The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-08-18

| promised. She had shown me her new
cap with gold lace on it; her amber
beads and her garnet cross. What more
could she want? At the Wulbrand's
hof nobody ever lacked for anything, l
had heard; so what did Wieschen mean
by hiding herself in order to get what
she wanted? And in the water, too.
Before [ could ask any questions, the
gardener with the woo den leg, made his
appearance at the end of the walk, and
the girls ran, dragging us with them.
The berry season was over, summer
had passed, and autumn had come into
the land; and then, one day, the rumor
went that old Nolte had had vorge-
SIGHT. When it reached the ears of
Mohrhaus, the geometer, his black eyes
danced with mischief, and he called on
the sexton.
Il have had warning to prepare a
grave-for a grown person." the sex
ton said, solemnly.
From the Herr Pastor, or your
crazy spokenkieker? asked Mohrhaus.
Prom Note. Come with me, so that
you may be convinced at last. He does
not like to speak Of these things to
strangers; but he viii speak if L ask
him to tell YOU
If Notice eyes had encountered the
sight of a ghost instead of the gay face
of the young geometrician, he could not
have started back in greater horror.
But Mohrhaus only sneered.
Il want to hear about your funeral
procession" he laughed. when will
it arrived"
an three days from now" was the
procession" the old man added, sadly,
mot a single mourner will follow the
coffin"
"Oh-oh!" laughed the young man
again, that means, suppose, that IN
less you really find some one to bury
within that time, you will simply put
straw man into the coffin"
Tell him what the horses are like
that will bring the coffin on the wagon"
the sexton suggested to the old baker.
"Yes, tell me what kind of horses will
bringyour dead man" added the youth;
what are they like"
Elm falber und Elm rappe," "a dun
horse and a black one) was the impress
sive answer.
But Mohrhaus laughed the louder.
Elm faIber und Elm rappe!" he re-
peated. Upon my word now-that is
the team the old German kings drove
in their chariots. Your dead man
comes in maieStVi"
The geisterseher's patience was ex-
hausted.
Death always comes in majecty!"
he cried, in ringing voice. And you,
too, shall tremble before it ere three
suns have set"
AS Mohrhaus was to go on a sur
veying trip next day, he made sure
first, through the agency of the par
ish clerk, that there was no one sick,
or in immediate danger of dying of
old age, in the parish; and he received
from him the promise that if word
should be sent to dig grave he would
go himself and see that no such horses
as the spokenkicker had described
should draw the wagon.
On his return to Petershaken, the
third day, be was met with the in
formation that a funeral had been
announced to arrive from Eldagsen
that day, but had not yet come,
though it was then late in the after
noon.
Going to keep up old Notes repu-
tation at all risks" Mohrbaus said,
a nd no CT ri Cd I he +oy no ba
expected to find the sexton.
The sun was fast approaching the
west, and a rough wind blew through
the deserted streets; it seemed to
Mohrhaus that he heard the clatter
of hoofs on the cobblestones, as he
came along, but he paid no attention
to it.
The tavernkeeper informed him
that the sexton had just been sun
moned away, as the long-delayed fu-
| neral had come at last.
Mohrhaus' eyes twinklo2, as he said:
Then J must go to the graveyard at
once, before they put the straw-man
underground"
The sun was about to go down when
| lie reached Jne gate OF the cemetery;
he met the parish clerk, who told
him that the funeral had come-a lone
Unlocking coffin on an open wagon
| drawn by two horses-a dun horse and
black one. The wagon that left Ell
| dagsen had been drawn by a span
of white horses; but they had become
| unmanageable, had torn the harness,
broken the wagon, and thrown the
coffin to the ground. The man who
| drove the wagon, and the man who
| followed, as solitary mourner, had
both been hurt; one of the white
| horses had to be shot, the other had
run away, and the odd team now in
the wagon, had been picked up among
! the people on the road.
"a likely story" said AIohrhaus, and
he pressed on to where he saw num-
Der of men gathered around an open
grove, his friend, the sexton, among
| them.
They had evidently removed the lid
from the coffin, or perhaps it had
been broken by the fall. They all
seemed perturbed as the young man