Pleasantville weekly press., 1910-08-06


less by choice has a subtle poison in
| his blood He was at Bonn when the
| rivil war came. He went back to
America and threw himself into the
fight with all the ardor that had made
| his forbearS famous in the service of
the worthless Stuarts 1t wasn't
| question with him Of the mere love of
fighting, of tossing the penny. He
| knew with which side he wished to
fight He joined the cavalry of the
north and hammered and fought his
way to a captaincy. He was wounded
five times and imprisoned twice. At
the end of the conflict he returned to
Washington.
Without any influence whatever save
! his pleasing address and his wide edu-
cation he blarneyed the state depart
| ment out of a consulate. They sent
him to Ehrenstein at a salary not
worth mentioning, with the diplomatic
halo of dignity as a tail to the kite.
| Two years in any one place was not
in reckoning as regarded Carmichael,
yet here he was, caring neither for
promotion nor exchange. So, then, all
logical deductions simmered down to
one-cherchez Ia femme.
The dreamer is invariably tripping
over his Illusions, and Carmichael was
rather boyish in his dreams. What
| absurd romances he was always weay
ing round heri What exploits on her
behalf! But never anything happened,
Il d1I-o
upon to offer his benediction.
1t was all very foolish and romantic
and impossible, and no one recognized
this more readily than he. No Ameri-
can ever married a princess Of reign
ing house, and no American ever will.
This law is as immovable as the law
of gravitation. Still, man is master of
his dreams, and he may do as-he
pleases in the confines of this small
circle.
"How the deuce will it end?" mus
ing half aloud. ''Ill forget myself
some day and trip so hard that they'll
be asking Washington for my recall.
I'll go over to the gardens and listen
to the band.'
| ne Was SldlulllS III llOuI VI lHt AO-
tel when he noticed a closed carriage
hard by the fountain in the Platz.
"Ha, farer
A woman in black, thoroughly yelled
and cloaked, came round from the op-
posite side Of the fountain She spoke
to the driver. The lady stepped into
the carriage, the driver woke up his
ancient Bucephalus and went clickety
clack down the Konigstrasse toward
the town To Carmichael it was less
than an incident He twirled his cane
and walked toward the public gardens.
The band struck up again. and he
drifted with the crowd toward the
pavilion.
Within a dozen feet of him. her
arms folded across her breast, hal
eyes half shut in the luxury Of tin
senses, stood the goose girl. He smiled
as he recalled the encounter of thai
afternoon. 1t was his habit to ride 70
the maneuvers every day. and several
times he had noticed her and her
beauty.
'Why couldn't l have fallen in love
with some one like this?" he cogitated.
Colonel Won Wallenstein of the gen
eral staff approached her from the
other side Wallenstein was a capital
soldier and a jolly fellow round a
board, but beyond that Carmichael
had no real liking for him. There
were too many scented notes stuck in
his pockets.
The colonel dropped his cigarette,
leaned over Gretchen's shoulder and
spoke a few words. At first she gave
no heed. The colonel persisted. With
out word in reply she resolutely
sought the nearest policeman. Wallen-
stein, remaining where he was, laugh
ed. Meantime the policeman frowned.
His excellency could not possibly have
intended any wrong. The law of re-
dress in Ehrenstein had no niche for
the goose girl.
Good evening, colonel" said Car
michael pleasantly. "Why can't your
bandmaster give us light opera once in
awhiler"
The colonel pulled his mustache in
chagrin.
Light operas are rare at present"
he replied, accepting his defeat amia-
bly, enough.
And then pretty woman rose from
a chair near by. She nodded brightly
at the colonel. who bowed, excused
himself to Carmichael and made off
after her.
Carmichael looked round for Gretch-
en-. She was still at the side of the
policeman She came back.
Did you get your geese together
without mIshap?" he asked of her.
The instinct of the child always re-
, mains with the woman. Gretchen
smiled. This young man would be diff
ferent, she knew.
''They were only frightened"
1--WE don't have goose girls in Amer
ica," he said
The magic word America, where the
gold came from, famed her curiosity
you are from American" she asked
YES"
Are you rich?"
''In fancy, in Dreams" humorously
ooh, | thought they were all rich