Evening journal., 1900-01-24
HANS AND LENA


Frau cherken was young and mex
peijenced OF men ana business. and
er temper was fruitful soil for suspic
ioH and Jealousy. She was not pleased
with the new arrangement at the store.
She c0rld not bear 20 think OF Hans In
lc company Of n strange woman day
,. fter day. and her pride was hurt that
ifAe had not been consulted in advance
bout the plan. When the merchant
vent home that night he found his
rife IA tears and no dinner prepared.
, After much talk and more tears Frau
q ,herken recovered her good humor
land permitted Hans 10 kiss her fore
lead. after which it was agreed that
Prof. Van Brieden should come two
i,,ays a week to give her music lessons.
THE professor was young and handsome
lend a great artist. and the days when
! he came TO teach her music would not
seem so lonely and she might forget
the horrid woman making change at
the store
One day Frau Gherlen went 70 the
store and surprised her husband, stand
ING IN the little cage with the cashier.
Their heads were close ogether. be-
cause the young woman was helping
him add a column of figures, so he
could check her daily cash account
but to the jealous wife the scene was
proof that her husband no longer loved
lcr. That night she charged him with
Manning to run away with the cashier,
nj they came very near TO a serious
uarrel, for the patience OF Hans was
Exhausted.
I "Then you can elope with your pro.
'essor,' he replied with some spirit and
niger.
J., Hans remained a long time alone in
I he coy little sitting-room Of his home
linking as hard as he could. At last
ne slapped his hands on his knees and
laughed aloud.
Il win elope," he said to himself in q
! whisper. Il must cure Lena, she makes
me so miserable. She shall have les.
SON"
The young merchant closed and
locked the door. and then he spent an
hour composing brief note When II
J was finished he read IL over several
tines and laughed softly. Then he
went TO the door and listened. There
J was no sound. His wife had gone out
= He then placed the note on the centre
table. where it would be seen by any
+ one who entered the room. The mote
read:
"Lena--You guessed my secret
have eloped. Now you will be happy
! with your professor. HANS"
The little bronze clock on the mantle
e chimed IL o'clock when Han turned
2 down the light and tiptoed out of thu
room. He stopped at the foot of tn
3. stairs and listened no one was stir
, ring in the house. Then he crept soft
: ~ up to the door Of his wife's room
} The door was ajar, and he glanced in
side A lamp was burning on the table
hut Frau Gherken was not there. IT.
2 stood still and listened for a moment
and thought he heard her MOVING
about the dining-room below. but tn
z sound was not repeated. Then h
stepped forward and turned up tn
q light 4 sheet Of paper neatly folde'
;: lay on the table. With a trembling
- hand and sinking heart he snatche'
Q II up and read:
"Hans-I am gone. You do not Low
me. but I hope that you VIII be happ
Q now that | am out of the way.
1 LENA"
Y Hans Gherken ran down the stair
and into the street like a mad mai
He was Just in time to see a cab tur
a the corner a block away. He ran aft
;! the vehicle as fast as he could, an
caught sight of it In the next stree
II Love, fear and jealous rage combine