The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-01-31
VOL XIV. RISING SUN, CECIL COUNTY. Md. FRIDAY
young girl at the window just as sill

He bowed to her with courtlv
grace and raised his jaunty red cap,
and she, of course, could not but re-
turn the courtesy.
Every morning after this incident
there were two nosegays on the win
dowsill instead of one.
In time the old blacksmith yield
ed to the opportunities of his wife
and her friends and agreed to look
around for husband for his daugh-
ter.
According to the customs of the
time, his son-in-law would have to
be also a blacksmith. In order to
make sure that Kathi's future liege
lord was a master of his trade the
old man constructed an ingenious
lock, which he put on the door of
his daughters chamber.
Whoever had attempted in vain to
open the door had to drive an iron
nail into a certain tree, but the
prize of the successful man was to
be the hand of the fair Kathi.
But if none should succeed in un-
locking the door then the maiden
was to enter a convent as soon as
the tree was covered to a mans
height.
Full many a swain whose heart
had been filled with hope left sore
ly disappointed after an unsuccess-
full attempt, and the tree was rap
idly being studded with nails.
Kathi was sadly pining away in
her solitary prison, partly because
she could not go out into the green
wood and down to the ripping riv-
er, but mostly because she loved the
hunchback's brother, whom she saw
sometimes from her window at day
break.
The poor hunchback loved her
with the ardor that hopelessness
alone can give to love, and he work
ed day and night on a key to open
the intricate lock. When he saw
how rapidly the day drew near when
Kathi would either be the bride of
another or go into a nunnery, he
worked with redoubled vigor.
After year and day the tree
had been covered to mans height,
and there was only room for one
more nail.
So the dwarf presented himself
before the blacksmith and asked for
permission to try his art. The re-
quest was granted, though reluc-
family, and the old man wished he
had extended the limit by two or
three feet, because he saw now no
alternative but that of having his
daughter married to a deformed
man or losing her forever. But he
was a man of his word and never
took water.
The entire family went in process
sion to Kathi's door to watch the
fateful trial. Naturally the little
hunchback felt somewhat nervous,
and his hands trembled, partly from
excitement, partly from joyful an
ticipation, for he was almost if not
quite sure of success.
He inserted the key into the lock
end twisted it slightly. A slight
snap as of a spring relaxing an
swered him. A second twist and a
second snap, and a third and a
fourth and then sudden pull. The
dwarf took deep and long breath
and paused for moment to wipe
the perspiration off his brow.
Then he turned the knob. 1t
yielded, and the door opened slowly.
The dwarf hastened into the room.
1t was empty.
Suspecting a trick, he turned
around with flashing eyes, but the
expression of genuine surprise and
alarm in the faces of the others con-
vinced him that no deceit had been
practiced upon him.
The blacksmith was the first to
regain his presence of mind. After
hurriedly looking about him he es-
pied the open window. Fastened to
it was rope ladder made of bits of
bedclothes. The old man looked
out. At first he could not discern a
trace of the fugitive. After some
minutes he could distinguish his
own spotted horse galloping at full
speed toward the distant woods.
On its back were the fair Kathi
and the hunchback's brother.
Need it be told that the father
forgave them, only too delighted to
regain his daughter without seeing
her married to the dwarf? The lat
ter swallowed his disappointment
like a man and consoled himself
with the thought that Kathi re-
manned at least in the family.
The two young people lived like
turtledoves and delighted in telling
how Glove laughs at locksmiths."