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Show Hbe dimes' Serial Stor. veil, or about Friedel, for Dora replied to remark of her companion. "Papa think it depend entirely npoa yourelf whether you como to Heideiberg or not, and he will bo so glad If you decide to come." "Yes, Colleague Kerwie!" said Normanu with unsteady voice. "But others may not be glad: for instance, you yourself will not be" "Oh, certainly, if you will bring; Friedel with you!" "Always that silly boy," continued tha professor. "You only have him at heart." . "I have his future at heart. Have yon thought over my request?" "What request?" "Wei!, I showed you a picture yesterday of yourself that was not very flattering, but very characteristic in every line, but well, now the resemblance has considerably suffered." suf-fered." Some treacherous lines again drew around her mouth as she threw a jdance at the anointed head of her companion, who seemed to take the mention of the picture very un graciously. ITis voice took ou strain it peevish tone as he replied: "I do not approve of putting artistic de. sires into that youngster's head. He has become important enough already. Tim best thing for him is to be put at his boot, blacking acaiu. Do not bring up the tub. ject auy more, my Frauleiu. I will not consent con-sent to your plan, that's " "Settled," added Dora, "but shall I tell you, llerr Professor, what you will do, tha first thing you will do, when vou go to town?" " "Do you know so positively?" "(,uito positively. You will go immedi. tely to 6ome prominent artist, and have Friedel's talent tested, then you will take him to the drawing school; will generously provide him for everything he will need, and later inform me with well-known rude-ness rude-ness that the matter is arranged; that thera is nothing more fo? me to do, and that I needn't trouble myself about it. What do you think of my clairvoyance?" Xormaun said nothing. It approached, it in his breast He was ashamed of himself, him-self, and the "higher standpoint" shamed him still more, as ho had shamed Friedel, but nevertheless be held his hand pressed firmly ou his breast in order to guard his talisman. He would not have given it up for any price in the world. The next day was oue of interrupted Jsun-shiue. Jsun-shiue. The chaiu of mountains stood in bold relief, and the garden lay sparkling with dew in the morning sunshine. It was perfect weather for a journey. In the house where Her wig and his daughter daugh-ter lived there was much commotion with the preparations for departure. Xo one was to be seen at windows or door. In the garden wandered a tall figure, up an! down. There was something very unusual iu the soleiuu and digniued way in whit:h the professor pro-fessor strode to and fro. Quite the contrary was his customary hasty and informal movements. move-ments. Today, however, he seemed to think this dignified bearing necessary to be in keeping with the change which had taken place iu the outer man. He had, in fact, performed wonders. The "backwoods mane" was in perfect subjection, thanks to the hair oil, only Xormaun, who was wholly unacquainted with this "aid to beauty," had made a much too lavish use of its powers. His head glistened like the dew ou the bushes. Tae usually obstreperously bristling brist-ling hair now lay piously smooth ou his head, was actually glued to his temples. The professor was scarcely to be recognized, and it could not be denied that his appearance appear-ance had lost much of its fiereeuess, but nevertheless he felt rery uncomfortable iu his new role of being 'N'oiuauu." Friedel meanwhile came into the garden with an immense bouquet of flowers. He knew better than his master what was to be done with llowers when a young lady was to go on a journey, and had practically plundered plun-dered the little garden of his laadiady. Besides Be-sides he, too, w as iu an uuusual condition. As the professor had used almost au entire bottle of oil in subduing his shock of hair, Friedel had asked aud received the permission permis-sion to use what was left iu beautifying himself. him-self. So h, blonde hair had a line gloss also, though in a more moderate degree than "Simpleton! What would I do with a bouquet of llowers?" continued Normann, "Must you always put in your oar? You are to bring me a bottle of hair oil." "Hair oil?" repeated Friedel, transfixed with astonishment. "Yes, hair oil, or don't they have it in this Dest here?" "Y'es, I think so, at the grocer's." "Well, go to the grocer's then." Friedel could not believe that he had heard arieht. "Shall ft be a. large or a small bottle?" he asked finally. "The largest they have got, and now go, as fast as you can. Stop what have you got there in your pocket?" The boy's face grew crimson, and he seized after his pocket, from which showed a certain blue something that he tried to conceal, con-ceal, but