The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-05-02
My Cousin
From America
b. EujNlCE BLAKE

The Won Muellers are one Of the old
ct families In Prussia. But there have
been spendthrifts in the family, men
who despised the making Of money
and who have had no other profession
thar the army. which, to say the least,
y not lucrative. The original family
estates were conferred on Otto Won
Mueller for military service. .,
r4One Of my uncles, Caspar Won Muel-
Ief, rather than be a poor aristocrat In
Prussia chose to be a rich commoner
" America. At any rate, he went
thete TO attempt to make fortune. He
succeeded, and It the beginning Of the
ttentieth century was the only rich
one u the family. He was loyal to
bio relatives and entered upon cor
respondence with my father, bis broth
et,5with q view to starting tile family
on Z new career Of prosperity by means
Ut his great wealth. He had only one
cMld. Z son, and his plan was to mar
" him to one Of the family in Prussia.
Then the young man was to remove to
the fatherland and by. means of his
wealth secure q position at the kaiscr's
court. ~ -, Ill.,. w..
Our Won Muellers in Germany were
quite pleased with the plan. The arts
tocfacy and the commercial classes had
been drawing closer together. The kai.
e. himself owned pottery. Caspar
Won Huellers millions, though acquired
Ia. trade. were not to be despised. To
make long story short, it was ar
ranged that he should come over to
Germany, and I, being the only girl
Won Mueller Of suitable age for him. it
was hoped that Z match might he ar
ranged between him and me.
One evening alot Of rs Won Mue!lers
Were sitting In public garden listen
9ng 10 an orchestra and drinking wine
Or beer. Two young men came in and
took seats at a table near US. They
seemed to be English-at least they
spoke the English language. The feel
1ngS against the English people was
very strong, and even the language
VIZ irritating. But one Of the young
men opposite me WINS very handsome,
and I could not help glancing at him
occasionally. Whether or no he was
, encouraged BY this or because he ad-
1nted me, he gazed, ut me continually.
Finally my brother Otto, a lieutenant
in the army, noticed his eyes contlnu.
ally bent on ME. Rising, Otto went to
tho: table where tho young man was
sittint and said, II will pig stick you,"
and threw.a card on the table bearing
his name and address. .,.,...,e
This was equivalent to challenge
q ASht As{soo d Otto returned to
u IIavo hin q piece Of my mind, tell.
sNG Nm Tint I .siid not need him to pro.
tset ne aSd Ne had no right to chal.
lehSe, 1 man simply for admiring me.
j did not know whether the stranger
Would fight, but I determined to pre-
vent; meeting II possible. My cousin
0ustav,, q 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 ono who had been look.
ting at me:
II have . request to make Of you.
sir: .@s@
Rising and removing his hat, he ask.
ed to be informed what it was. l
spoke IN German, and he replied in the
same language, though with foreign
accent.
II have seen my brother challenge
You. beg that you will decline to
eight" a.. =
but your German men expect
"Never mind what our German men
expect. You have the request Of a
German woman. 1t should be Of great
ct import to you than the demand Of
any man." 49,
He hesitated for 4 few moments,
then sid:
"Ftaulein, I shall consider your re-
quest q command. I beg to offer an
apology for looking SO intently upon
you In the first place, lost sister
q tew years ago who greatly resembled
1on. In the SECOND place, admit that
you excited my admiration the moment
! looked at you" ... ~. ... -,
mo apology IS necessary. I thank
you very much for granting my r.
quest" .,
AZ was turning away to rejoin the
party at our table he said:
MAY I AJAX, fraulein, to be Informed
n to whom I have the honor to obeyT
II am Bertha Won Mueller" |
He looked at me with an expression |
witch I did not understand, but said
nothing further. |
Tho duel, of course, did not take
phce. Ny brother In speaking Of It
said contemptuously that the man was
doubtless an Englishman and the Eng
ifsh would not fight. A few days after
tho occurrence my father told me that
my cousin had come from America and
would call tho next afternoon. Father
hoped that I would make myself as
agreeable - possible.
The next day when went down into |
the drawing room to see my cousin
stood speechless with astonishment,
He looked at me with an amused