The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-03-12
WHAT WAS TT?

SmpOyeu IN one OF the large wine
manufacturing houses at Egg Harbol
City ste :dy young fellow of German
descent, named Joseph Zeigler. Blu
as sometimes happens to German
young men as we'll as to those of strict
American parontage, Joseph was il
love-
Two or three evenings every week
would this devoted young Deutschel
walk four miles out into the bush tc
calf upon pretty. yellow-haired
fraulein who answered to the name OF
Minna Nanzandt, and to whom he ex-
pected to be married us soon as he was
able to support a family. So it is not
a great source of wonderment that it
was often well along toward morning
before he finally entered the little
room at Egg Harbor where at present
he was lodging
Thus it came about that Joseph was
once trudging on along through the
sand of d narrow and BUSH bordered
road, among the wee small hours at
the little end of the day. He had just
left the Eanzandt homestead and the
charming and ample Minna; and nat
urally enough, he was happy man.
More than two miles of dusty high
way lay before him before the next
clearing would be reached. and large
tracts of land thickly covered with
scrub oak and pine crowded close
upon the roadside. Occasional paths
and openings led out into the wood
land on either side, but in spite Of
these the walk was decidedly lone
some, and so thought the young fellow
IN question in spite Of pleasant
thoughts Of the fair-haired Madchen
whom he had just LETT. So he rather
wished he could have company, though
the evening was bright and moonlit
one
Suddenly, and without the slightest
previous warning, Joseph became con-
scious that he was not alone. An old
man, with long gray beard was walk
aug along by his side, though seem :
ingly ignorant OF his proximity.
The young man wondered much at
his presence there at that hour, but
his company was decidedly welcome;
Tor, If the truth be told, Joseph was
feeling q trife timid.
Good evening, sir; if it is not too
late" said he to the stranger with a
view to being sociable
The old man paid not the slightest
attention to the salutation he did not
appear as if he had even heard it, for
he kept walking along in the same
absorbed and silent manner.
"Wie gents, mein Freuad,n said
Joseph in little louder tone, think
ing his companion might not under
stand English Or was somewhat deaf;
but still there was no sign that he
was heard. The old man only walk
ed along as quietly and unsociably as
ever.
Joseph looked at him even more
sharply than before, but he could not
sec anything about him to occasion
the least alarm. The silent old man
not only made no offer to modest him
in any way, but he paid no more at
tentlon to him than he would to a
fencepost, if one had been there.
Evidently he was not a tramp, for
he was well-dressed, and the glitter OIL
a gold charm crossed his vest-front.
Zeigler also observed that he walked
with stout staff, whose head was
grotesquely carved into the semblance
OF human skull, and that his features
wore pale, even to ghastllness.
The taciturn stranger walked alone
10y his side for nearly a mile, and
though Joseph spoke to him several
times in both German and English, he
could not even attract his attention.
Then he suddenly turned down q
narrow by-path that led off among the
bushes on the right, and disappeared
in the shadows.
Much mystified, Zeigler walked rap
idly homeward, and when he again
called upon his beloved a few even
ings later, he made some inquiries in
regard to the matter. But Herr Van
Zandt knew Of no one answering a
all to the young mans description. NJ
one lived out in the bush in that di.
rection, and there were no paths there
except cattle-tracks, leading nowher,
in particular.
d.. The fair Nina soon enerosse,
Joseph's attention, however, so tn
queer old man was entirely forgotten
He thought no more about the affai
till he set out on his return that nigh
or rather the next morning, for it wa
considerably past midnight.
At about the same spot Zeigle
WAS thunderstruck by suddenly dis
covering that the mysterious old ma,
was again walking at his side. Ho,
anl whence he came, Joseph could no
explain; the first he knew the old ma
was there. AS before, all ell rts t
attract his attention vera useless.
At the same rift through the bushe