the professor detected his inteu- j tion and drew the something: forth. "What is this? It is the veil from Frauleiu Dora's ! traveling hat, which you were told to carry to the house. How did you come by it?" The suspicious question made the boy all the more embarrassed. He guiltily lowered his eyes aud stammered: "The Frauleiu is going away tomorrow, and I thought aud I wanted " "What did you waut?" asked Normanu persistently, and now Friedel won his courage cour-age and began to talk quite cheerfully. "Fraulein Dora has been so good to me, so very good, and has said she will not forget me in Heidelberg, but Heidelberg is so far away. And she may forget, aud I tnought of what Sepp told us, that time ou the Aim, of the hunter who stole the veil. Sepp said it happened in the present day . Oue had only to prove it, but it must remain stolen and so and so I stole it." "Oh, you silly boy!" said the professor, disgustedly. "You a town boy, and believe such shepherd tales! But you are all alike. Reason is au unknown word to you. If any one comes to you with the silliest of superstitions you will swear by it. It is quite impossible to raise you to a higher standpoint. You will remain in your foolishness. You go immediately and give Fraulien Dora back llf full . II- Tl . . I t- i 1 I if o rwl ; r .. I. . . - "Butt, Herr Professor," she cried, "that sounds almost like the foolish love for humanity hu-manity which you scoffed at so not long since. Go, Friedel." she continued; "I cau finish alone. There, take my hat and carry it into the house." i The boy threw a regretful glance at the drawings which he had been so willingly arranging, but he obeyed, took the hat I it was the little straw hat with the blue veil I that Dora always wore on her mountain tramps and walked away. The young girl looked after him and said to the professor, "Do you not think Friedel has improved wonderfully in the last four weeks?" "1 do not see anything wonderful in the fict," said Normann. "The youngster is pampered and pelted and spoiled like a prince, and I must buy a new suit of clothes for him, which cost a heathenish sum of money." "But how pretty he looks in it! Besides, I only begged for a new jacket, and you bought t ie whole suit and had it made of the best ncatsna!." "Because I was ashamed to have the fellow fel-low running about with us every day in his rags. You take him everywhere with you; we cannot stir a step without him, and the most he ever carries is your sketch book, because be-cause he 'is net strong enough.' I have to carry my owi. things; I uiuat not even suggest sug-gest that he make himself useful. A veritable veri-table tyrauuy is exercised ver the boy and me." "The tryanny is agreeing very well with Freidel," said l)nra, placidly, "and you also, Herr Professor." "Thank you, but I find myself very badly oil indeed, for the boy will ruin mo utterly. I had him so well trained! Once he would not have dared to open his mouth in my room, now he chatters incessantly. At every opportunity I must hear 'Frauleiu Dora djes not like that! Fraulein Dora will not allow that!' And 60, naturally, he does only wl;at Fraulein Dora wills, and snaps his iiiigers ui. i-.e and my commands." "Why do 3 ou allow it?" asked Dora. "I woulda't :I I were iu your place!" She l picked up her tun shade from the garden I seat and leaned it against t!:e wooden gate at her side. "I never made a stroke on it; he did it secretly se-cretly and would not give me the leaf when I surprised him at it. Now look at it So you look when you are cross, and you are always that, you know." That was too much for the professor. He sorang up. "What! I look like that? Am I a bugbear sich as they scare children with? Havel such a nose? such a backwoods mane as that?" "Well, the nose is a little too large, but the forehead and eyes are excellent, and vour hair you never look in the mirror, Herr Professor." "No!" snorted Normann, who grew more and more furious the longer he looked at the picture, that certainly did not flatter him. "Weil, then, pray do so tomorrow, and then you will be just to Fri.-del and exonerate exon-erate him. Your backwoods mane beg pardon, the expression originated from you he h is not exaggerated in the least it is lifelike." "I suppose I am to cut it off and so run about with a shorn head like a convict?" "No you might try a little hair oil, possibly possi-bly it luight make you look a little more human." The professor ran both hands through his hair. "So I look like an animal ? Like an animal! ani-mal! Did you mean that, Fraulien Dora?" "Quite like an auimal, Herr Professor," said Dora, cold bloodcdly. 4 "And now give me back the picture." 