Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-08-25
Paul CROBACH'S
TWIN GOATS
Pbiladelpbia North American.

1P EVER, perhaps III It's HiSloIS, las
N the quiet and seriOus-minded viii
mi lage of Edgewater been so
shaken as 1t was the other even
ing over the Homecoming or
Paul Crobach's twin goats.
Young men had left the town to carve
their names high on the column OF fame
and returned overnight to resume their
whiting in front of the village black
smith shop. yet Edgewater remained Sc
rene.
The handsome young clergyman had
gone outside of his flock to select life
partner from a distant place, yet Edge
water set its lips and grimly and gloomily
prayed on.
Old buckboards went and bicycles came,
then fitted into the ghostly past with the
onrush of automobiles. but Edgewater was
unmoved, for was not the sky overhead,
the earth beneath, the hudson river still
in its course and Paul Crobach, the VII
lage blacksmith in proud possession OF
his twin goats?
ON the grassy edge of the long road
winding up from the Hudson, Crobach had
pitched his shop and flung out the inverted
horseshoe of his trade so many years ago
that the memory of man faileth. Around
him. in the cool evenings, the youth OF the
village gathered. for Paul was the town
pundit profound. A serious man was he,
and one never in humor for joking. as be-
fitted a village blacksmith under his own
spreading chestnut tree.
The twin goats owned by Paul Crobach
also were as much of town institution as
the smithy. They were pretty and amia-
BILE creatures, and kept the smithy clean
of parings from the hoofs of horses taken
there to be shod, so that Paul had not
much trouble in sweeping out. Occasion
ally a bicycle rider stopping for a few
minutes to have chain or pedal repaired
would miss tire or two, but Unser Helm
rich and Unser Fritz, as the twin goats
were well and favorably known, were
above reproach Thus they lived and
thrived, the village, Crobach and the
goats.
Separated from the smithy by a creek
a pasture and a line fence, lived Michael
Hawkins, who boosted the finest garden in
all Edgewater. Never was there such veg
etables raised as in the Hawkins garden.
and surely never such tomatoes. They
were of the beefsteak variety, great and
solid, and almost seedless. There was
something of the frivolous about Hawkins
that did not meet the approval of the
village blacksmith, and they only nodded
to each other in passing. for Hawkins had
said things to the peddler, and the ped
dler had peddled.
The other morning Crobach caught sight
Of the face of Hawkins from between his
own legs, where he was holding a horses
hoof firmly and merrily pounding in nails.
Hawkins always had been too mild a man
to kick any one, but something in his face
caused the blacksmith to remove all temp
tation from his way by Strengthening up
suddenly. Hawkins was only on a neigh
borly visit and was much interested in
the twins, Herren Heinrich and Fritz.
This touched Crobach in a soft spot and
he chatted goats with his neighbor, who
agreed for the first time to everything
Crobach said, especially when he remark
ed that goats ate everything.
That afternoon the twins disappeared
and all Edgewater was in a ferment.
After long and fruitless search Crobach
returned to his desolate smithy and
mournfully pounded out on the anvil
requiem for Unser Heinrich and Unser
Fritz. The sleep of the village was trou-
bled that night for from over the fields
came the sound of bleating, with an occa-
sional crash. as if first it was goat and
then 1t was man.
The next morning Lee, the vegetable
man, who was not averse to trading
horses, buying old brass or retailing gos-
sip, hauled his latest acquisition pain
fully up before the blacksmith shop and
genially hailed the stricken CrObach. No
the wagon didn't need mending nor the
horse to be shod; he only wanted to pass
the time of day and get along.
And say he called back, grinning over
his shoulder, 81 forgot to tell you there's
the durndest pair of animals down Haw-
kins' way you ever saw. Guess they
escaped from a circus. GittepI'
Some recollection of Hawkins face when
the village blacksmith got line on 1t
from between his own legs impelled Gro
bach to hurry down Hawkins way. Com
ing out of q side lane he met something
that caused him to stagger. Two of the
most weird animals he ever saw were
there and suddenly started toward him.
They were not unicorns, for their horns
were pairs. Their bodies proper were a
lovely green. while legs and horns were
brilliant red. Crobach is a brave man,
but he started back right away to finish
shoeing that horse.
He broke into a run at the pattering of
hoofs behind him and led the terrible ami
mails good two rods to the smithy door.
where he found the entire village drawn
up silently to meet him.
Thus was the Homecoming Of Paul Gro
bach's twin goats.
The village wit suggested that the sap
sage cheese had come through to the out
side but Paul was in no humor for joking,
and, besides, that didn't explain the red
points. Unser Fritz nibbled a little at the
fresh parings. then toppled over peaceful
ly. Unser Heinrich tOttered to a bicycle
tire and went out at the first puncture.
Thus passed away the bedizened twins.
smothered by their fearful and wonderful
coatings of paint.
Squire Hinners issued a warrant imme-
diately, and held that man Hawkins yes
terday in 500 bonds. on a charge of cruelty
to animals. Hawkins said he was willing
to be fair, and he would restore the twins
would give him back his tomatoes and
garden truck. This offer would seem rea-
sonable enough, but it was not accepted,
and thus the case stands.