The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-03
ALL FOR LENKEN.

When Meyer came to Pineville, he
gave his name as Wilhelm Windmeyer,
and it was promptly changed by the
citizens to Bill Meyer.
He came direct from tho fatherland
to make Pineville his home. He thought
it was his duty, too to tell everybody
he had left a sweetheart behind, and
that it was for her sake that he was
working to make d home. Her name
was Lenken. She was very beautiful, he
said, and SO good that it seemed almost
q miracle she had lived to the age of 30.
1t was this loyalty to the girl he had
promised to marry and who was SO far
away that made Meyer favorite with
everybody in Pineville.
But Meyer was slow, easy going
fellow, and the one thought about Len
ken seemed to occupy every Granny of
his thinking apparatus to the exclusion
of every other thought. He was very
small man, and that and the wooden
leg he were, he said, had saved him
from doing duty as soldier.
Meyer found employment with Judge
Peterliin. The wages We're low, but it
was steady job, and that was what
Meyer most desired.
During his first year in Pinepillo
Meyer gained q little sum Of money and
lost four fingers and part Of his nose.
He was trying to whistle die Yacht
am Rhine" down the barrel Of an old
nnsket when the gun went off acciden-
tally and carried away part of his nasal
organ. The fingers were cut off with a
small circular saw used for cutting fire
wood
Two fingers on one hand were cut off
first. When the wounded hand had been
tied up, Judge Petelkin, his daughter
Molly and Aunt Phyllis, the cook, fol-
lowed Meyer out to the woodshed to be
shown how the accident had occurred.
ut must have been piece of pure
carelessnoss on your part, said the
judge, locking very severe. "Now show
mo how it was done.
Il vas singing Over Die Garten
Vail, ," said Meyer. Den pick up a
shtick Of wood like dis "-picking one
up with his unwoundcd hand-"und
den hold 1t like dis, und den de shtick
ship like dis, und den my fingers vas
cut off like dis" And that was how
Meyer came to lose tho second two fin
gers
The second year Meyer laid up an
other small sum Of money and was di-
vested Of part Of an car, two toes and q
geod deal OF his hair The ear and toes
were lost accidentally and the hair i'll
cidentally from natural causes.
"Why, Meyer, Lenken won't know
you when she sees you again, you arc
such wreck" said Molly to him one
day.
"Vell maybe sol" he sighed, but in
a moment tie confidence in his sweet
hearts stuadfastness returned "Oh,
sha vas so goot, Miss Molly, und so boo
tiful," he said, dat it makes no differ
enco to her how l look She vas true all
| de time y"
Then Molly thought she would see if
Meyer would not pay her compliment
GLOW does Leukon look, Meyer?
Does she look something like me?' she
asked
Like youf" no exclaimed. "Lenken
don't look like nobody. Miss Wiggin
look like you maybe, but Lenken vas
different"
Miss Wiggin was Molly's rival beau
ty in Pincvillc, and the reference to her
made the latter flush very red in the
face. Meyer laughed merrily.
lyon dm't look nooty ven you look
like dat, Miss Molly" he said.
Then there came changes, and Meyer
did not profit any by them. Judge Pc.
terlsin died, Miss Molly married, and
Meyer had to look out for himself as
best he could True, Molly still inter-
ested herself in him as much as posi-.
bis, but she had new cares and new du.
tie, now that claimed her attention
HOS. of the time.
But Never was always hopeful and
in good humor. Ills every thought, act
and deed was to accomplish something
to bring tho day nearer when he could
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