The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-12-22

| with a wooden floor, and there
were rustic chairs and a table.
The next moment, to my horror,
Alma Pflugel had dropped to her
knees before the table, her face in
her hands.
Itch kann's nicht thun!" she
moaned. ZACH, kleine Schwester,
wo bist du denn!"
A great dry sob shook her. Her
hand went to her breast, to her
throat, to her lips. with an odd,
stifled gesture.
do that again." I cried, and
shook Alma Pflugel sharply by the
shoulder.
Her startled blue eyes looked
into mine. What do you mean?"
she asked.
"That--that gesture. I've seen
it-somewhere - that trick of
pressing the hand to the breast,
to the throat, to the lips-Oh!"
Suddenly knew. l lifted the
dropping head and rumpled its
neat braids, and laughed down
into the startled face.
She's here!" l shouted. ]
know her. Why, / have one-fourth
interest In your own nephew this
very minute. And his name is
Bennie!"
Whereupon Alma Pflugel faint
ed quietly away in the chilly little
grape arbor, with her head on my
shoulder.
| called myself savage names as
| chafed her hands and did all the
foolish, futile things that distract
ed humans thinks of at such
times, wondering, meanwhile, II
had been quite mad to discern a
resemblance between this simple,
clear-eyed gentle German woman,
and the battered, ragged, swaying
figure that had stood at the
judges bench.
Suddenly Alma Pflugel opened
| her eyes. Recognition dawned in
them slowly. Then, with jerk,
she sat upright. her trembling
hands clinging to me.
Where Is she? Take me to her.
Ach. you are sure-sure?"
"Lordy, hope so! Come, you
must let me help you into the
house. And where is the nearest
telephone? Never mind; I'll find
one"
When | had succeeded in find
ing the nearest drug store spent
a wild ten minutes telephoning
the surprised little probation off
GER, then Frau KNAPP. and finally
Blackie. Then l rushed back to
the little cottage, where Alma
Pflugel and / waited with what
patience we could summon.
Blackie was the first to arrive
with Bonnie in tow, and there
were tears and EXPLANATIONS.
So it was that in the midst OF
the confusion we did not hear the
approach of the probation officer
and her charge. They came up
the path to the door, and the little
sister entered the room in silence.
No one could have recognized in
this pretty, fragile creature the
pitiful wreck of the juvenile court.
And when Alma Pflugel saw the
face OF the little sister-the poor,
marred. stricken face-her own
face became terrible in its agony.
She put Bonnie down very gently,
rose, and took the shaking little
figure in her strong arms, and held
It as though never to let 1t go
again.
So Blackie and I stole away,
after whispered consultation
with the little probation officer.
Blackie had come in his red
runabout, and now he tucked me
into 1t, feigning a deep disgust.
I'D like to know where | enter
into this little drayma," he growl-
ed. "Ain't l got nothin' t. do but
run around town unitin' long lost
sisters an orphans!"
Now. Blackie, you know you
would never have forgiven me IL I
had left you out of this. Besides,
you must hustle around and see
that they need not move out of
that dear little cottage. Now don't
say word! You'll never have a
greater chance to act the fairy
god-mother."