The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-04-07
AN AMANA ROMANCE.

What led Herr Schweppe to join the
Amanites no one knew but the elders.
The Amanites did not gossip about it.
They were not given to gossiping about
anything. Work. duty. God-these
were all their thoughts. But the visit
ors to the close lying Amana villages
seldom failed to notice that Herr
Schweppe was a gentleman and to Won
der how he came to join the Amanites,
with their plain clothes and their lives
of toll. The mystery was hid in the
books of the elders. There was once a
visitor who claimed that he had had a
glimpse of the page and saw BIS
marck" written twice IN Herr
Schweppe's record. The name was ''Von
Schweppe." too. this visitor said.
though it was only Schweppe now.
Be that as it may, Herr Schweppe's
daughter Annie bore the traits Of no.
BILE German birth. She vas a dark hair
ed, dark eyed maid. appearing among
the other girls of the community like a
bit of Sevres ware surrounded by pieces
of useful but homely plain white china.
Little did the thrifty, godly Amanites
care for such beauty. In Amana a yard
of blue calico was accounted as worth
far more than a dimple.
The sorrcws of exile killed Herr
Schweppe when Annie was a child, be-
fore she had grown so beautiful. Annie
had never seen a mirror. and no n
told her Of her beauty. Her mother
gloated over it in secret. She loved An
ME far better than the elders would
have sanctioned. but when the child
was near she was silent and cold. The
life of repression had had its effect on
poor Mother Schweppe.
In Amana the elders discouraged
lovemaking. Men and women entered
the church by different doors. and a
line of sawdust box cuspidors marked
off the mems side of the house. But
among the girls at the Amana gasthaus
were two persons who did not have the
law of Amana ain their hearts. They
were not Amana girls. but came from
outside. for no Amanite would have
permitted his daughter to be subjected
to the gaze of the strangers in the CAST
haus. It was Madge and Nora, alas,
who put all the mischief into Annie's
mind.
June moonlight was falling over the
yellow wheatfields, and the fragrance
of grapevine blossoms on the wall half
intoxicated Annie as she leaned out Of
the small. square window next the
slanting roof of her mothers cottage.
It was while Annie was still thinking
of the land that might lie outside of
Amana that Madge and Nora came
along and asked her to 60 with them to
their party And Annie stole away and
went.
A ghostly little party it was, Of
Madge and Nora and Annie and only
three others in the hotel kitchen, but
as they sat in the glare of the oil lamp
reflector it seemed to Annie the widest
dissipation. Two sheepish young
Amanites slouched on the bench at one
side of the kitchen, nervously pulling
their straw hats over their faces if any
n glanced at them. The third young
man was entirely unlike these. Annie.
big eyed and timorous, gazed at him in
wonder. He wore such clothes as fitted
him. His rudy hair was brushed back
from his ears. not e. them, in the
fashion of the Amanites. His face was
clean shaven, his figure 1.-THE and
sinewy. and his merry eyes roved hither
and thither while he RECALLED the COM
pany with music. 1t was a mouth organ
which he played, but no matter. To
Annie it was heavenly. She had never
before heard music of any kind. for the
Amanites attached a penalty ever to
whistling. Suddenly Annie was trem-
bling and sobbing. and the player. con-
science smitten. ceased his melody.
He was not a great stranger to her.
az Annie had thought. He had not SC
very many years ago worn the blue
jean and straw hats of the community.
son Of Herr Tappan. whom Annie had
often seen in church when a child. The
community had permitted Herr Tappan
to send his son away to a college. TO,
Hermann was to be the physician Of
the community. their Herr Doctor. as
they called him.
Hermann understood the timidity Of
Annie. He. too. had once been restrain
ed till all his thoughts were sadness.
He babe the girls take her at once tt
her mothers cottage. and he watched
them all till Annie had disappeared
through the window.
But why should the young Herr Doc
tor come to Mother S~chweppe's cottag.
next day. asking for her famous win,
for his patfentsr
''Knowest thou not l have disposed
Of it long before this timer" criet
Mother Schweppe.
II thought perhaps thou mightst b'
making it again. faltered Hermann.
MAKE wine in JuneY What sort o
aman.!" And Mother Schweppe laughet
loudly and unmelodiously. much as on