The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-16
cHApTER 4.

II don't see why you girls don't want
Mr.. NIttach. I'm sure that he plays the
.seautitul Blue Danube most be4uti-
fully"
judith had come in from the kitchen
where she was making fuges for the
girls to eat with their crackers and
chocolate
'Bosh~ answered Caroline. You
know as wen as we do that Mr. Nit-
taeh can't play two-step my he.;er'n
Tennessee fiddler. OF course. his Blue
Danube is all right. He's been Playing
1t for fifty years"
The other girls snlckered. Carollne's
folks had sent her to school In the
east, and upon her return she had In
troduced tic two-step. tits the thing"
she had said. why, they don't even
dance the waltz In Chicago any more"
Now she was urging the girls OF the
Guild to dIsplace Mr.. Nlttach, the vil-
lage musician, with cousin of hers.
who knew "all the latest two-steps
published
but it's not right to put aside poor,
old Mr.. Nittach. He's played at every
one OF our Guild atfaIrs and especially
at every one of our Christmas eve
dances, and he ought to play ut this
one" Judith persisted. You know,
girls, he has tried SO very hard to Oblise
Us in everything. He has bought the
latest waltzes. sending to Chicago for
them, and he has even tried the two
step!"
Eyes, tried" sneered Caroline. hut
he's never succeeded"
II don't care" said Judith, angrIly,
'he's dear old man. and he's always
doing something for US all. II 1t Isn't
flowers for US In the summer, it's wine
for our mothers in the winter. And II
we didn't make much at our barn
dances ana ice cream festivals he was
always willing to take half pay. You
all know that he taught our mothers
music lessons and us music and hope
he will teach our children muslc;"
The girls laughed until the tears
rolled down their pretty cheeks, but
they appIauded. too; and Judith had
won the day. Mr.. Nlttach was to be
asked to play the violin at the Guilds
Christmas eve dance. The girls dele
gated Judith and Caroline committee
to request the services OF Mr.. Nittach
for the occasion mentioned. Caroline
refused to serve. III it isn't going to
be Tom" she said-Tom was her cousin
why, / won't have aythlng to do
with Inviting old Nittach-the old
Dutchman."
But 1t will be Tom, anyhow, for he
can play the two-step. III fix IT,, she
ended.
The girls ate their crackers and
fudge and drank their chocolate. Ju-
dith was rather silent. She was not a
little ashamed of her speech. But when
the girls had gone she went Into the
kitchen where her mother sat knitting.
and declared that she was glad the
girls had been so kind to poor Mr.. Nit
tach. "And 1 know the most of them
do love the two.step," she told her
mother with a sigh.
She went to the window and looked
out. "I hope We will have sleiEhins for
Christmas" she thought. ''rhe roads
are nothing but mud now. Dear me-
Christmas ls so near. must go down
tomorrow and see Mr.. Nittach. Looks
like snow flakes. mother she said
aloud, as she turned from the window
to light the lamp.
When she arose the next morning
judith melted the frost upon the win
dow pane with her breath, and peering
through the glass saw that
,.The snow had begun in the cleaning,
And silently nil the night,
Had been keeping field and highway
with a mantle cold and white"
Her first thought was OF Mr.. Nittach.
She must get word to him. Scarcely
had breakfast been eaten than the jing-
ling OF bells annuonced the presence Of
the butcher from oconoville.
"WelI. I want to tell you" shouted
the butcher. as he stamped into the kit
chen. "Lakeheid's a great place. a gre
ate place in snow storm. Might have
lost my bearings II 1t hadn't been for
the nag"
"oh. you KEEP quiet" said Mira. War
ner, as she prudently weighed the meat
he had brought In. You was born and
brought up in LakeGeId and your moth
er afore you"
That's right, auntle." he said with a
smile and a look at Judith. and hope
my children Will be-"
''Pshaw." said Judith, getting very
red in the face. "wherd you hear
thati7
Il was just down to the mill The
folks there was laughing over It. l
thought you was going to be an old
maid. Juds?'
II am" said Judith. shortly.
mot II know H. he said. Say!
How'd you ike to ride over to Mr.. Mt
tach's with me now"
well. hadn't ought to. hut IT'S the
only chance I'll have to-day. ana Tvs
better thah nothing
Don't mention IT," replied The butch
er aarcasticslly.
Leaving her mother 10 clear the
breakfast table. and with many admo-
nitIons mot to wash them dishes until
get back" Judith rode on beside the
~. h,,tnher II, the alalgh. The village