The Portland daily press., 1893-04-29
A STRANGE PARTNER.

MacShaugnassy said that he knew
story dealing with the too close attach
ment of a woman to q strange man,
which really had a moral, which moral
was, don't have anything to do with in
ventions.
Brown, who had patented a safety
gun which he had never yet found a
man plucky enough to let of, said it
was a bad moral. We agreed to hear
the particulars and judge for ourselves.
This story" commenced MacShaug-
Massey, ''colnes from Furtwangen, a small
town In the Black Forest. There lived
there a very wonderful old fellow named
Nicholaus Geibel. His business was the
making of mechanical toys, at which
work he had acquired an almost Euro
pean reputation, He made rabbits that
would emerge from the heart of a cab
bage, flop their ears, smooth their whis-
kers and disappear again; cats that
would wash their faces and NEW so nat
uraily that dogs would mistake them for
real cats and fly at them; dolls, with
Photographs concealed within them, that
woelld raise their hats and say, Good
morning; how do you do and some that
would even sing song.
"But he was something moro than
uasre mechanic; he was an artist. His
work was with him hobby, almost a
passion. His shop was filed with all
manner OF strange things that never
would or could be scld-things he had
made for the pure love Of making them.
He had contrived a mechanical donkey
that would trot for two hours by means
Of stored electricity and trot, too, much
faster sass the live article and with less
need for exertion ON the part Of the driv-
er; bird that would shoot up into the
air, dy round and round in circle and
drop to earth at the exact spot from
where it started; skeleton that, sup
ported by an upright iron bar, would
dance a hornadpe; life size lady doll
that could play fiddle and a gentle
man with a hollow inside who could
smoke pipe and drink more lager beer
than any three average German students
put together, which is saying much.
Indeed it was the belief of the town
that old Geibel could make man 'capa-
BILE of doing everything that a respect
able man need want to do. One day he
made a man who did too much, and it
came about in this way:
'sYoung DR.. Follen had baby, and
the baby had a birthday. It's first birth
day put DIR Follen's household into
somewhat Of furry, but on the ocoa-
sion of its second birthday My. DR..
Follen gave ball in honor of the event.
Old Geibel and his daughter Olga were
among the guests.
During the afternoon of the next day
some three or four of Olga's bosom
friends, who had Asso been present at
the ball, dressDee in TO have chat about
it. They naturally fell to discussing the
men and to criticising their dancing.
Old 0tst;ssa was in the room, but he APP
peared to be absorbed in his newspaper,
and the girls took no notice Of him.
There seems to be fewer men who
can dance at every ball you go to- said
one of the girls.
ayes, and don't the ones who can give
themselves airsS said another. They
make quite favor of asking you
".And how stupidity they talk added
a third. They always say exactly the
same things "How charming You are
looking tonightf ''Do you often go to
viennas Oh, you should. It's delight
full" "What a charming dress you have
onr' "Wha5 a warm day it has been!"
ssT9n nm, lsl,a Ws<-r aro,, 7 A. -r;.I 41....,l
think of something new
sob, I never mind how they talk
said fourth. IF man dances well, he
may be fool for all I care
ptHe generally is slipped in thin
girl rather spitefully.
ST 60 to ball to dance continued
the previous speaker, not noticing the
interruption. All I ask of partner is
that he shall hold me firmly, take me
round steadily and not get tired before I
do
"'A clockwork figure would be the
thing for you said the girl who had in
terrupted.
"'Bravos cried one of the others,
clapping her hands, what a capital
ideaf
whats a capital ideaY they asked.
"'Vss.ssr c1ockwora dancer, OF, be5-
ter still, one thai would go by electricity
and H. run down.
''The iris took up the idea with en-
thusiasm.
"'Oh, what a lovely partner he would
make? said one. He would never kick
you or tread on your toes
"'Or tear your DRESS said another.
"'Or get out of STEP
"'Or get giddy and lean on YOU
"fAnd he would never want to mop
his face with his handkerchief. I do
hate to see man do that after every
dance
land wouldn't want to spend the
whole evening in the supper room
why, with monograph inside him
70 grind out all the stock remarks, you
would not be able to tell him from real
man., said the girl who had first suggest
cd the idea.
"'Oh, yes, you would, said the thin
girl; he would be so much nicer
"Old Geibel had laid down his paper
and was listening with both his ears. On