Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-11-10
THAT GERMAN GIRL.

There was twinkling of brown legs
b the yellow dust Of the chief street in
s The little New Jersey village, and a
toice belonging to the owner of the legs
: shouted ''Heyi" Alan, who had one
foot'on the step Of the bus that was to
tako him and other ardent fishermen
aown to the landing, whence they would
( Iail out to Barnegat bay, stood still.
The brown legs bore down on Alan,
Ind the boy above them thrust tele-
gram into his hands. Alan tore it open
and read:
"Come to New York ON the first train
"Whats the matter?" asked Captain
Wilkins.
My uncle wants me to come to New
York, said Alan. "Ican't 60 out today.
III 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
On three other boys respectfully followed
Alan as he hurried down the road to the
hotel where he was spending the sum-
luer.
It was little after / o'clock when
( Alan walked into his uncle's Office in
Wall street and found that gentleman
Z sitting at his desk and gazing abstract
edly at nothing.
"(flad to see You, my boy" said his
uncle as he heard his step. I'm fact Tn
very glad to see you"
What's wrong, uncle? Is it mamma?'
No, no; your mothers all right. It's
( I'm in lot of trouble and maybe you
41s0x .<.Ix rt,A nxxf -.
( why sent for you"
"What's the matter? Failedr
''Failedi OF course not. Business is
good enough. It's that girl"
"Girl? 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 q German, or something of that
sort
"Well, there are nice Dutch girls,
aren't therey'
"Oh, confouud 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"
ssWell, that's rather natural, isn't it?"
tits inhuman. She talks Dutch, but
doesn't understand 1T; at least when ]
talk it to her."
'sBBsst don't see what you want of
me.
"I'll tell you. You've studied German
In school, haven't your
''Yes; one term"
"Good. This is the way 1t 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
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 couple Of weeks. But don't
get along. can't make her understand
what | say, and she doesn't speak any
kind of German / 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"
'sThat's just it.
SWELL" said the boy, ''we'll both try
her. I'll go over to the house and spend
the afternoon studying my German
grammar--all about 'Haben sic meine
mutter gesehenY and list das Ihr bru-
derY and that sort of thing. / want
some luncheon first, though
"All right" said uncle. "We'll go up
to the Rathskeller and eat franlxfurters
and potato salad. There's nothing like
laying q good foundation, and maybe
we can pick up some bits of German fly
ing around there"
1t was 2 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. Thoy seated themselves at the
table and presently Marie appeared
bearing tureen Of soup. There was
troubled look ON her face, too--that is,
~ 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.
sGuten abend," said uncle with cheer
full civility.
"Guten abend," answered Marie with {
equal cheerfulness, MS she sat the tureen
before him and then retreated.
"Good start, uncle" said Alan ap-
provingly. II lam glad, though, we didn't
have to say anything about soup, for
couldn't find the word for in my gram
mar. You see, l came down to the {
Kitchen this afternoon and nosed around
10 see what We were going to have for
dinner. and made list Of the things {
npd then looked up as many OF them ~ I
oould lind in my grammar. But
ponldn't find soup"
"There are two words here, /" said uncle, {
nfter searching the dictionary. II can't J
make out what one Of them is, though |
4 looks like 'suhp,'"
ss1csa 90 la pay" said Alan.
'sE'ut the other Is 'suppe.' There's an I
q after 1t, and suppose that means
foninine. just why soup should DO
|,minins don't know, but then no hu- .
80 being ever know the reason Of the !
rondcra ~ German"
'<Ihoro Isn't any better on the table,
|n<le. nnid Alan. II like butter at din