Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-08-30
CHAPTER III.
THE YOUNG vINTNER.

| |ARMICHAEL thirstilv drank
his first tankard. thinning: $50
this vintner Is in love with
~ our goose girl? COnfound my
memory! would give 20 crowns to
know where have seen him. A fine
beer" he said aloud. holding up the
| second tankard.
The vintner raised his. There was
IN unconscious grace in the movement.
A covert glance at his hand satisfied
Carmichael In regard to one thing. he
might be vintner. but the hand was
US soft and we'll kept as a woman's.
Could q man with hands like these
mean we'll toward Gretchen? Gretchen
was both innocent and unworldly. To
the right man she might be easy prey:
never to a man like Colonel Won Wal
lenstein, whose power and high office
*ere alike sinister to any girl OF the
peasantry. But q man In the guise
Of her own class. Of her own world
nnd people, here was snare Gretchen
might not be able to foresee.
A tankard rapping a table nearby
called Gretchen to her duties.
"Gretchen Is beautiful enough to be
queen. and yet she is merely a Hebe
in a tavern" remarked Carmichael.
"Hebe?" suspiciously.
"Hebe was a cup bearer to the myth.
illogical gods in olden times" Car
michael explained. He had set trap.
but the vintner had not fallen Into It.
"a fairy story" The vintner nodded.
He understood now.
Carmichael would lay another trap.
"What happened to her%
"Oh," said Carmichael, "she spilled
wine on a god one day, and they ban
ished her"
ut must have been rare vintage"
II suppose you are familiar with all
the valleys. Mosell?"
Eyes. That is fine country"
The old man In tatters sat erect In
his chair.
"You have servedT
"A little. II could be an officer !
should like the army" The vintner
reached for his pipe. which lay on the
| table
"Try this" urged Carmichael. offer.
ing his pouch.
"This will be good tobacco. know
The vintner filled his pipe.
Carmichael followed this gift with
many questions about wines and VIM
tages. aud hidden In these questions
were a dozen clever traps. But the
OTHER walked ov.r them unhesitant
with certainty Of step which cha
grined the trapper.
BY and by the vintner rose and bade
his table companion good night. He
had not offered to buy anything. This
frugality was purely Of the thrift!
peasant. But the vintner expressed
many thanks. On his way to the doo'
be stopped and whispered into Gretch
ems ear.
The press In the room was thinning
A carter sauntered past and sat dowr
unconcernetlly at the taDie occupieu ny
the old man, whose face Carmichae
had not yet seen. A little later
butcher approached the same table ant
seated himself. 1t was then dusty
baker came along and repeated till
procedure. and Carmichaers curiosit!
was enlivened. Undoubtedly they wer'
Socialists. and this was little con
clave, and the peculiar manner OF thei
meeting, the silence and mystery. wer'
purely fictitional.
Had Carmichael not fallen a-dream
ing over his pipe he would have seel
the old man pass three slips OF pape
across the table. He would have seel
the carter. the butcher and the bake
pocket these slips stolidly. he woul'
have seen the mountaineer wave hi
hand sharply and the trio rise and dis
perse. Carmichael left the Blacl
Eagle. nursing the sunken ember u
] bis pipe.