Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1921-12-30
BRIMMER SCORES

BY H NJ. HALL.

Brimmer was in high spirits. The
concert was over, and he had scored
a success, a great success. He had
not known until the last lingering
notes of his violin had melted away,
and the hushed, tense silence that
followed was suddenly broken by a
wild crash Of applause, how success
full he had been.
He slipped into his overcoat, tucked
his violin under his arm, and opening
the stage door, passed out into the
night. 1t was cold and clear. The
crowd from the concert passing by
under the bright street lights seemed
gayer and louder than ever.
He drew in a long breath Of the
keen sharp air. Yesl it was good to
live, good to do great things, to be
somebody! He would write to the
folks at home and tell them of his
success; no, he would cable. The
news would reach them sooner. But
he had almost forgotten-he must
tell Minna first.
And, after all, had it not been the
thought Of Minna that had urged him
to succeed? Tonight he would tell
her. She would be pleased to heal
Of his success, she would think bet
ter Of him. Perhaps, Brimmer thought,
she would slap her hands in that odd
way she has and say simply.
ZACH, es tut mir leid sehr leidr"
A smile spread over Brimmer's
face and he struck out down the
street humming concert airs under
his breath. He thought only Of three
things: His success, that was upper
most, of Minna, and Of the folly Of
an unwritten social law that built up
barriers between classes and con-
demned social relations between those
classes.
A frown puckered his brow as he
wondered what his father and mother
and sister would think if they knew
about Minna. Minna, the daughter Of
a German s~hopkeeper, and he the
son of a proud old English family
whose name was hOnored in social
and political ~eirlces. But Brimmer
was not in the mood to tolerate un-
pleasant thoughts, so he dismissed
them.
He loved Minna! She had eve
confessed to loving him, but then, she
had smiled and talked much, and
had even encouraged him by her little
hirtatiOns. From the first Brimmer
bal boon attro Ofnd IN Minno-frnn
the day when he had discovered old
Kroeger's little restaurant in the mar
row street behind his lodgings. Mlnna
was there. She was plump and pref
ty; her eyes were dark and fringed
with long lashes, and in her hair she
wore a red flower. She smiled at
Brimmer, and fingered awhile after
she had brought him his meal. After
that he went every day to the res
taurant in the narrow street. And
every day he saw Minna-Minna
Oh, yes, she loved him-she must
love him. He had so much to give
her now. Even before she would
have been glad to have him-but now,
after his SUGGEST He smiled to him.
self-he was sure of himself. To
night he was sure Of everything! He
did not care what his mother OIL the
rest of his family would think of
Minna. He knew what he thought
that was all that mattered. He would
ask Minna tonight. He was a man,
a successful man; he would care for
Minna and himself.
Brimmer turned into the narrow
street. In Kroeger's restaurant the
tables were deserted, except one where
an old man sat doing over his beer
glass. Brimmer looked around for
Minna. She was not there, perhaps
she was back in the 'kuche." He sat
down at one of the tables in a cor
ner and waited. For the first time
he noticed that the place seemed diff
ferent.
There were fewer tables, the hang
ings had been removed, in Il corner
nailed boxes were piled high. Kroeger
was cleaning up, or getting ready for
renovations, Brimmer thought. Not
such a bad idea, either.
The door at the back of the restau-
rant opened. Victor Kroeger, fat, dis
heveled and almost enveloped in an
untidy apron, crossed to Brimmer's
table. He was flushed, excited, and
Brimmer wondered if he had heard of
his success and if he were going to
congratulate him. But he did not.
Instead he broke into the bad English
that he always insisted upon using
when speaking to Englishmen-to
show off, Brimmer thought.
Zach, it iss you, Herr Brimmer? Vor
such a long time hat l not seen you.
You will not mind dis" he indi-
Gated the chaotic condition of his
shop. You see, 1t ISIS We will be here
NIGHT mehr. Tomorrow We go away.
A bedder place for us will it be dere."
Brimmer started. Yesterday when
he had seer Minna she had not told
him abOut this. The he remembered