Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-22

in life and respected fourth. The three
things to which he was devoted were his
niece. the Fraulein Minna Waehsmuth, his
son Heinrich, and the table; and he re-
spected the wine business. In all four of
their directions his feelings may be said to
have been warrantsble. The Fraulein
Minna, beautiful and accomplished, was
unequivocally worthy of devotion; his SON
Heinrich was generally amiable youth in
good health; the table he put his legs under
he always made sure was spread with the
best, and the wine business, in the 20 years
of his connection with it in New York, had
brought to him comfortable fortune.
A sigh of satisfaction escaped from be-
hind the napkin of Herr Wachsmuth as he
smoothed it down with deliberate move
ment above his rounded front. He had just
finished pudding. His glance fell upon his
glass of amber wine, travelled thence to the
shaded lamp, wandered on to the tall por-
celain stove in the corner, fingered mo
ment upon the snug curtainings Of the WIN
dows, passed lightly along a row Of engrav-
ings of the Rhine castles on the wall, and
brought up at the point from which it started
the softly illuminated face OF his pretty
niece.
"If Alex. Martersteig is as handsome
as his father was there will be need to look
out for you," said Herr Wachsmuth, beam
ing in way which declared an utter lack
of sincerity in his proposition. "Many's
the night I've lain awake fearing your poor
aunt would be the Frau Nicholas Marter-
L. II kals ahn
have been if he'd asked her. If Heinrich
here ever comes to be as jealous OF Alex.
on your account as was of Nick on your
aunt's, shall pity the boy. Eh, Helm
rich?''
Herr Wachsmuth was unmistakably
jocose, but Heinrich seemed serious.
SIS Herr Martersteig handsome, Helm
rich?" asked his cousin, laughing.
"Not if I am judge, returned Heinrich,
with some asperity. HE looks to me like
a doll. He is starched up so he can't turn
his head. He wears French heels on his
boots like woman, and his trousers are SO
tight think he would rather stand up than
sit down."
''How awfulp' cried Minna. "But that
is the German fashion. you know. Does he
wax his mustache, Heinrich?"
''Yes, he does, returned the youth shortly.
"You could use it for pins. And he wears
a single eyeglass like the Englishman that's
having his pocket picked in the wax
works"
"He has been in the university and in the
army" said the wine merchant, whose cigar
was now glowing. "His father was in
Goettingen before him, and he was a cox
comb, too. He fought 40 duels, and he read
poetry to your aunt in such way that it is
no wonder was jealous"
81 wonder if Alex. loves poetry" said the |
Fraulein Minna, with reflective air.
''No doubt" Dlurted her cousin. "That |
will just please you, won't it"
II don't know" returned Minna. ga |
man with single eyeglass would have to |
read Heine very charmingly,. 1 think, in or
der to touch me. Will you read little po-
etry to me this evening, Heinrich?"
That was malicious stroke. If Minna
had asked her cousin to get her seat on
crowded Coney Island boat, or to tell her
the score in bali game, or the winner at
Park, he could have accommo-
dated her with alacrity and ease But he
had no more understanding of poetry than
he had of the cuneiform inscriptions. He
had been reared in German atmosphere,
had spent five years in Hanoverian gym
nasium (much against his inclination) and
was as devoid of ideality as his father, and
as American as though the Wachsmuths
had been among the passengers on the May
flower. He was in love with his cousin, but
not at all because their sympathies ran in the
same channel. Minna, who had spent Is of the
IS years of her life in Germany, was essen
tally German in bodyand mind-blooming,
blue-eyed, gentle and senti-
mental, with certain amount of selfpos-
session and sprightllness not common in the
German girl, and which may have been the
American contribution to her charming