'First I will strike the youngster over the ears with it," declared Normann, but the young lady hindered him from executing j his friendly intentions, for she simply took j the sketch out of his hand without further ceremony and laid it in her folio. "Pardon me, but I am going to take it to Heidelberg with me and 6hov it to my teacher, who is one of our best artists. I 1 know beforehand what he will say. If the boy without any instruction, without any assistance, really drew that, he has God-given God-given talent which must be cultivated." "Oho, so that Is your aim, is it?" said the professor. "You wish to make a painter out of the youngster, because he made some scratches with a lead pencil aud produced a "Herr Professor, have you & garden with your house?" "I? No, I live in the center of the city," said Norman, surprised at the question. "We have a beautiful great garden in Heidelberg. Hei-delberg. It lies on a mountain slope, and one can see far away to the lovely Neckar-thal. Neckar-thal. The last winter was very severe, and so many of our shrubs and flowers were de-! de-! stroyed. They ay uprooted, aud in a pile j ready to be carted off, when I came down one morning. I noticed, in the middle of the heap, under all the dry, dead bushes a few little, puny, green leaves. I pulled the stalk out; it was a rose bush, which so sorrowfully sor-rowfully looked out from the rubbish, which it would soon become itself. I drew it out and carried it to our old gardener, who was then transplanting some rose bushes, and he laughed at me and said the thing was frost bitten and would never bloom, and it was not worth doing anything with. But I was so sorry for the poor little thing, that had nude such a struggle to send out the few little, sickly leaves in the first spring sunshine, sun-shine, and that would soon be withered and dead, while all its mates in the garden were coming out greeu and vigorous, that I planted it myself in a sunny place and watered it every day. It pined for weeks aud could not thrive, but bye and bye it began be-gan to pick uu, aud grew 6trong aud green, and in the flowering time it was loaded down with roses." The usually clear voice of the young girl sounded now soft and veiled, and the merry brown eyes looked strangely earnest into those of the professor, who did uot reply by a syllable, but who looked at her fixedly. After a moment's silence Dora continued gently: ' ''When I look into Friedel's pretty blue eyes and see howjthey light up when he hears or sees anything of painting, then I thiuk of my poor little bush, with its first puny leaves aud its splendid roses." There was another pause ; then Normann said in a pewiHarly changed tone: "H'm! I will reflect ou what you say." Dora stood up aud took her sketch books. "Please do so, Herr Professor! I have received re-ceived today a very fierce 'no.' I will take with me tomorrow on my journey just as HIGHER STANDPOINT. l'roui the German of E. Werner. THANSLATEO BY MARY E. ALMI. Professor Herwig's dwelling in Schlehdorf M as exceedingly simple, as one might expect in the little mountain retreat, and it lacked irar.y accustomed comforts, but the little house was pleasant and clean and commanded com-manded a line view of the surrounding Mountains. A small garden separated it from the next house, which Professor Nor-iiiunn Nor-iiiunn occupied, and naturally the neighbors Lad daily intercourse with one another. In the large room, even with the ground, that served as Herwig's living room, the 1 wo gentlemen sat in earnest conversation, und so absorbed in it that they did not observe ob-serve the glorious sunset, or hear the song which came in through the open window. Outside, in the arbor, sat Dora, trying to teach Friedel some songs. He seemed au tj't pupil, for he sang in a pure, but weak voice th" melody after her, which he caught vt-ry quickly. j "As I said to 3'ou," concluded Herwig after n long discussion, "Professor Welton j.ocs to Vienna in the early spring. The negotiations ne-gotiations are still pending, but there Is no ooubt but what he will accept. I know from best authority that they would be very glad to have 3-ou take his place in the university, but up to now you have shown a decided aversion to takiug upon yourself such work, but its a most fruitful field of activity, "Yes up to now!" said Normann, with a certain embarrassment which his colleague, however, overlooked, for ho continued with ing by the window, in spite of his indignation, indigna-tion, probably to enjoy thoroughly his anger, an-ger, which the singing increased. Herwig showed a good deal of embarrassment, embarrass-ment, for Normann's charge was not entirely unfounded. Dora was on a perpetual war footing with his colleague, and showed him not the least veneration, or respect. Even her father's admonitions had no effect, and now he could ouly shrug his shoulders. "Y'ou must have forbearance with the merriment. I shall have to admit that my daughter is somewhat spoiled and wilfui. Mie lost her mother when very young and she knows only too well that she has the lirst place iu the