Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-11-10

very glad to see you"
whats wrong, uncle? Is it mammal"
''No, no; your mothers all right. It's
|. I'm in a lot of trouble and maybe you
can help me out. At any rate that's
why sent for you"
whats the matter? Failed?'
Failed! Of course not. Business is
good enough. It's that girl"
"GirP Why, uncle, it seems to me
you are getting pretty old"-
"Alan, it is one of the misfortunes of
life in this age that there comes time
to every boy when he thinks he is called
on to say smart things. They are not
smart, but the boy thinks they are. The
girl l have in mind is not the kind of
girl you mean. In fact she's Dutch
girl, or German, or something of that
sort"
"Well, there are nice Dutch girls,
aren't there?"
"Oh, confound it; it's that girl out at
the house-your mothers girl; the serv-
ant"
'Why, what's she been doing?"
"She's been talking Dutch"
"Well, that's rather natural isn't it?"
cts inhuman. She talks Dutch, but
doesn't understand it; at least when
talk it to her."
"But l don't see what you want of
me-"
"Tll tell you. You've studied German
in school, haven't your"
"Yes; one term"
"Good. This is the way it is: Your
Aunt Louisa is in some sort of trouble
making jelly and it won't come, or
broken her leg, or something serious.
Anyway she sent for your mother in
a hurry, and away she went. told her
not to worry about me. used to know
a good deal of German, and l could get
along with Marie, or whatever her name
is, for a couple of weeks But l don't
get along. can't make her understand
what l say, and she doesn't speak any
kind of German / ever heard. We
don't seem to chord, as they say in the
orchestra"
her and understand herr"
That's just it."
"Well," said the boy, "well both try
her. I'll go over to the house and spend
the afternoon studying my German
grammar-all about Haben sic meine
mutter gesehenT and list das Ihr bru-
der? and that sort of thing. / want
some luncheon first, though"
"All right" said uncle. "We1l go up
to the Rathskeller and eat frankfurters
and potato salad. There's nothing like
laying good foundation, and maybe
we can pick up some bits of German fly
ing around there"
1t was o'clock that evening when
Alan and his uncle descended to the
dining room of their home. Alan car
ried his grammar and his uncle die
tionary in his hand. There was trou-
bled, even anxious, look on the uncle's
face, and Alan did not appear entirely
at ease. They seated themselves at the
table and presently Marie appeared
bearing tureen of soup. There was a
troubled look on her face, too-that is,
as much of look as ever comes to the
face of German servant girl. Subse-
quently Alan described it as the look of
tortured saint.
"Guten abend," said uncle with cheer
full civility.
"Guten abend," answered Marie with
equal cheerfulness, as she sat the tureen
before him and then retreated.
"Good start, uncle" said Alan ap-
provingly. Il am glad, though, we didn't
have to say anything about soup, for 1
couldn't find the word for it in my gram
mar. You see, l came down to the
kitchen this afternoon and nosed around
to see what we were going to have for
dinner, and | made list of the things
md then looked up as many of them 40
could find in my grammar. But |
couldn't find SOUP"
"There are two words here" said uncle,
after searching the dictionary. II can't
make out what one of them is, though
it looks like suhp.'"
''Ess 90 ha pay" said Alan.
''But the other is 'suppe.' There's an
'f' after it, and l suppose that means
feminine Just why soup should be
feminine don't know, but then no hui
man being ever knew the reason Of the
genders in German"
"There isn't any butter on the table,
uncle" said Alan. II like butter at din
ner, even if it isn't good form" As he
spoke he reached over and touched the
bell.
"Great Scottp said uncle, as Marie
appeared. "How are you going to ask
for it? Do you know the word?"
"It must be somewhere here" said
Alan, hurriedly turning over the leaves
of his grammar. "You look too."
There was flutter of leaves ON both
sides of the table, and uncle cried "bot.
tor" only it's got the umlaut ON the os.
"That's it. Marie, machen sic der-or