Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-06-20
ALL FOR LENKEN.

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 the 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 a 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 20.
It was this loyalty to the girl he had
promised to marry and who was SO far
away that made Meyer a favorite with
everybody in P~ineville.
But Meyer was a slow, easy going
fellow, and the one thought about Len
ken seemed to occupy every Granny Of
bis thinking apparatus to the exclusion
Of every other thought. He was a 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 a steady job, and that vas what
Meyer most desired.
During his first year in Pineville
Meyer gained a little sun Of money and
lost four fingers and part Of his nose.
He was trying to whistle ode Yacht
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 on 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 a piece Of pure
carelessness Oh your part" said the
Judge, looking very severe. "Now show
me how it was DONE"
II vas singing Over Die Garten
VAIL" said Meyer. "Den 1 pick up a
shtiok Of wood like dis''-picking one
up with his unwounded hand-"und
den I hold it like dis, und den de shtiok
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 d.
vested Of part Of an ear, two toes and a
good deal Of his hair. The ear and toes
we're lost accidentally and the hair in
ci~dentally from natural causes.
why, Meyer, Lenken won't know
you when she sees you again, you are
such a wreckl' said Molly to him one
day.
"vell, maybe so!'' he sighed. but in
q moment the confidence in 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 I look! She vas true all
de time"
Then Molly thought she would see il
Meyer would not pay her a compliment.
How does Lenken look. Meyer!
Does she look something like me?'' she
asked.
Like your he exclaimed. "Lenken
don't look like nobody. Miss Wiggin
look like you maybe. but Lenken vas
different"
Miss Wiggin wal Molly's rival beau
" in Pineville, and the reference to hen
made the latter flush very red in the
face. Meyer laughed merrily.
"You don't look pooty 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 az
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 wal 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 be
had made . home for her. It was all fol
Lenken.
"How long since you heard from
Lenken?" Molly asked him one day.
Meyer thought awhile.
"A little over two years ago" he re-
piled.
"And when did you write to herr"
"Oh, dat vas tree years ago"
Meyer, you ought to be ashamed o.
yourself, cried Molly. "You must oil
down here right now and write Lenker
. long letter and tell her that you arr
still alive. Why. don't you know thai
abe 10 grieving all the time and imagin'
ing that all sorts Of accidents have be-
fallen your"
"Maybe 60. / never think Of dat
"For all you know, too, abe maj
have got tired waiting and married
tonne one else"
That brought Meyer to his feet ant
made him prance around on his wooder
eg pretty lively for q minute.
"No, no. he cried. "Lenken wonlt
aot do dat. Lenken e true. w, sa'