Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1893-01-27
THAT GERMAN GIRL.

NAAL ~ ANNM UANELN NNNNMAUa MNNNa h
voice belonging TO the owner Of tho legs
shouted "Heyi" Alan, who had ono
foot on the step Of tho bus that was to
take him and other ardent fishermen
down to tho landing, whence they would
sail out to Barnegat bay, stood still.
The brown legs bore down on Alan,
and the boy above them thrust o 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 10 the
hotel where he was spending the SUM
mer.
It was a little after / 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. "In fact Pm
very glad to see you"
whats wrong, uncle? Is it mammal?
"No, no; your mothers all right. Ita
l. I'm in a lot Of trouble and maybe you
car help ms out. At any rate that'a
why / sent for you"
whats tho matter? Failedg'
"Failedl OF course not. Business s.
good enough. It's that girl
"Girl? Why, uncle, it seems TO me
you are getting pretty old
"Alan, it is one Of the misfortuues Of
life in this age that there comes h timo
to every boy when he thinks he is called
on to say smart things. They are not
smart, but the boy thinks thcy are. The
girl l have in mind Is not the kind Of
girl you mean. In fact she's q Dutch
girl, or a German, or somothing Of that
sort"
"Well, there are nice Dutch girls,
aren't there;'
ooh, confound it; its that girl ont AZ
the house-your mothers girl; the sery.
ant"
"Why, what's she been doingg'
"She's been talking Dutch"
"Well, that's rather natural, isn't it,
ats inhuman. She talks Dutch, bus
doesn't understand iti at least when ]
talk it to her.
but / don't see what you want of
me-"
'Tll tell you. You've studied German
in school, haven't your
Eyes; one term"
"Good. This is the way it Is: Youl
Aunt Louisa IS in some sort of trouble
making jelly and it won't come, o.
broken her leg, or something serious,
Anyway she sent for your mother III
a hurry, and away she went. 1 told heI
not TO worry about inc. used to know
a good deal Of German, and 1 could re,
along with Marie, or whatever her nam,
is, for a couple Of weeks. But dom
get along. can't make her understand
what | say, and she doesn't speak an,
kind of German / ever heard. w,
don't seem to chord, as they say in th,
orchestra"
And you want me to help You talk tC
her and understand herr
"That's just it,"
"Well said the boy, "we1l both try
her. I'll go over to tine house and spend
the afternoon studying my German
grammar-all about 'Habcn sic meinC
mutter gesehenY and 'Ist das Ihr bru-
derY and that sort Of thing. l want
some luncheon FIRST, though"
- II wfwIk - r-s1 r,w.1, a4NTr.TT -.--
TO the Rathskeller and eat fr%ankfurters
and potato salad. There's nothing like
laying a good foundation. and maybe
we can pick up some bits of German hy
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 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 ease. They seated themselves mt the
table and presently Marie appeared
bearing a tureen Of soup. There was q
troubled look on her face, too-that is
rs much Of a look as ever comes to tho
face Of u German servant girl. Eubse.
quently Alan described it as the look O..
a tortured saint.
"Guten abend," said uncle with cheer
full civility.
"Guten abeud, answered Marie wifi
equal cheerfulness, ne she eat the turooI
before him and then retreatcd.
Good start, uncle" said Alan ap
proyingly. IL avn glad, though, we didn'