heart and house of her father, where she represents the mistress. In society she is entirely yielded to. the students pay her eager court, and the 3"oung professors, also, aud most of them with serious intent. Such a young thing imagines it can play with all the world, and forgets what it owes to a man of your years and 3'oui distinction." The well meant apology had not the desired de-sired effect. Herr Professor Normann's mouth drew as it 0118 had given him something some-thing very bitter to taste. "Of my years?" he repeated, protractedly. "How old do you take me to be?" "I think you stand iu the middle of the forties." " Thanks, I am just thirty-nine!" "Well, do not be offended," laughed Herwig, Her-wig, "but you look much older. But you can afford to be indifferent to that. In Bcience 3-ou can count yourself absolutely with the devotees." The conversation was here interrupted. The housekeeper entered and informed Herr Herwig that the man who was to drive himself him-self and the young Fraulein to the station the next morning was there and would like to speak to him about the luggage and hour of starling. "1 will go out and see him," said Herwig, rising. "We will see each other again be- iui.ii!., iiouiujiLi.c, mat one so reaii 111s most secret thoughts and plans. He was considerably embarrassed over it "Do not attempt to deny it," continued Dora triumphantly. "When we undertook to climb the Ahn, you gave me a long lecture, that it would be very fortunate and profitable profita-ble for maukind if such a sickly specimen of humanity as Friedel Bhould die as soon as possible, and then you carried him for au hour long in the broiling heat of the sun. iu order to get him help as soon as possible. When he was brought to Schlehdorf, and I wanted to nurse him, you were rude, and declared you could do everything vourself. You sat by his bed all night, and "changed the cloths ou his head. Now you obstinately advocate the . boot-blacking, but as soon as my back is turned, Friedel will have his lead pencil in his hand. Do not look so cross, Herr Professor! I do not believe you anymore, any-more, not one word. You have "lost the game with your pretended heartlessness." Normann had made au attempt to assert the old brusqueness, but he did not succeed. He was conscious of his failure, and now-bent now-bent his head down to hers, and asked in a restrained voice: "Fraulein Dora, will you sometimes think of me?" The tone of the questioner was so earnest j that it did not permit of a trifling answer. Dora's head sansc. "Do you think you will come to Heidel-burg?" Heidel-burg?" "Possibly, in the early spring. Yet from now until then, you will long since have forgotten me." "No!" said the young girl in a low but firm voice, and slowly raised again the beautiful beau-tiful brown eyes, that plunged deep into those of the questioner, deep and earnestly, and he must have given full belief to the utterance, for his hand suddenly closed around hers with au eager, passionate pressure. pres-sure. Just then the door opened and Professor Herwig appeared. He, too, noted with exceeding ex-ceeding great surprise the sleek appearance of his colleague, but knowing his" sensitiveness, sensitive-ness, he made no commeuts. but shook him by the hand, while Dora went into the house to get her hat and gloves, and presently one heard her voice within. "I wish I knew where my veil Is! It was on my hat, and now I cannot find it anywhere." any-where." (Continued next Saturday.) his master's. He really felt very superior, by his ciforU. Now the door opened, and Dora came out iu full traveling attire. She nodded pleasantly pleas-antly to her protege, whom she first noticed, and was returning his morning greeting when the professor stood before her, saying with a certain solemnity: 'trood morning, Fraulein Dora!" Dora turned arouud, looked at him a moment, mo-ment, dumb with astonishment, then burst into a veritable fit of laughter. - "But, Fraulein Dora 1" Normanu straightened straight-ened himself up, deeply offended. He had expected his appearance to cause a very different dif-ferent effect. j "Do excuse me, Herr Professor " the I young girl tried in vain to master her impetuous impet-uous hilarity, "I would not hurt your feelings feel-ings but Oh, it is too delicious!" and she nearly choked for laughing. "Fraulein Dora, don't you laugh at me again," cried the professor threateningly, and was about to run his fingers through his hair as was his habit but bethought himself iu time that under its present condition it would not be advisable. He pressed his hands convulsively against his body and continued con-tinued in an aimost mournful tone: "You advised me to get hair oil, and I used almost a whole bottle, and Friedel took the rest." "Yes, he also looks like a guy," cried Dora, aud gave way to another explosion. Now this was really going too far, but a