Evening star., 1925-05-29
Little Fraulein and the Big World
BY IDA X. WYLIE.
Copyright by International Magazine Co.

where II lay on the table and her bas-
ket and set out, walking very sedateiy,
because OF being 80 terribly afraid.
But, OF course, it was long past 9
when she turned the corner of the
Kaiserstrasse, and the dragons head
had disappeared into the bakers shop,
and instead of being swallowed up
she became the last-minute vertebra
in the creatures tail.
1t took no particular notice of her.
The policeman who was there to keep
an eye on its behavior and see that it
didn't get out of hand and take up
too much of the pavement considered
her DULY. The two stout women i'm
mediately in front turned to look at
her, and the raindrops from their
umbrellas, which she had been anx-
iously avoiding, trickled down her
neck.
"Ach. the little Prutwitz," they said
But they didn't smile. Nobody ever
smiled at her except by accident. You
couldn't say that they looked angry.
either, but there was something at the
back of their eyes which made you
understand that if you touched them
they would shrink away in spite of
themselves. 1t was very puzzling and
though 1t had always been like that,
Trudchen never really got accustomed
to 1t. She knew, of course. that she
was plain. disagreeable child. But,
then, people looked at her mother,
who was good and beautiful beyond
question, in just the same way. And
whereas Trudchen was terribly
ashamed and only wished people
wouldn't look at her at ALL her mother
carried herself like a queen who had
to live among inferior people SO that
in all the little town they had only one
friend-large Frau Hildebrandt, who
quarreled with every one.
THE dragon moved terribly slow.
First it stood on one leg and
then on another. 1t was very cold
and the rain sogged through the paper
soles of its innumerable shoes. First
Trudchen's feet hurt, and then they
didn't hurt at all. The dragon gave
"a wriggle and its last-minute vertebra
was shaken loose. Trudchen was left
behind, her eyes wide with distress
and astonishment. The policeman
waved gloVed paw at her.
Now then-move on there.'
1t seemed to her tn hlt the dragon
turned completely around to gaze at
her, and her button nose grew redder
with shame.
"Oh, please I can't'-
Whats that? Can't"
"Ach, bite, Herr Polizist, I've lost
my feet
For a minute it seemed as though
every one were going to be nice. The
policeman bent down, his hands on
his thick thighs, and stared about
Solemnly, as though he were really
looking for something, and one of the
stout women put down her basket and
rubbed the spindly little legs in the
darned black stockings until they be-
came veritable pin cushions, so full
of pins that Trudchen couldn't stand
still, but performed jerky dance like
an alarmed marionette. But it was so
wonderful to have people kind to her
that she didn't mind
Then suddenly it was all over They
said Ma, so lists rechtp and stood
back from her and stared in just the
had remembered something they had
forgotten and We're thinking Serve
you right, Serve you right!'
They were queer themselves. Even
the policeman. who seemed SO large
and solid, made you feel that If any
one touched him too roughly he might
disappear altogether. And he knew.
You could see the fear of ii in his
round, blue eyes, and the bristIing fair
mustache was somehow very sad. The
people were so big, and yet they
weren't quite real. They were like
shadows. The street was a shadow.
Trudchen could remember-or rather
it was less a memory than a picture
in a whole tumble of pictures-a place
full of bustiing confident people. tall
men in gay uniforms and grand dukes
and princes in carriages. and bands
playing music that made your heart