The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-03-30
fTI3 JET NJ
THE CROAKER !

| young couple who had come 10 sAfnerl'
co from Germany and settled ong'a
farm In The vest. They were having
. hard time yofs A, for they, had no
money with. which 10 stock their farm.
When "A sonrwas born, to- thema The
father did not welcome the little straii-
ger. giving aa an excuse that be saw
nothing ahead for tho boy but 4 life
of poverty, and poverty meant slavery.
Not 70 Katrina! "a mother Ii too ab.
s6tbed m iiSf child to worry about its
future. 4 glie contented herssif with the
careIof littlefpeter, .sasihs was named,
trusting 10 yhis own strength when he
became a man ,to, bring him comfort. Z
The father never hot over croakipg.
R6 ths mother thlitdpit. aboht Petsfs
futhrc, and when fhe BOY Wig old
ehough t6 p,ays with slittie itIrdtrbeh
Becker, tho adangiiter of George. Beck.
Or. who occupied. the adjoining farm,
Hans said: .See,, there. IN, more misery
| coming. BY and 6y fiey will marry
and 6ffiS moro children ihto the World
\ ID sdfer"lyIaHs constant fcre6oding
hahgtIike1i aark3cldud OVER Katrina's
ufe 6Jtptsndoi toidraw ,iierl nearer 10
| her son and rastrange her from ber hus-
band,s The mother gets the greater
| part of q Ghildg affections. and little
Peter showed his preference for bis
mUthcr ift6m7 the eo6rst. Tids was nat.
uraE How could he love d fnan who
WINS continually telling him ind iIis
mother TINT he would grcwup to- beg
gary3,isv yiaIaw % IIiw hnA baoiis d
Qpe. matter especially tended 70 make
this division IN the family Of the father
on one side and the mother and son on
the othSt. .NII&ns rkhd aesecret which
hs told neither Of them. From little
Pstar's birthiHyeYy ncwo apdo then jhs
would 30 somewhere at night after
they had gone. to bed, aIwpys. remain,
Ing AWAY about The same length Of
time, an hour. Katrina did not ask her
husband whci~ ahs went. she knew
that if he wished her 10 know hs would
tell her. When cher SON became old
enough for sher.to talkswith him about
bis fathers absences. the secret drew
them closer together and separated
them the more from the husband and
father. petersaggested that' he follow
his father ITO ssee where be went and
what I'M did, ebut,Katrina dsald ri''No.~t
apd Peter though yeryi young. had the
good sense to, agree with her.,roaas
As Peter emerged from childhood to
enter upon youth 1t was noticed that
he and .G1ateiica were .'as devoted
as ever. None but Themselves knew
when the change came between q
childish friendshlp. and the love Of
maturity. but there came time when
all who knew them saw that the bridge
had been crossed. Katrina dreaded the
moment when her husband would say
DO her: ~ toldayou SO. n There arc two
fools sowing the wind 10 reap the
whIriwind." But for long while Hans
had ceased Ais croakIpg and said moth
ing about What he saw plainly.
Hans was d fhardworking man ana
good husband and father. Neither his
wife nor son had any complaint TO
make Of him except the lmorose view
he had always taken of the boys fu-
ture. As time, went on, ,he got money
to buy stock and tools for his farm
and before Peter came Of age had farm
and stock sanf tools paid FOR. But be.
yond this he had nothing to show for
tvanty1 yearsuftoil. ni Qoia o. etssqxs
One day Katrina nerved herself to-
speak to her husband about their boys
love affair. She told Hans that Peter
was going to marry Gretchen. o,,,t
ayes; l know," said Hans. ''when
With they be married :" 'ssNs ~
"As soon as the crops are gathered"
Hans turned away without abword.
Katrina sighed. She would have rath-
or had him say, II told you sow than
nothing. People, who, will .pot either
oppose US or agree With us are the.
most irritating. Peter had been told
That IL fhef left his ? fathers farm he
would be employed on Beckers farm.
but could only expect the wages of an
ordinary hand and that only whenthe
crops were being gathered. Peter had
saved enough to carry him and, wife
through the '6rst winter, He wanted
/ to ask hiss, father X he could continue
to work for hin, bgt dreaded7 to speak s
Of the matter rodv has ,sbIoo .s6spoa
I HoweYers5 the wedding dayoseamea
younds Tha twei families hwere sitting
int the wedding supper when Hans rosel
Katrina. now | show you where !
have been going nights" ana
Followed by, the. party he Eentgout.
tAkahg AIlaptSfn ixttb him. and adross
I'd the barh. &hete he stdpped fbrs Al
spade. Then ne went on to corner
ofJhis land fafthest from the road ana
occupied by a clump OF trees. In the
center pf, this thicket he began to dig
and soon unearthed an old; trough WITH
"a cover on 1t. Taking up the, trough.
he carried It to the house and turned
III over on the table, Out rolled a pro,
- aa-.tr1 S-lk Z.