The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-12-26

20 her room in the third half-story OF the
ouarrymen's hotel Since daylight she
had shaved. doing the work of a full
grown woman. sexubbins the floors.
washing the heavy i-onsome plates and
( CUPS making the beds ard supplying the
| iaSatiate demands for wood nd water in
that turbulent and depressing hosiery
The din OF the days quarrying was
over-the blasting aud drilling the creak-
ing OF the ireat cranes, the shouts cf
the heavy blocks OF limestone. Down In
the hotel Office three or four OF the labor
ers were growing and swearing over a
/ belated game o. checkers. Heavy doors
Of stewed meat hot grease and cheap
! coffee hung like a depressing fog about
the house.
Lena lit the stump Of 3 candle and sat
| Imply upon her wooden chair. She was
| eleven years old, thin and nl-norrished
/ Her back and links were sore and sch-
I ing But the ache in her heart made the
| biggest trouble. The last straw had been
added 10 the burden upon her small
| shoulders. They had taken away Grimm.
/ Always at night. however tired she might
/ be. she had turned TO Grimm for COM
/ fort and hope. Each time had Grimm
whispered 10 her that the prince or the
/ fairy would come and deliver her out OF
/ the wicked enchantment Every night she
/ had taken fresh courage ard strength
! from Grimm.
To whatever tale she read she found an
/ analogy IA her own condition. The wood
cutters lost child. the unhappy goose girl
the prosecuted stepdansnter. the little
maiden imprisoned in the witch's hut
all these were but transparent DISCUSSES
for Lena. the overworkec SItchenmaid IN
the Quarrymen's hotel And always when
the extremity was direst came the good
fairy or ;he gallant prince to the rescue.
So here in the orse's castle. enslaved
by wicked spell. Lena had leaned upon
Grimm and waited, longing for the pow
ers Of goodness 10 prevail. But on the
day before Mrs. Maloney had found the
beck in her room and had carried IL away
declaring sharply that IL would not do
for servants TO read AZ nisht; they lost
sleep and did not work briskly the next
day Can one only eleven years old. liy
ing away from ones MARINA and never
having any time 70 play. live entirely de-
privcd OF Grimm just Try il once and
you will see what difscplt thing IL Is.
iena's home was In Texas. away up
among the little mountains on the Pen
dernales river. In little town called
Fredericksburg. OF evenings they sit az
little tables along the sidewalk and drink
beer and play pinochle and scat. They
are thrifty people.
Thriftiest among them was Peter
Hidesmuller, Lena $ father. And that Is
why Lena was sent 10 work IN the hotel
at the Guarries. thirty miles away. She
earned three dollars every week there.
and Peter added her wages 10 his we'll
guarded store. Peter had an ambition 20
become as rich as his nelghbor. Hugo
Henelbauer. who smoked a uleerschaum
pipe ,three feet long and had wiener
schnitzel and hassenpfeyer for dinner ev-
cry day in the week. And now Lena was
quite old enough 20 work and assist in
the accumulate nof riches Bat conjec-
ture, IL you can, what IL means 70 be SEN
fenced at eleven years of age from a
home in the pleasant little Rhine village
10 hard labor in the ogre's castle. where
you must fly to serve the ogres while
they devour sheep and cattle. growing
fiercely as they stamp white limestone
dust from their great shoes for you TO
sweep and scour with your weak. aching
fingers And thcn-to have Grimm taken
away from you,
Lena raised the lid Of an old empty case
that had once contained canned corn and
got out a sheet Of paper and piece of
pencil. She was going 10 write a letter
10 her mamma. Tommy Ryan was going
-
was seventeen. worked IN tho auarries
went home 10 Baninsers every night and
was now waiting tn the shadows under
Lena's window for her to throw the letter
out 70 him. That was the only way you
could send n letter 70 fredericksburg.
Mrs. Naloney did not like for her TO write
letters
The stump OF candle was burning low.
90 Lena hastily bit the wood from around
the lead OF her pencil and geban. This is
the letter she wrote:
Dearest Mamma: / want SO much 10
sec you. And Gretel and Claus and Helm
rich and little Adolf ] am 50 tired, I
want % see you. Today I was slapped by
Mrs Asioney and had no supper ] could
not bring IN enough wood. for my hand
hurt She took my book yesterday 7 /
mean Grimm s Fairy Tales. which Uncle /
Leo gave me u did rot hurt any one /
FOR ne 70 read the book try 10 work /
20 Do. Unless you send for me tonrorrow /
70 bring me home I shall 70 20 a deep 1
place I know in the river and drown II 4
- wicked 70 drown. s1Tppose. bat /
wanted 70 sec you. and there - no one 1
else. I am very tired. and Tommy - /
waiting for the letter You wlu excuse 4
me-. mamma. II / Do f. Your respectful
and loving daughter. LENA"
Tommy was E;iI waiting faithfully |
when the letter vas concluded. and when
Lena dropped L oct she saw him ricE II
up and start Up che steep hillside. with
out undressing she blew ct tas caadIe
ana cn-lsa herself up upon ihs mattress
upon the foor
- 1s.1o dock cid uaa BaiIiaser came
out n his stocking feet and leaned oyer
The gate. smoking hls r3pe lie looke8
Down the blk road. whifa 81 tae mon
shine. and rabhe4 ore ankis wfth shs
Toe n hiv ofheT fo0- = VISA firns far
re rre>erick-hsrz rand 20 core ra-fs--
rs - fte ra=1
Oh mar RauirTrr Rad waited orfr
fsz uingtes zrs1 - hs-rd fhr Hv~lv
foo;6satr = Frftzs team - iifffe hIses
u1uies. ard very 500 sfservsra - fcr-
cred spring -asou stsos FL frsaf - fhe
gate Frfsz tfg suectseiss tastes r. 80
--,orffxhf zrs RS t---rsa<-ss ~of~~
sf1otsd = gr~ett-E 70 fhs pe-fr-astfr -
- i1srr- The~ zsi-czTrfsr tsmrs5 nsf
sra 'o1k ths tTfsi-n fsc-a fAs rogiss -
- -lvavn FL fh~n cats - HsfsnxsTs
~. -. - -. -...--- - ..-slr