The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1921-06-24
BRIMMER SCORES
BY ETHEL NJ. HALL

concert was over, and he had scored
q 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. Yes 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
news would reach them sooner. But
he had almost forgotten-he must
tell Minna first.
And, after all, had 1t not been the
thought of Minna that had urged him
to succeed? Tonight he would tell
her. She would be pleased to hear
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 leid!"
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 shopkeeper, and he the
son of a proud old English family
whose name was honored in social
and political cirlces. But Brimmer
was not in the mood to tolerate un'
pleasant thoughts, so he dismissed
them.
He loved Minna! She had never
confessed to loving him, but then, she
had smiled and talked much, and
had even encouraged him by her little
fiirtations. From the first Brimmer
had been attracted to Minna-fron
the day when he had discovered old
Kroeger's little restaurant in the mar
row street behind his lodgings. Minna
was there. She was plump and pref
ty; her eyes were dark and fringed
with long lashes, and in her hair she
wore 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-Minnai
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 success He smiled to him
self-he was sure of himself. To-
night he was sure of everything! He
did not care what his mother or 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
successful man; he would care fol-
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 beef
glass. Brimmer looked around fol
Minna. She was not there, perhaps
she was back in the ''kuche." He sal
down at one of the tables in 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 one corner
nailed boxes were piled high. Kroegel
was cleaning up, or getting ready fol
renovations, Brimmer thought. Not
such a bad idea, either.
The door at the back of the restau
rant opened. Victor Kroeger, fat, dis
heveIed and almost enveloped in ar
untidy apron, crossed to Brimmer's
table. He was flushed, excited, an6
Brimmer wondered if he had heard OF
his success and il he We're going tC
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 ISIS you, Herr Brimmer? Vol
such long time hat 1 not seen you
You will not mind dis" he indi
Gated the chaotic condition Of his
shop. You see, it ISIS We will be here
NIGHT mehr. Tomorrow We go away
A bedder place for US viii it be dere.'
Brimmer started. Yesterday when
he had seen Minna she had not told
him about this. Then he remembered
suddenly that SIinna never spoke tG
him of herself or her family. He
asked weakly:
"You are moving away? Where's
And Minna? Is Minna going with
your"
Kroeger looked at Brimmer with
surprise. "Minna? Half you not heard
She hat not told you? Nein? Ach, die
beblingl Minna-she ISIS already away
She iss married-last evening. He iss
Eric. und he helped me to cook here
He will keep Elm wirthshaus, und