The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-13
The Black Imns.


/ starved themselves for his commission
, and Northumberland ne was handsome
even for German officer. Unfortunate
| " for him he sang love songs of hi:
country, and they are quite the mos
moving love songs in the world. They
move the singers as Well as the listeners
They moved Hertzer, and on one nigh
in particular when he was hidden TO the
house Of a certain titled lady he was ST
lifted out of himself by the charm OF
mis- music that he proposed to an Ameri-
can girl who was present, and to his
. startled dismay was accepted.
It was a misfortune, for ne was not
in sympathy with the American point
Of view. he did not Ike the insistence
and intellectual arrogance of American
women, and he had quite made up his
mind to marry senseless and well born
little fraulien who did not work and went
TO kaffee klatches. He almost loved her,
she was so nondescript, and would be
well content to make a harmless back
ground of herself for his benefit. More
over in spite of all his vanity he was
rather soft-hearted, and it hurt him to
think how many tears would bedew those
| soft blue eyes when she heard of his
engagement to the American girl.
The American girl had, moreover, been
| known to do things which were shock
| ing. She had gone shopping about the
| streets of Berlin unaccompanied, she had
| once used slang before a Weimar profess
| scr OF philosophy, and she had been
! heard TO say that she did not IKE the
| shape of the emperer's nose She was
| not known to be rich even, which is the
only excuse that an American girl has
for living, and it was said she made
some serious mistakes in her interpreta-
ton of the Fifth symphony.
Yet he married her. And they went to
America.
1T is just as we'll" said his friend sad
| ". Really, you know it is all over with
poor Max"
| They felt that he was as good as dead
| 1t was dull in America. Well, New York
wasn't so bad, perhaps, but the other
! toWns-bah There wasn't a true city
among them. 1t didn't count for a man
! TO be ANYBODY. No one paid any atten-
! ton to Max because he was Hertzer.
! 1t made him bitter He had a little sum-
| mer house built in the yard back of the
| house where they lived, and smoked his
pipe there and dreamed of Berlin. Also
he planted some fiofers and some little
I trees. He liked these and paid much at
tention to them. He studied a great deal
military tactics and botany. But he
| neglected to provide the daily bread No
one could blame him for it. 1t was an
oversight on his part. His wife taught
music-she gave private lessons and class
lessons, and she sometimes performed at
concerts. Her peculiar treatment of the
Fifth symphony did not initiate
against her in America.
In course Of the long and busy years
four children were born to the Hert-
zers, but still the burden of the bread
winning developed upon madam. She
pleasure in the world for her to return
home and find the Baron sitting there.
She never saw man so handsome. And
ne was always kind-sometimes he found
odd jobs to do-bookkeeping or work in
a railroad office or book criticism. He
was willing-but not eager-to work.
Time was apt to hang heavily on his
hands. And so it became his habit to
amuse himself in peculiar way-na mely,
by the making of little black devils. He
made them on anything that CHANGED to
be handy-an envelope, scrap of paper,
a playing card, or a book margin He
represented them in every imaginable
antic. He gave them a thousand subtle
individualities His mind appeared to be
beset by them. Many of his acquaint-
ances had wondered IN the course of their
intercourse with him what IT was that
filed that large handsome head. Now
they seemedfto be finding out. The little |
inky imps trouped out of his Uranium in
such numbers that they threatened to
leave it quite void and empty.
The children were growing up. and |
children acanotn do that, no matter how !
unobtrusiye they endeavor to be, without !
costing some one something. These chill |
dren developed talents. and in an utilita- |
rian age talents cannot be allowed to go !
70 IL
incumbent upon her to see that one stu |
died dramatic expression and another the |
violin, and another w0d carving, and an |
other modelling in clay, besides all of the |
regulation studies. She brought a great /
circle of friends about her, who adored |
her bohemian evenings and who consider /
ed the baron one of the most interesting !
gentlemen they had ever met
The baron did not consider himself in
teresting. He Was bored with himself
He wondered if time would never pass IN
drew little black devils |
while he was waiting to find out.
Among the many pleasing and hereto
dox friends who visited the Hertzers was /
q newspaper man of a whimsical turn
of mind. He had been the recipient on
a certain occasion of a pack of playing
cards in which each club, spade, heart
or diamond was represented by scarlet or
black devils, and the design upon the
backs Of the cards was writhing, twist
ing inferno Of the same grotesque little
eatures.
He looked at these long and apprecia-
lively. did the newspaper man. and he
was seized with an idea This idea was y
the outcome Of his observations. He had (
noticed that there was a look Of extreme
WEAKNESS In the eyes Of the amiable !
Madam Hertzer, and that she walked I
more slowly than she used TO. and her
&c lectiOns st the piano, which had once
been noted for their length. were now
brief and lacking in spirit In short, the
brave spirit Of Madam Hertzer dropped
under many burdens. So the newspaper !
man entered upon the making Of a COL
lection, assisted by the energetic and
talented children of the baron Little
black devils were gathered from every
part Of the house. heads were torn from
etters that the fascinating imps might
% preserved, leaves were rent from books
and even pocket handkerchief done in a
procession Of dancing imps in indelble
nix. was taken in charge.
The practical friend sent these 20 a GER
ain much-illustrsted comic weekly and
,nxiously awaited the results The fam
= was Of the opinion that there would I
be- no results. The baron was in state
# peaceful igronaaes
But TIE results were almost dramatic.
The comic weekly was amused-snd II il
lot easy 10 amuse a comic weekly. II
ranted series. indefinitely continued. OF
title black devils Illustrating current
vents.
The oIici1Us friend carried the good :
.ews 30 Baron Won Hertzer.
Sir stormed the barren. You have {
Exceeded your privileges. You have made
ne ridicul5us am TO clown n fliip :
nd kick while the people IaushI VIII
III have the great roo3ress 70 recan