau without answering. One
Whitsun Eve, q lovely May day, Just
like to-day, number of the enemy's
troops passed through the town, and
OF course Lore had to sit in the cellar
and get through the time as best she
might. AS soon as the terrible
"Parlevouhs' as we called them, had
all gone through and out of the. town
gate, the captive was let out, and
what must the silly girl do but 60 to
the sittiDg-room window and lean out.
After being in prison SO long, she
enjoyed the sweet spring air doubly,
and it amused her to watch what was
going on in the street. But misfortune
never slumbers; and, as it fell out, a
young French officer came past lead
ing his horse by the bride, and look
ing for a blacksmith, as the animal
had cast shoe. He had no sooner
caught sight OF the lovely little head
among the roses which clustered
round the window, than he threw the
reins to q boy and dashed up the
steps like mailman. It did not take
him 81 minute, but Lore was as quick
as he, and had slipped back into her
hiding place. Still, where was the use
Of that, when the Frenchman had
seen her and was bent upon finding
her?
II want to see the pretty demoi-
selle," he cried in his broken German,
and he insisted on searching all the
rooms in the house, then the garrets,
and finally the cellar! 1t was useless
to say him nay, for he was master of
the situation, and Lorchen's poor
mother followed him down the cellar
stairs trembling.
But, wonder Of all wonders, the nest
was empty, the bird had flown! Find
lug, therefore, that his search was
vain, the young officer flew into rage,
and snatching up a little ivory minia-
ture of Lore, dashed out OF the house,
vowing that he would come back next
with q whole squadron and stay till
the girl was found. AS soon as he was
gone, Lore's mother sank down in q
chair and burst into tears, feeling ut
terly bewildered and altogether at her
wits end. But she had not wept long
when her neighbor, young Dernnu,
made his appearance, and, to her ex-
IRENE surprise, asked her with all due
form and ceremony to accept him as a
sutton for her daughters hand.
'Ach!' cried the poor woman,
.Lorchen is gone-clean gone; she is not
in her hiding-place; and if could find
her to-day, where's the use, when to-
morrow that French villain is coming
to carry her OIL Pm a poor, misera-
bic, helpless woman-what can do?
Oh, this dreadful war; .@
"Bnt the young man only laughedin
an embarrassed sort OF way, and then
said: .s-...'
"Only trust me mother, If I may call
you so, and depend upon it shall be
able to take good care of Lorchen,