The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-08

ously as he went from one to another, watch
ing them carefully and giving water only
as he thought judicious and not as the pant
ing animals craved. "In de Germany army
we our horses vass look after
Then he stood back and gazed about curl
ousiy, his shoulders square and his right arm
bent slightly at the elbow, as though his
hand were resting upon the hilt Of a sword.
One of the mine owners paused on the oppo-
site sidewalk and regarded him attentively.
He, too, had a habit of carrying his arm in
that position, and besides, there were other
things about the upright, soldierly> figure
which carried him back to certain years of
his own in the German army.
An hour later the stranger was installed
as the chief engineer of the Gold Bug, with
a salary of $50 a day and with the under
standing that he was to have the oversight OF
other miners. with a corresponding Increase
of compensation. The blue eyes of the Ger
man had grown big with wonder at tha
munificence of the salary but the mine
owners had only narrowed and frightened.
He knew that another man with this scientific
giants requirements would have asked 500
and been given it without question.
In the books he was entered as Hans be-
cause OF the clerks inability to understand
the long, unpronounceable name he gave, but
down in camp he was simply cause while
the burly teamster he one day tossed twenty
feet into the river for beating horse became
effect
Mails were Of uncertain arrival at Dead
Level Bar Sometimes they came twice
month sometimes only once in two months,
and sometimes the appearance Of road agents
! prevented them from coming at all. Hans
had been there six weeks before mail came
| in, and then it was another week before the
| clerk connected the letter whose address he
| could not decioher with the engineer whose
| name he could not pronounce.
| When the letter was brought to him, Hans
was sitting on p howlder outside the mine.
his blue eyes fixed upon distant point OF the
| horizon with an expression of wistfulness
| and regret. Five minutes later he was in
| the suDerint endent's office.
/ 81 sif my notice. he cried, his face glow
| ing and his eyes radiant. 81 take de stage in
| twenty minutes"
Take what in twenty minutes? Oh. you
want more salary" The. superintendent threw
, his feet into another chair and looked at him
expectantly. Well, how much? VIII so per
| cent increase DOR i 1
| 81 tell you / take de stage" Hans relter-
ated: q gift my notice"
| His earnestness was too evident to he mis-
| taken and the superintendent rose hastily to
his feet, .a..s-. -~--5
Come come, Hans he expostulated
| Think better Of it. Well pay you more
than anybody else" ..
at is not de pay eagerly. You un-
| longer with you anybody. But now vass
| 20 home-to Katrina. You see.' as a slight
| smile appeared the youthful face OF the
superintendent, 1t is like dis: Dere vass
things tell about me. and Katrina hear dem,
and she say to me- Co Den 1 hear anodder
man vass seek her. and come to America
/ to forget. But no; dere vass no place to for
get. When ! come to de mountain. / sec
Katrina everywhere, and I hear her voice
nit de trees and when dream. Now dis. -
holding the letter up and regarding it fondly,
I tells me dat Katrina is waiting, and it say
de lies nit me are all discover and dat de
1 odder man be punish"
Il ann glad to hear it.. Hans" said the
Superintendent heartily. "But still I think
you ought to remain with us. Why, just
think Of it, man. Six months of this work
and you can go back and build castle for
Katrina .. ~ f.
But Hans raised himself to his full height
and looked down compassionately.
}. You is young man. he said, ''and do not
understand desc things. Gold is everywhere.
+ all over de world; but dere is only one Ka-
trina. I gift my notice and go on the stage,
and / say gootby. .-.s..-S. : ss~s's-a.-t
Il The superintendent watched him down the
hillside, and then turned to his desk with
a sigh. --
Il am young man. he thought bitterly.
.sbut I Go understand. have already lost
my Katrina"