Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-09-24
er so full the foam stood up above the
top like half SNOWFALL.

er so full the foam stood up above the
top like half SNOWFALL.
Boom, boom, BOOM the guns went
on the opposite coast; vessel there
seemed to be- setting out from the
harbor; and Hildegarde Jumped down
from the rock and ran skipping down
the valley in the hope Of reaching the
Dutchmen before they finished their
beer and set out for the city.
Over brook, field and farm, past
people, cattle, streets and streams
she ran without stopping, till she
heard some one calling out to her IN
hoarse voice, What are you run
ming SO for?"
1t was cabbage, with fat, lazy,
good-natured face standing in the
kitchen window of the end house Of
a little street she had run through
in her chase.
Excuse me-" said Hildegarde, too
interested in reaching the city to
notice how strange 1t was that cab
bage should speak to her. From
where you sit can you tell me how far
along with their beer two men Sit
ting by little table on the beach be-
low here are?'
They have drunk the foamy part,
and only the yeasty part and the
brown part are left" replied the Cab
bage. why such haste? You will
catch them. Nothing in any country
you know, can really move any fas-
ter than its cabbages grow"
Who are those men," said Hide
garde, standing still minute to get
her breath 1.-THE place where |
come from is 80 far away that the
tops Of their two hats look from
there like pin-heads You would
never know there were persons under
them at all"
KILLING said the Cabbage. Quaint,
remote point Of view. had no idea
any one was SO ignorant as that.
Those are Holger and Heiliger, the
greatest and the most important men
in the world
The tone of the Cabbage was 80 pat
roniztng that, as Hildegarde now had
her breath again, she ran on as fast
as she could, till she heard some one
saying in voice quiet but plainly
that of one speaking improperly with
her mouth full, Goodness gracious!
what in the world makes you act so?"
It was blue china COW, standing
on a blue rock and bobbing her bell
Excuse me-" said Hildegarde, hur-
riedly. From where you stand can
you see two men sitting by the wind
mill? How far along are they with
their beer?"
They have drunk the foamy part
and the yeasty part, and only the
brown part is left" said the Cow.
why do you hurry SO? Nothing In
any country can really move faster
than its cow-bell and it's cabbages
grow"
Have they been there long?" said
Hildegarde, standing still below the
rock for a moment to tie her SHOE
"Oh. about year or maybe a humid
red or something of the sort" said the
Cow -languidly, lolling her tongue out
of her mouth.
And won't they come back in less
time than year?" asked Hildegarde
anxiously.
They will go back when they lik.,
Of course" said the Cow. In an in.
different, rather corrective tone, look
Ing over Hildegarde's head. do you
suppose they would tie thems elves
down to living by years or to count
Ing months in any such petty, set
way?"
At that Hildegarde was so eager 10
see what Holger and Heiliger were
like that she ran on and on, down,
down. into the bowl, till she reached
the windmill and through the open
door she could see on the little table
the two schooners with the foamy
part of the beer gone and he yeasty
part gone and the brown part gone
almost
As she looked, the glasses were
raised; and she ran straight through
the windmill Inside there flashed
past a clean gay Dutch kitchen with
clean f1ower-boxes at the window,
clean painted tiles on the hearth,
clean glittering pots on the benches,
and the clean. clean, big blooming
Dutch girl, walking around and sing
ing
But Hildegarde stopped for nothing.
She ran right through and out on the
other side; and therb, tipping up
their glasses in weather-beaten
clothes and high hats. with big, kind
faces all scanned and wrinkled, sat
Holger and Heiliger.
There was a strong odor of salt
blowing about them Shaggy polar
bear skins with coarse chunks OF ice
still dangling from them and chains
Of fierce-looking sharks teeth hung
over their chairs.
Hildegarde stepped forward courte-
ously and held out her hand, first to
the elder. who looked as though his
name were Heiliger and then to the
younger, who looked as though his
name were Holger.
"Ho, no! So" said Holger, keep
ing hold of her hand and looking at
her kindly, what do you want, my
funny little girl"
81 want to go with you, if can,
when you go back to the town." said
Hildegarde.
80? And is that what you think
you want?" said HeiIiger "And what
do you want in the city?'
Whatever is there" said Hide
garde
"And what do you want of what.
ever is there?" said Holger; and he
lifted Hildegarde UP on his knee and
pretended to make the sharks teeth
bite at her.