Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-24
CHAPTER I-Continued.

How Old are you, Gretchen?
II do not know she answered. "per-
haps eighteen. perhaps twenty
Again they went forward in silence. BY
the time they reached the gates the sur
was no longer visible on the horizon. bu,
it had gone down ruddy and uncrowned
by any cloud, giving promise of q fail
day on the morrow. The afterglow or
the mountains across the valley was now
in it's prime glory: and once the two way
farers paused and commented upon it
Once more the mountaineer was agree
ably surprised; the average peasant is
impervious to atmospheric splendor
beauty carries no message.
Arriving at length in the city they pass.
ed through the crooked streets. sometimes
SO narrow that the geese were packed
from wall to wall Oft some jovial sol.
dier sent jest a query to them across
the now gray backs of the geese. But
Gretchen looked on ahead, purely and Sc
renely.
Gretchen, where shall find the Alder.
gasse?"
We pass through it shortly. I will
show you. You are also a stranger in
Dreiberg?'
Yes
They took the next turn. and the
weather. beaten sign Zum SchWartZer
Adler. hanging in front of frame house
of many gables. caused the mountaineel
to breathe gratefully.
Here my journey ends, Gretchen. The
i, Black Eagle" he added. in an under
tone: lit is unchanged these twenty
years. Heaven send that the beds are
softer than aforetime!'
They We're passing clock-mender' S
! shop. The man from Jugendheit peered
in the window, which had not been
cleaned in an age. but there was nc
clock in sight to give him warning of the
time. and he dared not now look at his
watch. He had a glimpse of the ancient
| clock mender himself, however. huddled
| over table upon which sputtered a
candle. 1t touched up his face with gro
| tesque lights. Here was age. unused the
man outside the window; nothing less
than fourscore years rested upon those
! rounded shoulders. The face was CORFU
eyes heavily specialized ragged thatcf
| of hair on the head. a ragged beard or
| the chin. Aware of shadow between
| him and the fading daylight the clock.
| eyes of the two men met, but only for a
moment.
| The mountaineer who felt rejuvenated
| by this contrast, Strengthened his shout
ders and started to cross the street to the
] tavern.
Good night, Gretchen. Good luck te
you and your geese tomorrow
Thanks. Herr Ludwig. And will YOU
| be long i'll the city,!
THAT depends; perhaps" adding grin
smile in answer to grim thought
! He offered his hand, which she accepted
| trustfully. He was a strange old man
but she liked him. When she withdrew
| her hand something cold and hard re-
! world. 1t was a piece of gold. Her eyes
went up quickly. but the giver smiled re-
assuringly and put a finger against his
lips.
! But, herr" she demonstrated.
Keep it: l give it to you. Do not
question providence. and l am her hand
maiden just now. Go along with YOU"
So Gretchen in a mild state Of stupe-
faction turned away. Clat-clat! sang the
little wooden shoes A plaintive gonk
rose as she prodded a laggard from the
dank gutter. A piece OF gold. Clat-clat
Clat-clat Surely this had been day OF
marvels: two crowns from the grand duke
and a piece of gold from this old man in
that he was not peasant. But what
could he be? Comparison would have
made him a king. She was too tired and
hungry to make further deductions
She was regarded with kindly eyes till
the dark Jaws of the krumerWeg swal-
lowed up both her and her geese.
Poor little goose girl!' he thought. III
she but knew, she could make bonfire
eyed again the battered sign. 1t was
then that he discerned another, leaning
from the ledge of the first story of the
house adjoining the tavern. 1t was the
furnished shield of the United States.
What a penurious government it must
be- Two weeks. tramping about the
country in this unholy garb, following
! false trails half the time. living on crusts
and cold meats. All. you have led me a
merry dance, nephew. but shall not for
get"
He entered the tavern and applied for
room, haggling over the price.