The daily Alaskan., 1907-03-11
THE CROAKER
LNrLE-u.L

|
 | father did not welcome the little stran- l ger. giving as an excuse that hc saw nothing ahead for the boy n-t .En of poverty. and poverty meant slavery. 1 Not so Katrina \ mother .s tnn a'- l sorbed in her child Co wurry aha1t ..~ | future. She contcutcd herself with tlro
 care of little Peter. as he was named l trusting to his own strength when hc
 became a man to bring him cowttrt
 The father never got over CroakuG.
 as the mother called ig. about Totg-.s | future. and when the boy was n'j enough to play with little Gretchen
 Becker. the daughter Of George Beck ! CT. who occupied tho adio.uiu- farm. Hans said. 'Scc. there is more misery l coming. By and by they will marry and bring more children iHJo Inc w n~.' to suffer. This constant rn~en.. .. hung like a dark cloud over hawaa'S | life. IT tended to draw her u..-.~ @ I her son and cStranCc her frDa. ..r Hws. band. The mother gets rhc -nnar.r part of a child'S affections. and .Gc . Peter showed his pUofcDcucc tar his mother from the first This was ..t- ural How could ho love a man u-r. was continually telling him and his mother that he would rrov un tr ..- gary
 One matter especially tea5.' r.. .r this division Tn the flw.g O. r.. .... on one side and Ihc mother ...I mn
 the other Hans haG -n.r. ....
 be told neither uC them E."
 Peters birth every now au# ..
 would go somewhere .r .-r. they had gone to hel. aIv.r.
 Ing away about rM. ~.-.r time. au hour. ka.-.na ..E ...
 husband whcrn ha went
 that If he wished ..~ |. .....
 l,N her Whnr ..r -..
 enough for ho- .a .... "...
 hS fathers shs....-. ...
 them closer r..r..r s.
 them rAe wv-. .u.
 father Pclu. -. ...~.u
 hls father Co >.. v.n..
 what he did. 1ur h....
 and Peter. tnu.-. .... ... ... good >gu-y tn a-.. WI. IT..
 A> Peter ur..-... ..
 enter upon En.' - . .r
 he and G-we..r -... ..
 wly. rho ,...-. .....
 childish t~ya#~l. I'D.
 maturity. nu- r..n. ....
 an who know .nn- -r.
 had been y-.s-,.f h......
 moment u1an '.~ -.....
 Co her ~I r1H l"u -.
 fools Sgw.- ;.a v .. =.
 wlrIvGud Eur ..r. ..-
 had ceased l.> .rwa..- ...
 ing about what na saw .'....
 Hans was a Na~lw,-h "- .. good husband and .a.n.. \..
 wife nor son haI any oo. make of him eNrrpt rar w.-.. he had always taken ur tho '.... ture As time went u. 'n -.
 to buy stock and rou.> ... .- ...-. and before Peter came of .-. had .... and stock and tools paid for E.. ,. yond this hn had nothing rn s..- .. twenty years of totl
 One day Katrina uorNei ln"-g .u speak ro her husband aIou ra..r '...~ love affair Nhr told Hans .n.. I.nr was going ro marry Grrrhoa
 "Ye> know" said Hans .Wnn vii, they bc marrtr.:-
 As soon a> Ihe r5nu~ .-. -..H.n.0
 Hans turned away without 8 word Katrina sighed. she would H..o r.tr- CT had him >ay. ! 'uH .HG ~.. ...u nothing People who w.# n" .-.a- oppose u> or aEre. u". Us .-a rMn most irritating Peter la3 I.nu told that iC he left his -athor.s farm ha would be employed cn Enckcr.S farm. but could only expect the wages %. eu ordinary hand and that only u.s- '.e crops were being gathered Peter '.3 SaveI enough to carry him and u.En thrru-h the first winter. lIr wanted Jo ask his father if he could co-r.ag. Co work for him. bUt drra1ei to speak of the matter However. the wedding day came round. The two families varn sitting at the wedding supper when Hans ra-a snd said.
 Katrina, now show you where , have been going nights Followed by the party. hc won. 1-.. taking lantern with him. and across to the barn. where hc stopped l.- a spade. Then he weu, un to a corner Of his land farthcst from thr mad n.3 occupjed hy r'umn ac -v.a- ]. ..a center of th.s Jatesnt lu ..-#. .. '.- and soon uncarthcI au uIa t~..-. u..r . a cover on .t TaEu- rm q. trough. . he carried it ta tar hw.r #.. rH~..i . 3t over on the table. u-s v.... n-.. . miScuouS heap of coins aU r.. ~.E l from cents to gold 5au..a ... .s ..1 ! bills from one dollar tn a Nur ..l i Here. my boy" sad Hans. s Ea-- wedding gift. which ! have n.n -ar- ng for more than twenty Er.... TT
 hadn't done it my WHY. vnu@"t have l one ir at all Tnorn Is enough to huv 1 .ou farm. put 8 hons, 0n 1t and Sftock !, well"