very remarkable gentleness seemed to have come over the professor with his anointing, anoint-ing, for instead of flying into a passion, he said in a tone of deepest reproach, "You ridicule me and I did it only on your account" ac-count" "On my account?" Dora was suddenly serious, her eye met his, and then she stretched out her baud to him and said softly, "Then I will not laugh any more." "Friedel had carried his bouquet into the arbor, as he did not wish to present it until the moment of departure, and he was m'uch perplexed to know why the professor held so long and close the little hand that lay in bis, and then, too, he seemed to be in a very peaceful temper this morning, and what an eager conversation he was carrying on with the frauiein as they walked up and down. Then the boy's heart began to flutter he must be telling her about the veil. Suppose Fraulein Dora should be angry! But evidently evi-dently the conversation was not about the how silly you have behaved." Friedel hung his head at this sermon on credulity. He threw a longing glance on the, still to him, magical texture, and slipped away much ashamed. - The sun had set long since and the afterglow after-glow had vanished, the twilight came on softiy and dreamily and veiled the landscape in its cool, grey shadows. Now slowly emerged the moon from behind the mountains moun-tains aud deep stillness and peace encircled the earth. Professor Normann still sat in the arbor and fumed to himself over the superstition of people in general, and over Friedel's in particular, but all the time he held the blue veil in his hand. What arrant nonsense old Sepp had talked that day on the Ahn. Normann remembered every word distinctly. "So it is iu the present pres-ent day, if a lad is iu love, he must steal a veil or a handkerchief will do, if it belongs to a madchen in the mountains, then she will never forget him, and she will be iu his thoughts day and night and never leave him but it must ever remain stolen." That foolish boy, Freidel! As if a fourteen year old youngster knew what "love" meant! The professor still kept his eyes fixed on the gauzy texture in his hand. He had so often seen it in their mountain tramps, as it fluttered about the brown braids and rosy cheeks, and now all that was at an end. Tomorrow the clear merry laugh would be mute and the fresh young face would have vanished. Then the pleasant life in Heidelberg would begin in the hospitable Herwig mansion. Then would come all the students aud the professors, with their "serious intentions," to pay court to the daughter of the house; and then winter, with its society and ball6, and this summer outing and all that belongs it would be forgotton, naturally forgotten naturally 1 The moon now threw its first beams through the leafy roof of the arbor, and it alone "saw how Professor Julius Normann, this "light of science," this august freethinker, free-thinker, sank step by step down from his "higher standpoint" ever lower, until he reached the level of the much despised superstition. And then came a moment when the moon must really hide his face not to see what was happening. The professor, looking shyly around, carefully folded the blue veil together and concealed huimauon: "I hope I can induce you to change your mind; believe me, it is an elevating work, and we need young, vigorous new blood if Welteu leaves us. I have been iu doubt whether you could be persuaded to accept the position for . Does the singing out these disturb you ? Dora can seek another place, or we will close the window." He made a movement toward the window, for he had noticed that Normann, instead of listening to him, was continually turning his head in that direction. But like a bird of prey, the professor shot by him aud placed himself before it. "Who do? I was not listening; didn't hear it and isn't it warm in the room?" "Well, as you will," said Herwig. "To return to the subject of Heidelberg, you are perfectly acquainted with the academical relations, the society is most pleasant, and the beautiful situation of the city is also a consideration with most people." "I never go into society," declared Normanu Nor-manu with his usual gruffuess, "and I should make nothing out of the situation you know I have very little interest in landscapes." land-scapes." "Yes, I know that, and have given up the hope of converting you but Dora, what's that? Just hear the saucy girl; she overheard over-heard your last words, and is making fun of you." Dora had suddenly broken off in the middle mid-dle of a song, and begun another. She possessed a lovely voice, and in the evening stillness it sounded delightfully soft and alluring. al-luring. Alt Heidelberg, Dufeine, Du Stadt au tiiren reich, Am Neckur und am HUoine Kein and re Kommt Dir gleich. At the second verse Friedel's voice joined hers, at first timid and uncertain, but he caught the melody