The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-01-27
THAT GERMAN GIRL.

the little New Jersey village, and a
voice belonging to the owner of the legs
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 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. "Icsn'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 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
-ery glad to see YOU"
whats wrong, uncle? Is it mammal"
''No, no; your mothers all right. It's
l. I'm in u lot of trouble and maybe you
can help me out. At any rate that's
why sent for you"
whats the matter? Failed"
Failed! Of course not. Business is
good enough. It's that girl
"Girl? Why, uncle, it seems to ma
you are getting pretty old"-
2 'tAlan, 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 there?"
"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?'
"It's inhuman. She talks Dutch, but
doesn't understand it; at least when
talk it to her."
'sBut 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, OF
broken her leg, or something serious
Anyway she sent for your mother in
o hurry, and away she went. l told hel
not to worry about me. used to know
good deal OF German, and could gel
along with Marie, or whatever her name
is, for couple of weeks. But DOM
get along. can't make her understand
what say, and she doesn't speak any
kind of German l ever heard. We
don't seem to chord, as they say in the
orchestra.
"And you want me to help you talk tt
her and understand herr"
That's just it,
"Well," said the boy, "well both try
her. I'll go OYER to the house and spend
the afternoon. studying my German
grammar-all about 'Haben sic meine
mutter gesehen:' and list das Ihr bru
derp and that sort of thing. want
some luncheon first, though"
Cali right" said uncle. ''We'n go VI
to the Rathskeller and eat frankfurter
and potato salad. There's nothing Xix.
laying a good foundation, and mayb'
we can pick up some bits of German fly
ing around there"
1t was o'clock that evening whel
Alan and his uncle descended to tn
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
face, and Alan did not appear entirel
at ease. They seated themselves at tn
table and presently Marie appeare
bearing tureen of soup. There was
troubled look on her face, too-that il
face of a German servant girl. Subst
quently Alan described it as the look {
tortured saint.
"Guten abend," said uncle with chez
full civility.
"Guten abend," answered Marie wit
equal cheerfulness, as she sat the turee
before him and then reiterated.
''Good start, uncle" said Alan a.
provingly. lam glad, though, we didn
have to say anything about soup, for
couldn't find the word for it in my graz
mar. You see, l came down to Il
kitchen this afternoon and nosed aroul
to see what we were going to have +
dinner, and l made a list of the thin
and then looked up as many of them
/ could find in my grammar. But
couldn't find SOUP"
"There are two words here, " said unc
after searching the dictionary. Il cal
make out what one of them Is, thoui
it looks like 'suhp.'"
''Ess 90 ha pay" said Alan.
But the other is 'suppe.' There's
# after it, and l suppose that mea
feminine Just why soup should
feminine don't know, but then no
man being ever knew the reason of I
genders in German"
''There isn't any butter on the tab
uncle" said Alan. 81 like butter at d
ner, even if it isn't good FORM" AS
spoke he reached over and touched
bell.
s'Great Scott!" said uncle, as Ma