The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-01-31

I
the main street of Reltersburg re-
sounded with the clack OF her wooden-
heeled shoes. She wore "a big sun
| bonnet which cast a deep shadow over
| her fah, round face. To Reuben Fat
zinger who was going to the brewery,
she seemed the embodiment OF comell-
| ness.
| They halted simultaneously, when a
space Of but two yards separated then
and stared al one another. Presently
1 Reuben inquired: VIE gents, Anna
Gut" returned she blushing.
"An' yoor fa-a- ader2" ne asked. with
| the peculiar and indescribable drawl OF
| his race.
! "Ach. ] sink he's droonk ag'in," she
I replied.
Now the elder Huth's fondness for
| "bee-ce-cr" was notorious in the VIZ
| lage. and none knew it better than
! Reuben; nevertheless-pe perhaps he was
SO accustomed 20 being surprised-his
| voice expressed great astonishment, as
| he said: "So-o-oh?"
| yah. an you-ou-ou"' said Anna.
This might have referred 10 his own
| state uf int0xicauon. or merely 20 his
state of being; Reuben took the second
meaning and answered: "Zeimhch.
| ne We're not 10 blame for the moderate
robustness of his health.
lie mOpped his perspTing brow with
| a big handanna handkerchief; then he
| observed: 1T ish ho-o-otY"
IL was al least 96 degrees I'm the
shade. but Anna's eyes showed more
| than their usual degree OF astonishment,
| as il she were surprised that he, un-
| aided. had SO quickly discovered the
torrid condition OF the weather. She
| shook her head. as though she were not
! quite sure about IL, then she assented'
| yah. g'wiss."
After this brief discussion they were
( silent for fully three minutes, looking
'bashfuny at the surrounding landscape.
| glancing timldly everywhere except
| into one another's eyes. Finally Reu-
ben said: "Vell, Anna, Anna, l mustn't
| gO-o-oh.'
"So-o-oh?"
YAH"
Another interval OF deep silence;
| then they separated. When thes were
| about ten yards apart Reuben turned
f, and called "Anna"
"Ach, whatT'
Maybe | make m'self up TO yoor
house tonight"
"Ach. what time you CONF" she
| asked.
you know" said Reuben bashfully.
|
| ply said: f'Ach. now!"
They became silent again. Anna
looking down with one arm akimbo,
| the other holding the pitcher, and Reu-
\ ben with his hands clasped behind his
back, studying the red brick brewery
| chimney. Anna stole look at her
! lover: then, quickly as though enid
/ den by some one. she blushed and once
| more contemplated her shoes. Reuben,
| who had already mastered ali the ar
| chitectural details Of the chimney. was
| counting the leaves on the topmost
| branch Of a chestnut tree. which stood
| by the wayside. Silently, hesltatingly-
! one might say by degrees-they separ-
| ated. Reuben had gone a hundred
| yards when he turned again ana
| shouted: "An-a-anna!'
| Anna stopped abruptly. "Ach, What
| yea want p
| Her tone was so short that it dis
| concerted Reuben He remained mute
! for a few seconds and finally gasped
out. loudly enough for her TO hear:
"Ach. nothing"
| Anna did not seem either surprised or
| offended by this answer. The pitcher
swung rhythmically by her side as she
| walked on slowly through the deserted,
treebordered street Of the little village
! which rested peacefully in the drowsy
stiffness. of Pennsylvania Dutch sum-
| mer's day.
H.
/ Anna Huthlived in a small, two-story
| house situated i'm one OF the principal
= alleys of the village. II was an igly.
| old-fashioned little house built of
stone and most wonderfully and irreg-
! ularly Nhitewashed. AS matter OF
! fact the different shades OF white
marked chron0logicaly the various
! spells OF sobriety which Huth pere
had devoted to the adornment of his
| dwelling.
The front room was his workship.
Mr.. Anton Huth had inherited the
trade of shoemaker and the love OF
| beer as his father and his grand
| father had done before him. small
strips and scraps of leather everywhere
met the eye. and smell of musty sole
leather and shoemaker's glue assateu
the nose The various tools used III
! the making and mending uf shoes lay
scattered all over the dirty floor of the
shop.
Back of the shop was the Kitchen,
! which served also as the dining room.
and from which strong smell OF sau-
erl<raut ISSUED every day precisely at
noon. \ large stove. buih OF mason
ry and iron. occupied one side almost
entirely ON another side OF the
kitchen a number of iron pots and tin
| pans of various shapes and sizes nuns
| from the wall.
\ door led from the kitchen into the
sitting room. The furniture here was
old-fashioned. massive and decidedly
uncomfortable \ square ooken table
stood in the center Upon il lay q
big lHble. printed IN a style OF typc
| fashionable in Germany two centuries
I ago. few WuOdcutS. clipped from
! illustrated papers. and q faded litho-
graphic chrome labelled George
| Washington" were pasted ON The dingy
walls uf the parlur Four leather
seated chairs of home make We're
ranged about the table. ON side OF
the room was taken up by "a marvel
Gus piece of wooden furniture sort
OF combination lounge C-sofa -bcuch-the
dean 81 tue household effects Of IA,
Huth family.
DER room" az they called the apart
| ment. was lighted by small oil lamp
II was much-v8lued heirloom: il was
also an inveterate smoker and tire
less sputterWt.
IN Wu- the custom al der folks O.
| repair Go this room shortly after VIC
evening meal Mrs Huth whose lit.
erarv accomplishments We're a sourC,
of u0cudiug wonder 90 her husband
would read aloud chapter from the
. | lRihle every evening in sloW and
lahnrnus but very .mprpt sive manner
I uountf tfrfunkrt nsI Tpftssa fNt