The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-10-22
The Fatherland
BY May c. Ringwalt.
isI AM not a German, Mees Bla-
ka [ am an A-mer-i-can-


pride in his carefully enunciated
English, Karl Wagner. stamped with
an unmistable light-haired- -blue-eyed-
Gretchen birthmark, solemnly re-
garded the young woman seated op-
posite him at the table, Alma Blake,
new arrival at Miss Minerva Kings
select second-class boarding house.
Germany, Mees Blake, it is
great country" he went on with an
impressive roll of his RS" as he
held teaspoon poised in mid-air
over his saucer of bread pudding,
"a magnificent country in the
learning, the sciences, the inven-
tions, but not in the government.
That is-how do you say it?-a be-
hind number"
There was rhetorical pause while
the spoon gloatingly swooped up
with the one raisin in the saucer.
"And the army, Mees Bla-ake, it
is a curse"
The roll of the final "r" rumbled
like threatening thunder.
"Who supports it's empty glitter?
The Kaiser? The government? No,
the people that pay the taxes. Gott
in Himmel, Mees Bla-ake, there hat
been times when I haf had the feel
to throw the bomb"
Almost convulsed with hidden
laughter Alma Blake listened as one
hypnotized.
This made-in-Germany American
interested, fascinated her-was quite
the most charming of all the de-
lightful people she had met during
the twenty-four hours she had been
at Miss Minerva Kings.
For after twenty years Of looking
at the world through a dusky glass
larkly, shut away in a forlorn, color
less little town, she suddenly stood
face to face with all the wonder and
beauty and excitement of city life,
everything, everybody, about her un-
der spell of enchantment
The fact that she was a hard
working, underpaid stenographer,
that her room was a cold storage
two by four, hall chamber up on
the third floor, under a mansard
roof. did not brush off single gol-
den speck from the glamour's bloom,
She was free. Free from the do
mestic drugery she hated. From
the daily irritation of living with an
irritable, tyrannical father with
whom she had not an idea in com
mon. Free in making her way-and
all the adorable new clothes that
strict economy and bargain counter
buys were going to arrange between
them.
And because she was filled brim-
ming over with freedom, she did not
hesitate an instant in regard to the
new friendship that so quickly grew
up between her and Karl Wagner
She liked being in his company That
was enough. AS eagerly, as straight
forwardly as a child stretching out
its arms coward desired object she
followed wherever he led.
Sometimes the lead was to an ice
cream parlor, sometimes motion
picture show-on rare, dazzling oc-
casions, an evening at the Orpheum
But no matter where the goal, al
ways on the way her companion rode
his pet hobby-a-t a trot; on a gal
lop, with a wild leap at all obstruct
ing fences.
Germany, Mees Bla-ake," ht
would say, "is land of the brave
but not land of the free. 1t is {
law-ridden country. The whole
everything tied up with-how dt
you say it?-the scarlet tape. No
only the actions, but the thoughts
the emotions The Kaiser. he is no
the Uncle Sam, Mees Bla-ake. H
is-how do you say it?-the mai
with the large club"
"How long have you been natuI
alized?" Alma once asked.
"Oh, Mees Bla-ake," he answere
mournfully, there you handle sor
spot. | am an American, but
an not yet the citizen. Five year
hat passed since ! entered the States
but | haf been-what is the word
hunt for7 Vou saw If of a D0Duls