Evening journal., 1892-12-06
THAT GERMAN GIRL.

shouted "Heyn 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 tele-
gram into his hands Alan tore it open
and read:
"Come to New York on the first train"
"What's the natter" asked Captain
Wilkins.
'My uncle wants me to come to New
York, y 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
1t was a little after I o'clock when
Alan walked into his uncle's Office in
Wall street and found that gentleman
sitting at his desk and gazing abstract
edly at nothing.
"Glad to see you, my boy" said his
uncle as he heard his step. I'm fact I'm
very glad to see you"
whats wrong, uncle? Is itmamma?'
"No, no; your mothers all right It's
1. I'm in a lot of trouble and alhybe you
can help me out At any rate that's
why sent for you"
"Whats the matter? Failedg
"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 a 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 a Dutch
girl, or a German, or something of that
sort"
"Wen, there are nice Dutch girls,
aren't thereg"
"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 /
talkit 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 | could get
along with Marie, or whatever her name
is, for a couple Of weeks But l don't
get along. l can't make her understand
what l say, and she doesn't speak any
kind Of German 1 ever heard. We
don't seem to chord, as they say in the
orchestra"
''And you want me to help you talk to
herand understand her?p
That's just it."
"Well, said the boy, ''well both try
her III so 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. "Well go mp
to the Rathskeller and eat frankfurters
and potato salad. There's nothing ike
laying a 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 a 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 case. 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 a look as ever comes to the
face Of a German servant girl Subse-
quently Alan described it as the look of
a tortured saint.
"Gutcn abend, said uncle with cheer
ful civility
"Guten abend, answered Marie with
equal cheerfulncss, 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 20 say anything about soup. for
couldn't find the word foritin my gram
mar. You see. ! came down to the
kitchen this afternoon and nosed around
to see what we We're going to have fol
dinner, and ! made a list Of the things
and then looked up as many of them as
| could find in my grammar. But
couldn't find soup
There are two words here, said uncle
after searching the dictionary. 81 CAM
mako ont what one Of them is, though
IL looks like 'suhp."
"Ess 90 ha pay" said Alan.
But the other is suppe There's an
f. after it, and suppose that mean,
feminine just why soup should b,
feminine | don't know, but then no hu
man being ever knew the reason Of the
sror1pre In German -