quickly and the third verse he sang out bravely. "Yes, Fraulein Dora seems to enjoy making sport of me at every opportunity," paid Xormaun testily. "She has won Friedel Frie-del away from me and acts as if he were her exclusive property. I hardly catch sight of the youngster any more, and now she is teaching him to sing to sing because she . knows I detest it. But God forgive him. If he lets himself forget and sing in my presence!" pres-ence!" Nevertheless the professor remained think- "Yes, why really do I permit it?" repeated Xormaun in apparently a high degree of irritation, irri-tation, and quickly took the vacaut place ou the seat "Yo.i trouble yourself very little ; about my opposition." j "Xo, und I will nut suffer that Friedel shall be made a m-j iiiuc of, as he wasouee. What do 3'ou reaiiy mean to do with him when you return : ihe cit;- " "Ho will 'duck, my boots," declared the professor with i:rim delight. "Or did you suppose I was going to coulinue making a pet of him as you have done, my Fraulein? ; He is no consumptive, the doctor says, ouly stunted; he only needs air, exercise and nourishing food. Well, he has that now, aud if it brings him good health, so much the better for him. Then, there will be an end to his life of a hcio, and he can return again to blacking boots from morning till night." "Have 3'ou, theu, such au unending stock of boots?" exclaimed the young girl, and j she broke out into a clear merry laugh that j brought th'j professor to despair. j "Do not laugh. Fraulein Dora," he said angrily; "I mast seriously insist that you do uot make fun of me; that-" "That I do not laugh at the Professor Julius Ju-lius Normann, the Liglr of Science, who possesses fco many boots that it will take one from morning until night to black them," interrupted Dora, still laughing 'til the tears ran from her eyes. "That will be beyond poor Friedel's strength, aud I have quite another an-other proposition to make to you." "Shall the youngster be an opera singer," asked Normann, maliciously, "or shall I let him study so he can become another light of science ?" "Not just that, but something like it. Look at this Friedel's first artistic effort." Dora drew from her folio a single leaf and gave it to the professor, who took it very distrustfully, but re had scarcely given it a glance when he burst out into a rage. "The infamous young rascal; so that is his gratitude! He draws me as a scarecrow, does he? Well, lucky for him if he doesn't fall under my bands." Tho youiig feiri'' lips drfcw for another outburst out-burst of laughter, but she forced it back and kept a serious face. "Ah, then you recognize the picture?" "Naturally; it i a speaking likeness, but Friedel nevsr made it alone; you helped him." lore 1 leave, aear colleague, j. lear you win be glad when you are fairly ni of your troublesome neighbors." 1 The Herr Colleague was impolite enough j not to contradict him, but he did not look particularly glad, as he also rose and left the room. On the contrary he seemed to be in a very ill humor, in spite of the prospect j of the desired rest and quiet which the ab- J sence of the young girl would insure him. j Outside in the arbor sat Dora, arranging 1 her sketches and drawings, which she had made during her stay in Schlehdorf, and which she was about to pack up. There were some landscapes in water colors, aud some studies of heads, and the work all together to-gether showed no remarkable ariistic gift, but still a pretty fresh taleut. Friedel laid the single leaves in the folio, and almost devoured them with his eyes, lie carried yet a broad, bright scar on his forehead, a reminder of that fall from the rocks, but otherwise he had changed remarkably re-markably in the last four weeks. His bearing bear-ing was freer and stronger, and his face had become animated. Instead of the sickly pa'or, there was a slight flush on his cheeks. The dark circles below his eyes had disappeared, disap-peared, as also his shyness and repression. He no longer wore the cheap, half-worn-out ciothes which he had brought with him, but an entire new snit, and the jacket with the green lapels and the little jockey cap were very becoming to him, and for the first time one saw that Friedel was really a very handsome hand-some lad. The woe-begone looking child of the city, who had breathed for the first time the keen mountain air, who had known for the first time in his life freedom and happiness, happi-ness, had literally bloomed out with this health-giving medicine. Into the lively talk that Dora was carrying on with her protege came the professor, like a wet blanket, and disturbed the whole relation rela-tion of things. "Have you entirely forgotten that it is 7 o'clock?" he said crossly. "You should drink your evening milk and be punctual in doing it! I brought the boy with me here to the mountains, at the useless insistance of