The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-02-25
THE CROAKER


young couple who had come to AmeFf
ca from Germany and settled ON q
farm In the west They were having
a hard time of 1t, for they had nc
money with which to stock their farm
when a son was born to them. The
father did not welcome the little stran.
! ger, giving as an excuse that he saw
nothing ahead for the boy but life
! Of poverty, and poverty meant slavery
Not so Katrina. A mother Is too alb.
sorbed in her child to worry about its
future. She contented herself with the
care of little Peter, as he was named
trusting to his own strength when he
became a man to bring him comfort.
! The father never got over croaklng,
as the mother called 1t, about Peters
future, and when the boy was old
enough to play with little Gretchen
Becker, the daughter of George Beck
er, who occupied the adjoining farm,
Hans said: "See, there ls more misery
coming. By and by they will marry
and bring more children into the world
to suffer" This constant forebodlng
hung like dark cloud over Katrina's
life. 1t tended to draw her nearer to
her son and estrange her from her hus-
band. The mother gets the greater
part Of a child's affections, and little
Peter showed his preference for his
mother from the first This was nat
ural. How could he love a man who
was continually telling him and his
mother that he would grow up to beg
gary2
One matter especially tended to make
this division In the family of the father
ON one side and the mother and son on
the other. Hans had a secret which
he told neither Of them. From little
Peters birth every now and then he
would 20 somewhere at night after
they had gone to bed, always remain
Ing away about the same length of
time, an hour Katrina did not ask her
husband where he went. She knew
that II he wished her to know he would
tell her When her son became old
enough for her to talk with him about
MS fathers absences, the secret drew
them closer together and separated
them the more from the husband and
father. Peter suggested that he follow.
his father to see where he went and
what he did, but Katrina said mo"
and Peter, though very young, had the
good sense to agree with her.
AS Peter emerged from childhood to
enter upon youth 1t was noticed that
he and Gretchen were as devoted
as ever. None but themselves knew
when the change came between a
childish friendship 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 saw
to her: II told you so. There, are two
fools sowing the wind to reap the
whirlwlnd" But for long while Hans
had ceased his croaklng and said moth
Ing about what he saw plainly.
Hans was handwriting man and
good husband and father. Neither his
wife nor son had any complaint to
make Of him except the morose 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 and tools paid for. But be-
You'd this he had nothing to show for
twenty years of toll.
One day Katrina nerved herself to
speak to her husband about their bows
love affair. She told Hans that Peter
was going to marry Gretchen.
YES | know" said Hans. "When
will they be marrledT"
"As soon as the crops are gathered"
Hans turned away without a word
Katrina sighed. She would have rath-
or had him say, Il told you SOP than
nothing. People who will not either
oppose us or agree with us are the
most Irritating. Peter had been told
that II he left his fathers farm he
would bo employed on Becker's farm,
but could only expect the wages Of an
ordinary hand and that only when the
crops were being gathered. Peter had
saved enough to carry him and wife
through the first winter. He wanted
to ask his father II he could continue
to work for him, but dreaded to speak
OF the matter.
However, the wedding day came
round. The two families were sitting
at the wedding supper when Hans rose
and said:
Katrina. now l show you where I
have been going nights"
Followed by the party, he went out
taking lantern with him, and across
to the barn, where he stopped for a
spade. Then he went on to a corner
OF his land farthest froA the road and /
occupied by clump of trees. In the
center of this thicket he began to dig
and soon une0rthed an old trough with Il
cover on IL Taking up the trough.
be carried II to the house and turned II
L over on the table. Out rolled pro.
miscuous heap OF coins all the way
nom cents to gold double eagles and
hitta fta,N,R -.