Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1901-01-12

itting down. ] want to speak TO your
iaughtcr'
The girl was probably not unprepar
3D. for she stepped through half open
door and said, Here am, general
Then the general did quite uncon-
sciously what so far lie had forgotten
to do. He salutcd. at the same time
critically examining, the girl who
threatened his family with Il misal-
lance.
She was slender. but of majestic
figure. She had an exquisite head of
soft blond hair and magnificent blue
eyes suSpiciously red around the edges,
as if they had shed Il good many tears.
There was so much dignity about this
young girl. who was Il SchooltCachcr,
that she seemed entirely out of har-
mony with the surroundings in the fa-
TIERS hut.
The general turned to the tailor and
asked in Il considerably miidCr tone of
voice, rs this your daughter!'
But the girl opened the door into the
sitting room and said firmly, KINDLY
step this way, general The next mo-
ment the general saw himself alone
with her in the scrupulously clean sit
ting room. He took Il chair, while she
remained leaning against the mantel.
But the general did not remain seated
long. He almost Immediately arose
again. He walked out of one corner
of the room into the other, furiously
twirling his mustachc. He looked
right and left and up and down and
then became aware that lie did not
know how to begin. Finally the girl
said, Il thought you wanted to speak
to mc?'
The general struck martial atti-
tudc, grabbed his sword and suffered,
"Ycs. yes. but perhaps you have al
ready guessed what have come for?"
Il think have" faltcrcd the girl.
The old general hcavcd sigh of re-
lief. in that case" said he, Il have
not much more to add. You seem to
be superior sort of girl and will
therefore understand that this mar
riagc is not
"To be thought off, the girl managed
to finish. with Il choking voice. She
was as pale as death and her features
set and cXprcSSiOnlCSs. but she stood
straight before him and looked square
ly into his eyes.
The general retrcatcd a step. He
was very much embarrassed and decid-
cdly uncomfortable. 1t seemed to him
as if he would much rather have been
in the thickCst of the battle than where
he was. An unaccOuntable feeling
akin to fear began creeping over him,
and in order to do something and re-
lieve the tension he said in voice of
thunder, My nephew is good for
nothing. God forsakcn rcprObater'
Something like a red flame shot into
the girls eyes. "Do not Slander him in
my presence" said she thrcateningly.
The general was effectively silenccd.
He felt as if his mission was at an end,
and yet he did not want to acknowl-
edge himself beaten nor yet leave with
out having made his peace with the
girl. He had the need of saying some
thing comforting to the girl without
exactly apolOgiZing. lie approached
her again and said in q soft. hcsitating
sorry .At the sound of this gentle,
appealing voice the outward composure
which the girl had been keeping up
with difficulty completely forsOOk her,
and she broke down. Selling both the
arms of the general with an iron grasp,
she called out in a voice abaZc with
passion: Then why do you want to
kill me? What has brought you here?
Whom have | diShonored and what
blot is there on me!"
The general felt as if some one was
strangling him, and then he became fu-
riOus ut himself He brought his fist
down on the table with such force that
everything danced upon it and. run
ming up and down the room, shouted:
"Whatcver did | come here for? Is
this my funeral? Am | detective or
Secute WOmCnT
''FOrgive me-" stammered the fright
Cned girl tcarfully. Il did not mean
to-
''FOrgive you? On the contrary, |
beg your pandOn. What must you
think of me? | am soldier, not q
lawyer, and shall see that no one mo-
Tests you. came to see to things, and
| mean to do it, and what | am going
towel. is going to happen"
With this he opened the door leading
into the workshop, where the father
and the mother of the girl were, and
roarcd with a voice which made the'
walls shake: Il am asking for the hand
Of your daughter for my nephew, as
she evidently loves the rascal, and you
are not going to say me nay, but you
are going to let her marry him. There
now! At last everything is settled sat
iSfactOrily." Arrived at his sisters
house, he placed himself in front of
her and in voice loud enough to be
heard by whole regiment he said: 81
have seen to things. Everything is set
tied as it ought to be. All you have to
do now is to see that the wedding is
celebrated at once, for you cannot ex-
pect me to undertake the journey twice
on the same business. s."-Translated
From the German For Pittsburg Dis
patch.
ThOughtIessness.