The Somerset reporter., 1898-03-03
ALL FOR LENKEN.

aud it was promptly changed by the
citizens to Bill Meyer.
He came direct from the fatherland
to make Pineville his home He thought
it was his duty, too to tell every body
he had left sweetheart behind, and
that it was for her sake that he was
working to make home Her name
was Lenken. She was very beautiful, he
said, and so good that it seemed almost
a miracle she had lived to the age of 90
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 wore, he said, had saved him
from doing duty as a soldier.
Meyer found employment with Judge
Peterkin, The wages were low, but it
was steady job, and that was what
Meyer most desired.
During his first year i'll Pineville
Meyer gained little sum of money and
lost four fingers and part of his nose.
He was trying to whistle die Wacht
am Rhine" down the barrel of an old
musket 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 Oh one hand were cut off
first. When the wounded hand had been
tied up, Judge Peterkin, 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
oarelessness on your part" said the
judge, looking very severe. Now show
me how it was done. y
Il vas singing Over Die Garten
Vail, ," said Meyer. "Den pick up a
shtick of wood like dis''-picking one
up with his unwounded hand-"und
den | hold it 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 the second two fin
gers.
The second year Meyer laid up an
other small sum of money and was di-
vested of part of an ear, two toes and a
good deal of his hair. The ear and toes
were lost accidentally and the hair in
cidentally from natural causes
I
you when she sees you again, you are
such wreck'' said Molly to him one
day.
well, maybe so!' he sighed, but in
"a moment the confidence i'll his sweet
hearts steadfastness returned 'Oh,
she vas so goot, Miss Molly. und so boo
tiful, he SAID, dat it makes no differ
ence to her how look She vas true all
de time.
Then Molly thought she would see if
Meyer would not pay her a compliment,
"How does Lenken look. Meyer?
Does she look something like me?" she
asked.
Like you?" he 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 i'll Pineville, and the reference to her
made the latter flush very red i'll the
face. Meyer laughed merrily.
You don't look poorly ven you look
like dat Miss Molly, " he said.
Then there came changes, and Meyer
did not profit any by them. Judge Pc
terkin 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-
BILE, but she had new cares and new du-
ties now that claimed her attention
most of the time
But Meyer was always hopeful and
in good humor. His every thought, act
and deed was to accomplish something
to bring the day nearer when he could
write to Lenken and tell her that he
had made home for her. 1t was all for
Lenken.
How long since you heard from
Lenken?" Molly asked him one day.
Meyer thought awhile.
"A httle over two years ago, - he re-
piled.
And when did you write to her.
"Oh, dat vas I rec years ago.
Meyer, you ought to be ashamed Of
yourself, " cried Molly You must sit
down here right now and write Lenken
a long letter and tell her that you are
still alive. Why, don you know that
she is grieving all the time and imagin-
ing that all sorts of accidents have be
fallen you|
Maybe so never t'lnk of dat .
For all you know. too, she may
have got tired waiting and married
some one else.
That brought Meyer to his feet and
made him prance around ON his wooden
leg pretty lively tor minute.
mo, no, he cried. "Lenken would
not do dat Lenken Is true w, she
t'ink vas married too, maybe. . The
thought seemed to tickle him greatly.
You t'ink would marry anybodr but
Lenken?" he asked
"No, Meyer, don't suppose you
would or could, but with a woman 1t is
different.
mo, it vas all de same, Meyer per-
sisted
bat are you going to write to herr
"Maybe so, maybe not, y doggedly
"Why?"
81 want m lsuv dat land Won own