Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-01-09

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-allen in love with you. and is COM
ing out to propose. Maybe that's
him now." Harry suggested mis-
chievously, as a determined knock
sounded on the half-opened door.
So the exclamations, reproofs and
laughter that Harry's story had
called forth were hushed, and the
stranger bade to enter.
He appeared to be a fine-looking
man, so far as his features were dis
cernible through the cataract of red
whiskers that overfiowed his face,
while a pair of enormous green spec
tacles concealed his eyes.
He wore huge Panama hat, lined
with green. and carried small wood
en- box and a geological hammer.
IF you lend me-aha! vat you call
him-a tin-cup, if you please, goot
lady get me some water from your
vell," he said, bowling elaborately to
Mrs. Dean.
Water? No, indeed-you shall
have milk" said Mrs. Dean, her hos
pitable soul in arms, as she waved
the stranger to a chair.
And she brought him a brimming
goblet of milk and fragrant slice
of gingerbread.
You vas so goot and your home
vas so lofely, all covered up nit
roses 1t must be SO shveet in the
mornings to hear the leetle birds
sing!" he murmured, gratefully, sip
ping his milk and staring senti-
mentally at the late-climbing roses
that thrust their pink faces in at the
window.
Law, what nice mani" said Mrs.
Dean, in an appreciative aside. Now
my Joshua don't know a rose from a
cabbage, and don't care a mite more
for a bird than he does for a June
bug"
The stranger was evidently encour-
aged by this admiration. and held
out a card, bearing the name, Herr
Won Schneitzenberg."
IF | could lodge at your lofely
home!" he pleaded. 81 have-vat you
call him?-references and would be
out all the day, looking for fosseels
in your coalmines."
"Oh, let him GOMEZ" begged Harry
AS he's a geologist, he could help
me label my specimens"
What do you think about it. Mae?
He might have the north room," sug-
gested Mrs. Dean, who had taken a
great fancy to Herr Won Schneitzen-
berg, and, sides-transplanted Yam
kee matron that she was-she was al
ways ready to turn an honest penny.
So the bargain was sealed, with
the stipulation that Mrs. Dean should
be allowed to call her boarder Mr.
Smith. For if | called you that
name every time I spoke to you |
shouldn't have any time left to do the
work." she said.
Toward sunset Mae was sitting on
the front porch making some prepar-
alton for the next weeks lessons, for
it was September, and her school had
begun again, when Herr Won Schneitz-
enberg came out and took seat near
her.
This is as it should be-lofe,
poetry and lofeliness," he said, beam
ing sunnily through his green glasses
tracts which Mae held to the sweet
face bending above it.
mo; love and have nothing to do
with each other. | am merely pre-
pairing parsing lesson for my schol-
ars,' returned Mae, coldly, as she
moved her chair a trifle farther from
this sentimental Teuton
But you surely haf lofed? Vas he
tead, or a schamp?" he demanded,
fixing his goggles upon her face, with
quiet insistence.
Philip Earle a scamp? Never."
said Mae, rising abruptly, with in
dignant crimson flushing her cheeks.
Stop! only wanted to know
whether you loved him STILL" said a
mellow voice, from which the foreign
accent and cultural tone had strange
ly disappeared.
Mae turned, flushing and paling-
fear, hope, delight, each struggling
for mastery in her wide, dark eyes.
In second the green goggles fell
to the ground, the red wig and whisk-
ers following suit, and the transfor-
nation of Herr Won Schneitzenberg
into Philip Earle was complete.
"Oh, you cruel little thing!" he
said, folding Mae in his strong arms.
when | came home from Egypt,
alarmed at hearing nothing from you
after that terrible report in the news
papers, and found that you had dis
appeared as completely as the bride
in The Mistletoe Bough,' l followed
up rumor after rumor, only to find
them delusive. until at last your
young friends letters to Jimmie
Brown gave me the correct clew.
assumed a disguise, fearing that you
might have learned to love some one
else, and thinking if that was the
case | could go quietly away without
disclosing my identity; but your
pretty burst of indignation a moment
ago showed me that my Mae was still
my own.
But | forgot" said Mae, struggling
away from his encircling arm; 81
cannot marry you and disgrace you"