The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1905-04-07
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N
Y ww l. was engaged in swinging
9 N 9 dumbbells when the bell
n of his apartment rang. At
IGN this early hour it could
be only an intimate friend
or the grocer, so Max continued to ex-
erclse in peace. Presently, however
his housekeeper raped loudly at the
door.
Herr Max. Herr Max! there is a
young lady to see you"
"A young lady, at o'clock in the
morning? She has struck the wrong
apartment, Frau Emma"
But she said Herr Max Won Kriech-
man, and she has valise with her."
VERY well. Tell her I'll be out in a
moment. There must be some mistake
somewhere"
Max hurried into his coat and made
his way to the front room which
served as parlor and bachelor den
alike. The young lady was standing
in the middle of the room, and as Max
entered, she fastened toward him and
promptly kissed him on both cheeks.
Quick as her action was, Max had
time to see that his visitor was very
pretty. Accordingly, he returned her
caresses with interest, a fact that
made the young lady stand back
little as she cried:
II was sure you would recognize
me-"
AS she spoks Max OWNED who she
was.
"Gretchen-you here?"
"You are all have left in the world"
cried the young girl, beginning to
weep; my father is dead, and l do not
know where to go or what to do
Don't cry 80, Gretchen, how can it
be possible that you are eighteen?
Why, it seems only yesterday that
was dancing you up and down on my
shoulder
''That was twelve years ago. re-
piled Gretchen, drying her eyes. "They
said you would not recognize me-
what mistaken protested Max,
mendaciously. "You used to be pref
ty little girl, but you are bewitching
now"
"Truly?" said Gretchen, smiling
through her tears. ''Tell me, Max,
may l come and live with you now?
I promise I won't be a nuisance. They
told me at home I'd better be COM
panion or something to somebody, but
I don't want to one bit. Do let me
ctoxy with ron won't uou2 DInocap,
"Stay with meI Max repeated. He
was about to say: But you can't do
that. 1t would not be proper" The
sight of Getchen's imploring blue eyes
and her trusting smile stopped him,
however. Instead, he said brightly:
"Keep you? OF course / will. We
can arrange it somehow"
"But you must let me be useful"
cried the young girl, happily. II can
keep house for you. And you write
all the time, do you not?"
eyes"
"Then I will copy all your manu-
scripts. l used to do it for father, and
/ really write quite well. Poor papaw
The tears began to flow again, and
Max fastened to exclaim briskly:
"Then you will be my secretary.
Just what I was wanting"
The smile returned, this time to stay.
1t was true that Max Won Kriech-
nan was beginning to acquire a GER
tain celebrity, and he was doubly
thankful for this after Gretchen's adj
vent. He accepted an offer to write
serial story for one Of the news
papers, an offer he had been too cap
ricious to consider before.
This allowed him to change his
bachelor quarters for a larger apart
ment, where there was room for Gret-
chen, ard, with an elderly housekeep-
err installed, Max felt that he had sat
isfied his orphan cousin and Mrs.
Grundy alike.
Once settled, the young man almost
forgot Gretchen's existence, save dur
ing the mornings when she wrote at
mis- dictation. lie was vaguely aware
that it was pleasant to have her
around, but her girlish charms soon
faded from his mind when, his work