Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-08-15

All this passed, hurried and con-
fused, through her mind as the police
man let his arm drop and she darted
across the street, and round 60 the
staff entrance Of the hotel. Hell Hit
ler," she muttered mechanically TO the
doorkeeper though what they wanted
here in Bavaria, with that Prussian
nonsense she didn't know It was an
irritation every time she had 10 say it
"Gruss Colt" was good enough for
Bayarians, who really were Germans
and not Slavs like the Prussians. Athe-
list Slavsl No better than Russians
really - and completely ungebildet:
Trude had all the deep-rooted age-long
racial contempt Of the cultured, civ
ilized, urbane South Germans for the
northern barbarians," a contempt
never deeper than now, when the other
race has succeeded In imposing its
will, in all its arbitrary childishness,
on South German life and habits. She
ran up the service stairs, with their
stained and dirty whitewashed walls,
the dust and litter at the angles, and
into the small, comfortless room,
crammed in between the lift-shaft and
the lavatories, where the chamber
maids of the Bismarckhof kept their
outdoor clothes, and lived and moved
and had their being in the intervals
of their duties. 1t was exactly 9:15;
Anna Hilger and the old chambermaid
whom they all called ''Tante" were al
ready there. "Gruss Gott," said Trude
and "GruSs Colt" they replied-they
we're all three Bavarians, and in the
privacy Of the service room they could
dispense with the unloVed official greet
ing. Trude pulled off her waterproof
and her hat and hung them on q peg:
from q drawer In the battered chest
she took out her black indoor shoes
with the rubber pads on the heels to
make them noiseleSs, and changed into
them; then from the same drawer she
drew out a newspaper parcel, and put
on, hurriedly, the cap, collar, cuffs, and
apron which it contained. She was tidy
ing her hair with pocket comb before
the small cracked mirror on the wall
when die Ritter came ina spare, mid
dle-aged woman, stiff as a piece of ma
chinery in her black dress. Hell Fit
ler," the three maids dutifuIly mutt
tered; die Ritter was officialdom-to
her 1t was necessary to use the sacred
phrase.
Die Ritter inspected their caps and
aprons with sniff, and then gave her
three hot bottles for No.
81, and an extra dlIYet-the old gentle
man had been cold last night; a bottle
Of Giesshubler for No. 20; No. AZ to be
cleaned out between eight, when the
present occupant left, and 1890, when
! fresh client would come In off the
hight train. Tante, whose task this was,
sigh--she did not dare to
'ay anything, though cleaning out
'oons on night shift was always con-
Itdered a grievance, and she was old
'ome into No. AZ, die Ritter proceeded, /
addressing herself now to Trude-she |
My arrived at $50. She would want a |
lot bottle, no doubt.
What kind Of foreigner?" Trude
.sked.
"Amerikanerin," die Ritter replied
lriefly. Trude was vaguely disappoint- /
d; she had hoped It might be an Eng
In spite of the fact that 10 /
'ercent was now charged on the bill |.
or service and tips forbidden, the
English had lofty habit Of forgetting
r disregardtng these instructions and
usually handing out tips as before.
SUIT the Americans we're too law abid-
ng to do that, the French too mean,
nd the Germans, die armen Seelen,
s rule too poor. Such nonsense, that
0 percent for Service-much Of 1t
anne her wayl she thought as the bell
uzzed and she hurried off along the
orridor to see what No. 46 wanted.
lie Ritter was In charge of the distri-
ution and she had glue on her handgI
10. 46 was an Italian woman who
Ianted an extra pillow and glass Of
ermouth. Trude went back TO the
srvice room, telephoned down for the
ernouth, took it and the pillow, and
hen went round the other rooms in
Txytqf oil. 4VVi
acated turning down the beds, filling
ne hot bottles, and laying out the
ight clothes. Lovingly she handled the
omen'S delicate nightgows of chiffon
nd lace-S1e adored pretty clothes
nd fine soft materials. She had only
nee had a silk nightdress-O had
ven 1t to her for her to wear on their
edding night. The tears sprang to
sr eyes as she wiped down the basin
/ No. 40, which had a particularly
vely nightdress-ah, her Otto, her
ocke. how he had loved her, and she
mi While he was alive, working away
q compositor In Toller's making
'0d money she had not had to work
ze this and there had been food ia
enfy for Lii, and all had been wen
It'll them. But his lungs were not
rong, never had been Strong-andl
en- the pneumonia that he took that
inter three years ago had weakened
m still more and he had sunk and
NIX. Money wasted, that getting him
Vay TO q sanit0rium; he had been
etched there away from her and his
III and 1t did no good. Three months
ter he went back to ToIlers he was
bad as ever again, and that was
G end The end Of peace and COM
It and happiness for her. "The little
III hast thou still" he had muir
ued to- her In his weak, husky voice
len they both knew that he was go
3, and she had wept at the knowl-
&c. But how long would she be able
keep LII, her mind asked when
e was back In the service room, her
ks for the moment over, sitting on
upright chair and working away at
piece Of knitting which she had taken
Of the drawer: and at the thought
+ hands trembled so that she dropped
stitch. It was q little jumper for
u that she was making, to wear
ZEN the warmer weather came. and
.aSe God the child would be able TO
outsmOre, go down with Multi and
y IN the Eng1ischer Garten by the
~ flowing xsax, among the green