The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1892-11-02
THAT GERMAN GIRL.


shouted "Heyr Alan, who had one
foot on the step of the bus that was to
take him and other ardent fishermen
down to the landing, whence they would
sail out to Barnegat bay, stood still.
The brown legs bore down on Alan,
and the boy above them thrust q tele-
gram into his hands. Alan tore it open
and read:
"Come to New York on the first train. +"
whats the natter" asked Captain
wilkins.
my uncle wants me to come to New
York, said Alan. Ican't go out today.
I'll catch the 10 o'clock train up"
Don't seem to mind getting dis
patches no more'n sif they's postal
cards. remarked the captain, and two
or three other boys respectfully followed
Alan as he hurried down the road to the
hotel where he was spending the sum-
mer
It was little after l o'clock when
Alan walked into his uncle's Office in
Wall street and found that gentleman
sitting at his desk and gazing abstract
eddy at nothing.
'Glad to see you, my boy" said his
uncle as he heard his step "In fact I'm
very glad to see YOU"
whats wrong, uncle? Is it mamma@
mo, no; your mothers all right. It's
|. I'm in alot Of trouble and maybe you
can help me out. At any rate that's
why sent for you"
whats the natter FailedY"
"Failedi OF course not. Business is
good enough. It's that girl"
'Girlf 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 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 there2"
'.Oh, confound it; it's that girl out at
the house your mothers girl; the sery-
ant"
"Why, what's she been doings"
"She's been talking Dutch"
well, that's rather natural, isn't itY'
"It's inhuman She talks Dutch, but
doesn't understand it; at least when
talk it to her.
"But don't see what you want of
me-"
an tell you. You've studied German
in school, haven't your"
eyes; 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
good deal OF German, and could get
along with Marie, or whatever her name
is, for a couple of weeks. But don't
get along. l can't make her understand
what say, and she doesn't speak any
kind of German I ever heard. We
don't seem to chord, as they say in the
orchestra"
"And you want me to help you talk to
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-al about 'Haben sic meme
mutter gesehenr and LIST das Ihr bru-
derY and that sort of thing. want
some luncheon first, though"
"All right" said uncle. well 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 z 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,a 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 q 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. Suisse
quently Alan described it as the look Of
q tortured saint.
Gluten abend," said uncle with cheer
full civility.
"Guten abend," answered Marie with
equal cheerfulness, as she sat the tureen
before him and then reiterated.
Good start, uncle" said Alan APP
provingly. II am glad, though, we didn't
have to say anything about soup, for
couldn't find the word for it in my gram
mar. Yop see, came down to the
kitchen this afternoon and nosed around
to see what we were going to have for
dinner, and made a list of the things
and then looked up as many Of them no
| could find in my grammar But ]
couldn't find SOUP"
''There are two words here" said uncle,
after searching the dictionary. 81 can't
make out what one Of them is, though
1t looks like 'suhp.'"
CESS 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. 81 like butter at din
ner, even If it isn't good form" As he
smoke he reached over and touched the