Middletown transcript., 1898-04-23

that an opportunity had come, took the
purse Of 900 crowns from under her
cloak and laid it on the table.
"What is this?" said the miller, for
the first time showing some eagerness.
"They are for you,' said Osra, and
she watched him while he pnfastened
the purse. Then he poured the crowns
ont on the table and counted them one
by one till he had told all the 600.
Then he raised his hands above his
head, let them fall again, sighed slight
" and looked across at the priest.
81 warned you not to be in such q
hurry, friend miller" remarked the
priest.
II waited two hours, = said the mill
er plaintively, "and you know that she
is handy wench and very fond of me-"
And he began to gather up the crowns
and return them to the purse.
"I trust I am handy wench, = said
Osra, smiling, yet still very nervous,
"and indeed have great regard for
the miller, but
may, be does not mean you, !" inter-
rupted the priest.
.Six hundred sigEec the miller,
"and Gertrude has but 200l Still, she
is a handy wench and very stdrdy. !
doubt if you could lift sack by your.
self as she can. And he looked doubt
fully at Osra's slender figure.
81 do not know why you talk of Ger
trude." said the princess petulantly.
"What is Gertrude to me?"
"Why, I take it that she is nothing
at all to you," answered the priest,
folding his hands on his lap and smiling
placidly. "Still, for my part ! bade
him wait little longer.
ST waited two hours" said the mill
er, f'and Gertrude urged me, saying
that you would not come and that she
would look after me better than you,
being one of the family, and she said
chat 1t was hard that she should have
no husband while her own cousin mar
| ried a stranger, and since 1t was all the
same to me, provided ! got handy and
sturdy wenoh'-
"What?' cried the Princess Osra,
| and the king was SO interested that he
rose up from behind the water butt and,
leaning his elbows on the windoW sill,
| looked in and saw all that happened.
"It being,' pursued the miller Of
Hofbau, "all the same to me SO that ]
got what wanted-why, when you did
not come
"He married his cousin" said the
priest.
A sudden loud burst Of laughter came
from the window. All three turned
round, but the king ducked his head
and crouched again behind the water
butt before they saw him.
"Who was that?" cried the priest.
"a lad that came to hold my horse, !"
answered Osra hastily, and then she
turned fercely Oh the miller.
"And that" she said,. "was all you
wanted? thought you loved me-.
"Aye, 7 liked you very we'll, " said
the miller. "You are q handy A
stamp Of her foot drowned the rest.
"But you should have come in time, "
he went on.
"And this Gertrude, is she pretty?"
demanded Osra.
Gertrude is well enough" said the
miller "but she has only 200 crowns. F"
And he put the purse, now full again,
on the table, with resigned sigh.
"And you shall have no moreP' cried
Osra, snatching up her purse in great
rage. "And you and Gertrude may
''What Of Gertrude?" came at this
moment from the door Of the room
where the sacks were. The princess
turned round swift as the wind and saw
in the doorway short and very broad
girl, with very wide face and strag-
Cling hair. The girls nose was very
fat and her eyes were small, but her
great mouth smiled good humoredly,
and as the princess looked she let slip
to the ground sack Of -four that she
had been carrying on her sturdy back.
"Aye, Gertrude is well enough, !" said
the miller, looking at her contentedly.
"She is very strong and willing"
Then while Gertrude stood wonder.
ing and staring with wide eyes in the
doorway the princess stepped up to the
miller and leaned over him and cried:
"Look at my facet Look at my face
What manner Of face is it?''
"It is well enough" said the miller.
"But Gertrude is''-
There was crash upon the floor, and
the 600 crowns rolled out Of the purse
and scattered, spinning and rolling hith
~.