The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1914-12-17
! A HEART
And a Little Mistake
By GEORGE VAN SChAICk

Being unmarried. Professor DIR. Privy
Counselor Taubenfsder of the Univer-
sity of Hochwald was compelled to
make his way alone to the gasthaus of
the Golden Eagle. where he invariably
limited himself to one half liter of the
creamy amber beer which. next to the
university. was the greatest institution
of the town. Once there. however. he
did not lack for company. being sur
rounded not only by other citizens lis
tening TO soothing music. but also by
host of the students. who. having been
attracted TO Hochwald chiefly by the
professors fame. deemed themselves
honored by his permission to sit near
and hearken respectfully to the words
of his wisdom.
1t is well known that in all that con-
Germs maladies Of the heart no one in
the world has worthily gained SO great
a reputation as Professor DR.. Tauben-
FEEDER.
He went home one evening at the
usual hour and was received at the
door by Nina. his old housekeeper. who
took his overcoat and hat and babe
him good night Then he made his
way to his room. which opened upon
his laboratory and his wonderful pri-
vate collection. Sitting in his favOrite
armchair near q table covered with
glass jars containing specimens. he be-
thought himself that sauerkraut was
possibly becoming slightly difficult Of
digestion for his elderly stomach.
Picking up pamphlet noteworthy
by virtue of some rather startling and
novel theories. he became much inter
ested. and his keen and critical intel
lect at once suggested certain cOntrO-
verting facts. The booklet fell upon
his lap the while he meditated with
closed eyes.
Suddenly he was aroused from his
reverie by light touch on the arm.
Looking up In some bewilderment, he
found that young lady had slipped
into the room-surely an unheard of
intrusion-and was standing beside his
chair. He gazed at her in no little as
constituent Ii seemed to his rather
inexperienced eyes that her dainty raj
ment was not of modern fashion and
that the dressing of her hair was of
the style Of years and years ago.
my dear Fritzel." she began bright
ly. Il hope that you are very we'll"
He could only stammer in assent.
81 am very glad" she pursued. 81
knew you would be pleased to see your
little second cousin. see that you are
still occupied with your old pursuits.
Dear me. how wise and learned you
ever were. dear Fritzel. How wonder
full that one man should be able TO accu-
mulate so much knowledge. 1t makes
me dreadfully Insignificant"
COurteously he raised one hand in
mute protest. but she continued:
You know all that can be learned
about hearts. with perhaps a tiny ex-
ception. No human being is wholly
exempt from error. and even you made
q little mistake once. it seems to me. "
"Just a little one. dear Fritzel ]
may be able to show you"
She passed into the laboratory, in
which were many big shelves covered
with glass jars. The light hardly pen
etrated the room. yet she went IN
erringly to a corner and put her hand
up quite high. rising ON her toes. Then
she returned with a wide necked re-
ceptacle in which hung q specimen.
There it isr' she cried II knew
where it wasr'
The professor took the jar from her.
NO 371... he said. st is the heart
Of Lolita. my little cousin
"Yes." she assented; lit is my heart
and must have been quite interesting.
1t must have passed under the eyes of
many eager students. and perhaps it
has taught them just little"
But there was no mistake here
stated the professor.
I'VE will call it your inability to
see everything" said the young wo-
man soothingly. There always must
be some little thing that escapes us in
this world or we should no longer be
mere men and women. ! was little
younger than you. though we often
played together, and | was very IN
happy when you went away to study
and become great man. When you
returned during the holidays that al
ways seemed SO dreadfuIly short the
child admired you. and you were al
ways very kind TO her. AT the ex-
pectation of your homecoming her
heart would beat great deal faster
AS the seasons passed into years that
admiration and those heartbeats chang
ed into something that was a longing
a wonderful desire. yet you began to
come more seldom. and the time you
could spare to me grew less. Your
thoughts Travelled beyond me. from the
world at your feet TO greater worlds
you meant to conquer. You seemed
to me to be growing greater and great.
er and always going further away:
yet as the distance between US increas.
ed the longing became keener until ii
became pain that clutched that lit
tie heart and hurt ii so deeply that at
nighf I had TO weeD with fhe hangs If