the doctors, to try to put a human face on him, and there he sits pouring over those pictures instead of drinking his milk, and naturally I shall take home with me the same wretched-looking object I brought here! Go over to the cow stable immediately, sir!" Dora had listened with astonishment scarecrow of me. lou think It would be very romantic to discover God-given talent in rags, and to give a modern Raphael to the world. Young ladies very often are given to such imaginings. It is very touching, touch-ing, so humane, so sublime the devil take all these high-flown feelings, which do so much mischief in the world. You know that I " "Yes, I understand you occupy a higher standpoint," Dora interrupted him. "You do not believe in the so-called love of humanity, hu-manity, I know that well." "Aud for that reason I will not allow that boy's head to be filled with whims," declared de-clared Normann, exasperated by the young girl's sarcasm. "If he took drawing lessons les-sons he would imagine he wouid become a great artist, and picture to himself a grand career, and finally if nothing came of it all he would be left to wretchedly fold his hands or become a sign painter, and then he would be very unhappy, for fancies that once enter en-ter the head do not so easily leave. No, 1113- Fraulein, nothing will come of it. You call it 'love of humanity' to take such a youth out of the sphere in life to which he belongs and set him, baphazzard, into another. an-other. I tell 3ou that it would be an injustice in-justice and misfortune to him, and this time I stand quite determinedly." The determination apparently helped the Herr Professor very little. Dora closed her portfolio and said as calmly as if she had met with the most friendly concurrence: "M3- judgment is not infallible, naturally, but if my teacher supports it, something shall be done for Friedel. Unfortunately my father is not rich enough to make the sacrifice, but you are well able, and you must do it" "I must?" repeated Normann, quite dazed over the effect, or rather the lack of effect, of his positive declaration. "So, because my colleague Herwig cannot do the foolishness, foolish-ness, I must do itt And that is self-evident? But there you err, my Frauleiu. Friedel is a day-laborer-child, and he must fight his way through the world like the rest of his kind, and his business will be boot-blacking, that's settled 1" He threw himself down on the bench with a jolt to give more emphasis to the words, and thought with "that's settled" that he had settled it, but he had under estimated his young adversary, who suddenly dropped the subject, and asked quite artlessly: fierce a '3'es. uoou-mght And now rang out again the fresh, saucy laugh that had so often enraged the professor, pro-fessor, and which yet he listened to, as to music. Without waiting for au answer, the young girl hurriedaway and disappeared into the house. Normanu looked after her for some moments,- immovable; then he thrust both hands in his hair, his favorite trick, but this time it evidently caused him discomfort. "Do I really look as the cursed youngster has caricatured me?" he muttered. "And to show my gratitude for it I must see that he has instruction! How she related the story of the rose-bush! One would have liked to take the girl in his arms and " here he stopped short, quite frightened by the monstrous mon-strous thoughts which had suddenly mounted within him. But, unfortunately, bad thoughts have a way of constantly presenting themselves, and so it was with the poor professor. He was possessed by them, until by veritable fury he shook them off. "Madness! When I go to Heidelburg she will be betiothed, and I will be expected to witness the joy, and to otfur my most respectful re-spectful congratulations. The students all pay her court, and the professors ai well, 'with serious intentions' I should like to wring all their necks!" he concluded vindictively vin-dictively with a very expressive hand motion, mo-tion, so that Friedel, who just then entered the arbor, 6prang back, startled. "Well, I didn't mean that for you. Tou needu't be scared," he growled. "I do not get frightened any more," assured as-sured the boy, simple heartedly, but bis lord and master took umbrage at the speech. "So you no longer have any respect for me, and you tell me so to my face? The fellow isn't afraid any more! I will soon make him so again. Friedel, come here, sir!" Friedel obeyed, but he looked up with fearless blue eyes to the professor, who at the worst had only intended to read the lad a severe lecture on account of the "scarecrow" "scare-crow" picture, but again came to his memory mem-ory the story of the rosebush, and the lecture lec-ture changed to a very simple request "Friedel, tomorrow the professor and his daughter go away. Go directly and get me " "A bouquet of flowers?" broke in Friedel, understanding. |