Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-07-12


looking old woman nodded to them
from the window.
How long you have been gone, Ger
trud," said her father, and fie fie |
What handsome young fellow you
have brought home with You"
My dear sir"
mo explanations on the doorstep.
beg of you. Come in, the dumplings
are ready and will be getting cold
But that is not Heinrich p called
the old woman from the window;
haven't l always said he wouldn't
come back |"
There. there, mother" said the
schulze, ''he may come yet" and hold
ing cut his hand to Arnold he contin-
ued: You are welcome to Germels-
hansen, young man. wherever the
child may have found you. And now
come in to dinner; We'll talk later. ]"
And without giving the youngman any
further opportunity for apologies he
shook him heartily by the hand and led
him into the house.
Besides the old woman, who had now
closed the window and drawn her chair
up to the table, there were several
rosy-cheeked children sitting in the
corner, and robust peasant woman,
wearing, like the others, costume
wholly unlike that of the neighboring
villages, was just opening the door for
maid who entered with great plat
ter of dumplings. All hastened to
their places eager to begin, but nobody
sat down. and the children, as it seemed
to Arnold, cast glances of terror at
their father.
The latter stood sullen and silent be-
hind his chair, with eyes downcast and
knitted brow Was he praying? Ar
mold observed that his lips were tightly
pressed together, while his right hand
hung clenched at his side. There was
no sign of prayer in that face, only OBJ
stinate yet irresolute defiance. Gertrud
went softly to him and laid her hand on
posite stood speechless looking at him
with anxious and beseeching eyes.
Let us eat" he finally exclaimed,
harshly. There is no help for it,
and, drawing up his chair and nodding
to his guest, he seized the great soup
ladle and went to work. There WAS
something almost uncanny in the mans
behavior, and Arnold could not but feel
uncomfortable in the air of depression
which hung over his companions.
The schulze, however, was not the
man to spoil his dinner with troubled
thoughts. AS he raped on the table,
the maid appeared again, bringing
TASKS and glasses, and with the taste of
the old and costly wine, which he now
offered, new life and spirits came into
the company.
Through Arnold's veins the noble
beverage streamed like liquid fire;
never had he tasted anything like it.
Gertrud also drank of it, and the old
mother, who then seated herself at her
spinning wheel in the corner, and in a
low voice sang little song about the
gay life in Germelshausen. The schulze
was like another man. He was now as
gay and cheerful as he had before been
grave and silent; and even Arnold could
not resist the influence of this exquisite
wine Before he knew what had hap
pened, the schulze had seized his fiddle
and was playing a lively dance tune,
while he himself was whirling madly
about the room with Gertrud in his
arms, upsetting the chairs and knock
ing against the maid who was taking
out the dishes, until the others shouted
with laughter.
Suddenly all was still in the room
and as Arnold turned in astonishment,
the schulze pointed toward the window
with his bow and then laid the instru-
ment back again in the large chest
from which he had taken it. Arnold
saw that funeral procession was pass
ing along the street.
Six men clad in white bore the casket
on their shoulders, and behind it walked
an old man leading a little fair-haired
girl by the hand. The old man moved
slowly and feebly, but the child, who
could scarcely have been four years old
and could not realize who was lying in
the casket nodded here and there,
wherever she saw familiar face and
laughed aloud at the gambols of two
little dogs who were tumbling about
the sidewalk.
The silence lasted only so long as the
procession was in sight; then Gertrud
spoke to Arnold
Come" she said, you have romped
enough; get your hat and let us take a
walk. When we come back it will be
time to go to the inn, for there is to be
a dance this evening""
"a dance! That is good!" cried
Arnold. Il came just at the right time.
You will give me the first dance, won't
you, Gertrud?'
Arnold had already seized his hat
and portfolio.
What are you going to do with the
book?" asked the schulze.
He draws, father" said Gertrud;
'he has made sketch of me already"
Arnold opened his sketch-book and
handed him the drawing. The peasant
examined it in silence.
"And you mean to take this away
with you, and perhaps frame it anf
hang it on your wall?'
why not?'