The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1916-07-01
My Cousin
From America
BY OUNCE BLAKE

"A @~SHD~o 80 N ~ A@J
and who have had no other profession
than the army, which, to say the least,
is not lucrative. The original family
estates were conferred on Otto Won
Mueller for military service.
One of my u%ncles, Caspar FOL Muel-
Ter, rather than be a poor aristocrat IN
Prussia chose to be a rich commoner
In America. AT any rate, he vent
there to attempt to make a fortune. He
succeeded, and at the beginning of the
twentieth century was the only rich
one of the family. He was loyal to
his relatives and entered upon a cor
respondence with my father, his broth.
er, with a view to starting the family
on a new career of prosperity by means
Of his great wealth. He had only one
child, a son, and his plan was to mar.
ry him to II of the family in Prussia.
Then the young man was to remove to
the fatherland and by means of his
wealth secure a position at the kaiser's
court.
Our Won Muellers in Germany were
quite pleased with the plan. The arts
tOcracy and the commercial classes had
been drawing closer together. The kai-
ser himself owned a pottery. Caspar
o Mueller's millions, though acquired
in trade, were not to be despised. To
make Il long story short, it was ar
ranged that he should come over to
Germany, and |, being the only Cir!
Won Mueller of suitable age for him, it
was hoped that a match might be ar
ranged between him and me-.
One evening a lot of us Won Mue,lers
were sitting in Il public garden listen
ing to an orchestra and drinking wine
OF beer. Two young men came in and
took seats at Il table near Us. They
seemed to be English-at least they
spoke the English language. The feel
ing against the English people was
very strong, and even the language
was irritating. But II of the young
men opposite me was very handsome,
and | could not help glancing at him
occasionally. Whether or no he was
encouraged by this or because he ad-
mired me, he gaZed ut me. continually.
Finally my brother Otto, a lieutenant
in the army, noticed his eyes continu
ally vent on me Rising, Otto went to
the table where the young man was
sitting and said, Il will pig stick you
and threw a card on the table bearing
his name and address.
This was equivalent to Il challenge
to fight. AS o as Otto returned tn
us l gave him a piece of my mind. tell
ing him that l did not need him to pro-
tect me and he had no right to chal-
lenge a man simply for admiring me.
did not know whether the stranger
would fight, but l determined to pre-
vent a meeting if possible. My cousin
Gustav, a boy of fifteen, was of our
party, and, Otto having left us, taking
Gustav with me. | went to the table
where the two strangers were sitting
and said to the one who had been look
ing at me:
II have a request to make of you.
SIR
Rising and removing his hat, he ask
ed to be informed what it was. J
spoke in German, and he replied in the
same language. though with Il foreign
accent.
II have seen my brother challenge
YOU. | beg that you will decline to
fight"
"But your German men expect
Never mind what our German men
expect. You have the request of D
German woman. 1t should be of great
er import to you than the demand OF
any man."
He hesitated for a few moments,
then said:
"Fraulein, | shall consider your re-
quest a command. | beg to offer an
apology for looking so intently upon
you. In the first place, | lost a sister
a few years & who greatly resembled
you. In the second place, admit that
you excited my admiration the moment
| looked at you"
mo apology is necessary. | thank
quest"
AS / was turning away to reJoin the
party at our table he said:
MAY ask, fraulein, to be informed
as to whom | have the honor to obey?'
Il am Bertha Won Mueller
He looked at me with an expression
which | did not understand. but said
nothing further.
The duel, of curse, did not take
place. My brother in speaking of 1t
said contemptuously hat the man was
doubtless an Englishman and the Eng
fish would not fight. A few days after
the occurrence my father told me that
my cousin had come from America and
would call the next afternoon. Father
hoped that | would make myself as
agreeable as possible.
TIM next day when | went down int
the drawing to see my cousin |
stood speechless with establishment.
He looked at me with an amused
smile. He was the man who had ad-
mired me at the garden and whom |
had prevented fighting my brother.