The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1896-04-16
KISS IN THE TUNNEL.

nlOllde. sat III Il SecOnu-cldSS cdrEldSc III
q train which was hurrying toward the
Rhine. We had struck up an acquaint-
ance. as tourists often do. AS a rule, L
don't care to have anything to do with
my fellow passengers, but Fraulein
Martha had quite c%aptivated me. AS
she entered the compartment for non
smokers | had taken her travelling bag
from her hand and put it carefully on
the rack for her. Then | had resigned
my corne seat to her and put up the
window SO as to protect her from the
draught, which she found too strong.
As the train started we exchanged a
word in praise of the weather, which
had become much cooler after a heavy
rain and vas very pleasant for travel
ing, and we gradually got into a very
interesting conversation.
Fraulein Martha chatted very nicely
and made no pretension to superfine
education. She could not be called
young. but when she laughed she be-
came a child. Her laugh was clear
and silyery and her face lost its rather
serious expression. This induced me
to make all kinds of jokes, which evil
IDENTIFY amused her immensely. When
a girl laughs as Fraulein Martha did,
the man who provOkes the laughter be-
comes a humOriSt in spite of himself.
She was a capital listener. too, and it is
a rare thing to find a good listener
among the "Other sex" AS she listen
ed, her face responded to all 1 said. Be
sides being so charming mentally, she
had a very pretty, elegant figure, which
the eye of a connoisseur (my eye) never
wearied of watching and discovering
new traits of beauty. She was dressed
in a very simple travelling gown, which
displayed to perfection all the pretty
lines of her form.
She was not alone. In the ext seats
of the compartment sat a married
couple, and opposite them was their
daughter, a pretty shy girl, who had
just emerged from the bread-and-but-
ter-miSS state. These people were rela-
tives of Fraulein Martha, who, when
l asked her to tell me something about
them, said that the man was called
Fenchel, that he was the wiSeSt man
in C~hristendom. He thought hat he
could hear the grass grow il he tried
1to-though, as a matter of fact he never
did try to-and also that he possessed
the gift of prophecy. To him coming
events always considerably cast their
shadows before. If he did not happen
to have foretold an event before it hap
pened. it was simply because it had
slipped his memory-another time he
wouldn't forget. Frau Fenchel ad-
mired her Husbands extraordinary quail
tiles, and, therefore. did not dare to
contradict him when he asserted that
the young man who was sitting with
her daughter was no Son-in-law for
him, for it was easy to see that once
married the young rascal would turn
out a thorough Don Juan and would
cause unheard-Of misery in the house
hold. The young man in question, who
was called Taube-Bernhard Taube, did
not look likely to fulfill such a proph-
ecy. He was as shy as Fraulein Ro-
schen Fenchel, with whom he was
deeply in love. Both these facts were
quite evident. The most daring deed
he had ever pe%rpetrated was when
Herr Fenchel, having Informed him
that he intended to accompany his
wife and daughter to the Rhine on
the following Wednesday, he-Taube
had said that, strange to say, he too
was going to the Rhine on the same
day, and, with Herr Fenchel's permits
sion. would join them.
This was not very agreeable to old
Fenchel. In the first place, as a proph-
ct. he ought to have foreSeen the young
mans intended journey: and, second
ly. he was afraid that Taube'S society
would be more acceptable to Roschen
than he approved of.
In the latter assumption he was
right. Roschen "a az happy as Herr
Taube, although the young people had
ONLY ventured to hint as much to Frau
Fenchel, who, aware of her husbands
aversion to Taube, because of his con-
cealed Don Juan pr~oclivities, had hint
ed in return that Roschen was too
young to think of love, and Herr
Taube was not old enough.
F,aulein Martha told me this in a
manner which showed that she was
heartily sorry for the young folks. it
was evident that she was on the side
of the lovers, and was angry with
Fenchel for ty%rannically trying to hold
them apart. Although she was not
full Of that eager desire for match
making which is so strongly developed
in many ladies who have left youthful
follies and youthful wisdom behind
them, still she loved ROschen dearly
and wanted her to be happy. There
are some girls" she said, ito whom
single life would mean misery n
ruin, and our Roschen is n Of them.
If she is not allowed to marry her life