The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1913-10-10
Huber'S
Daughter
She Was the Last of His
Children Unmarried, and
He Could Not Give
Her Up
By EDITH v. ROSS


In one of the little villages overlook
ing the Lake of the Five Cantons in
Switzerland there lived Il retired watch
maker named Huber. For years he
had made watches in Lucerne, and
when he had saved enough of his earn
ings to live without work he bought
chalet on the lake shore, near the
city, where he could pass the rest Of
his life In ease and comfort.
His children had grown to manhood
and wOmanhOOd and left the paternal
abode, except Katrina. a lass Of eight
cen. Huber. who was a widower. held
on to her as one will keep his last dol
lar, dreading to have a man come near
her lest he take her away from him.
But so far as the old man knew there
was no one who wanted her or whom
she wanted.
The truth is that Katrina. knowing
her fathers wish that she should
discourage all suitors, assured him
that she would not leave him In his
old age. Indeed, when the matter of
marriage was preached it was by HUI
Der himself, Carl Gotthold, about thir-
ty-five years old, who had succeeded to
the old mans watch business. went
to see his former partner one day and
asked for his daughter Huber told
him that Katrina was not to marry,
but remain with him always.
GOtthold, who had persuasive
tongue in his head. represented to HUI
Der that when he died Katrina would
be a middle aged woman whom no
man would care to marry and would
thereafter live a lonely life. "If you
will give her to me-" he said. 81 will
come here to live with you. going into
the city every morning to business and
returning in the evening. You will
thus keep her with you and when you
die she will not be alone in the world"
Now. Gotthold had considerable mon
ey that he had inherited from his IA
Their. besides his watch business. His
proposition struck Huber favorably,
though he did not admit it. But be-
fore Gotthold left him he promised to
think of the matter. He did think of
it and made mp his mind that he had
better accept the proposition. He said
nothing for some time to his daughter,
for in Europe parents have for centu-
ries been accustomed to arrange mar
riages for their children.
Katrina kept boat. and when she
wished to go to any place on OF near
the margin of the lake she would go
down to the little shed where she kept
it. take it out and pull out on the bos-
ON Of the water. One evening while
near the middle of the lake a sudden
squall came up and overturned her
boat. She chung to it till another boat
approached her and young man in 1t
took her aboard. righted her boat and
pulled his, towing her boat, to the near
est point of land. There he built fire.
and she dried his clothing by its
warmth.
The two remained there for some
time waiting for the storm to subside.
then re-entered the young mans boat.
and he pulled her to her landing place.
He asked her if he might come and see
her. and she refused her consent, tell
ing him that her father dreaded TO
have any young man call upon her.
But there was another reason. She
did not intend to let her father know
that she had been capsiZed in the mid
die of the lake. She had narrowly es-
capped drowning. for, though n good
swimmer. the water in these Swiss
lakes Is SO cold that she could not have
possibly swum ashore. Indeed, she
was 50 benumbed when help reached
her that she was about to let go her
hold. Should her father know all this
he would never let her go out in her
boat again.
Who knows but that if Katrina had
given this young man. Caspar Beck.
permission to visit her he would never
have awaited himself Of it. Be this
as it may, her refusal. which was not
dictated by an unwillingness on her
part to receive him. at once filled him
with a desire to break through the
barrier that stood between them. But
he said nothing to her of this. ap-
parently accepting her refusal as final,
anu WIN SOOuDH nc puIieu Jul llIlO
the lake toward his home near Lucerne
Katrina reached her fathers house
when he was absorbed in GotthOld's
proposition. Consequently she did not
receive as close a questioning as to
where she had been during the storm
as might have been expected. But
the old man had no idea of brOaching
the matter concerning her future until
he had definitely made up his mind
on the subject. and his mind was far
from being made up. GOtthOld knew
that If he got Katrina 1t would not be
soon and. having made his proposition.
waited patiently for the old man to
come to a decision. The applicant had
nothing further to do in the matter. for
Huber would not be Influenced and
whichever way he decided his decision
would be final
After his rescue of Katrina Caspar
Beck often went out on the lake in
his boat purposely to meet her. One
evening shortly before sunset he saw
ner pulling toward her boathouse and
rowing with all his strength. he in
tercepted her. He asked her if she
would not remain out little longer.
and she consented. Helping her with
his boat. he took hers in tow and
pulled southwark in the direction of
fleweln.