Show I I II I i iI I I iI II I I I Tho no Young Vintner Tho 3 bl black k eagle Zum Ad- Ad dI I tt n th the was a a. prosperous of the tho second Th house J was years td d had haj ben been in the thc aJer all that um 1 Frau Bauer of 01 a as wa been bren mi 1111 ia- ia 1 j lIne she would have been lightly dubbed 1 VII fefe w was wa a and yie-c- yie forc o n ft uncrowned w She e h haU n be-n a Ucla 1 lor or many a day for the novelty of ooin r I own mana manager gel had roi rOl yet worn rn of oft I t was 38 38 plump pretty in a tu e He Vo J j. and vise I wis w. 11 1 wc I to lui luJ f about labout the English bar where she kept the the cash cash drawer it was useless to whis- whis i I per sweet nothings into her ear car it was more than useless It was Go along with you ou herr I wouldn't marry the best man man U ing I can add r the accounts I can manage Vh Why should I marry I. I But marriage is is the natural state Herr I 1 crossed the long ago but having it ft never aga again ll shall X I I go back One o n farcy If you o J Thank you 1 llIO retort had become ta habit the Frau Virten and wK-n wK rf t da day went by without a proposal h went to Q be-Q w with the e sense that tn lay had nad not f n nw wholly oll est st successful s ft Tonight the main room of the tavern do swam in a blue haze of smoke which l rose to the blackened rafters huns hung with many and various sausages cheeses and andI I t dried vegetables Dishes clattered there was was a a. buzzing of voices a crap n ot Heet feet and chairs a banging of altogether noisy and nd cheerful The Frau preferred waitresses and this preference was shared by her patrons They were quicker cleaner they remembered remembered an order better they were hot always always al- al ways surreptitiously emptying the dregs of ot tankards on the way to th ebar as men Invariably did Besides the barmaid was wa an n English institution and the Frau greatly greatly admired admired that race though no one knew why The girls were fully able to defend themselves and were not at all diffident In boxing a smart fellows fellow's fel fel- fellows fellow's lows low's ears They had a a. rough wit and could give and take If a man thought this an invitation and tried to take a kiss he generally had his face slapped tor his pains and the Frau was always on- on the side of her girls 1 The smoke was so thick one could scarcely see two tables away and if any foreigners chanced to open a window there was a hubbub windows were made for tor light not air There Were ere soldiers pon officers for for the fall maneuvers brought many to Dreiberg farmers farmer and their theil families and men of the locality who made the Black Eagle a kind of Socialist club Socialism was taking hold In those da days s and the and the men were tremendously serious and se- se fu regarding It ft as it wasn't strong enough nough to be popular with governments It which ruled by hereditary might and r right Gretchen came in a little better dressed than in the day time the change consisting of coarse stockings and shoes shoes' of or leather of which she was singly proud you want ant me Frau for for's fors s 's is a little while tonight she asked Till 9 Half a crown as usual K Gretchen sought the kitchen and found an apron and cap These halts crowns clowns were tine fine things to pick up occasionally for It was only upon occasions occasions- that she worked at the Black Eagle iv i- i In an obscure corner comer sat the young V intner He h had d finished his supper and V was watching and scrutinizing all who tame ame in His face brightened as he saw the goose girl he would have known t that head an anywhere Where whether he saw the face or not He wanted to go to her at once but knew this action would not be I wise f I In the In the very corner itself his back to toJ J the and nothing but the wall to look at was the old man mall in tatters 0 and patches the mountaineer who pos pos- a a- Swiss watch and gave golden f coins coln to goose girls He lIe w was s busily engaged en- en in the of chicken gnawing leg a times he sipped his beer r T- T f. f Carmichael had forgotten some papers day He had He-had had dined early at the v otel and returned at once to the thel con con- He was often a visitor at the Black Eagle The beer was sweet and V COOl So having pocketed his papers he J- J was of a mind to carry carryon on a bit of oft 4 t badinage with Frau Bauer As he stepped into nto the big hall In his evening clothes he was was' wasas as conspicuous as a passing ship Tv I at sea i. i Good evening Frau v Good evening your you I excellency She Sho k i as 5 quite fluttered when this fine young V Jan spoke to her bel He was the the only only per per- caused her embarrassment who ever even c though temporary There was always al- al 9 ways a. a whimsical smile on his lips and t. t eyes and Frau Bauer never knew fr tJ exactly how to take him What is on f i I jour ur mind brightly A I things You haven't aged he J ast since last Jast I saw you ou A- A if was day b before yesterday 1 ke keth th erg any further r r back than that r Not l Not an hour I turned to make change while f Cart Car Car- t michaels eyes ees roved in search of ot a va- va f i jf ent nt hair Ho He saw Haw but one 5 The goose girl he murmured sud- sud Is Gretchen one of or your our wall wait q sell j y She comes in once in a while She's SheI 1 good girl and Im I'm glad to help her bel Fia r Bauer replied VAs y do not recollect having seen her here Before t t That is because you rarely come at i iret hen carried a tray upon which L.-f L. a vegetable stew Sho s saw sV V Carand Car Car- j jt michael and nodded i- i 1 Ishall be at yonder table he said the vacant hall chair Will Viii you me a tankard of brown Ehren- Ehren I II I r At once herr armichael made his way to the table lt to cross the room he had not recognized I t Vintner but now he remembered He lIe ad him against a a. wall two or orv t v sr 4 before ff aYI yg I Ji seat Is' Is not reserved herr he I pleasantly with his hand on the back backof of the chair as o. o There was no cordiality In the The vintner turned back the 1 t his stein and drank slowly d t sat down sidewise viewing the scene ene with never waning Interest The e German taverns were the delight of cf l ls soul Everybody was so kindly orderly and and hungry They ate and like persons s whose consciences n j-en j were not overburdened o From the corner pf of fils ey eye he observed that the vintner was wa studying Mm Now this vintners vintner's race face was something familiar Carmichael stirred his memory It was ot in Drei- Drei he bers that he had seen Been him before But where Gretchen arrived with the tankard which she sat down at Carmichaels Carmichael's el el- el bow Will you Ou not Join me herr he Invited in In- In Thank you said the vintner without without with with- out hesitation He smiled at Gretchen and the phe smiled at it him Carmichael smiled at them both tolerantly What will you be drinking Brown id the vintner Gretchen took up the empty tankard tanh-ard and made oft off The eyes of oC the two men followed her till Ull she reached th the dim ba bar I then their glances swung round and met Carmichael was first to speak peak not be- be rau UC c he was Voas forced to but because If It THE G OSE GIRL BY HAROLD MACGRATH Wot iI Copyrighted by Merrill Bobbs-Merrill Co Are All Americans Rich Kich Sue She Asked Soberly was his fancy at that moment to give the vintner the best of it She is a fine girl Yes tentatively She is the handsomest peasant I ever saw or knew You know her There was a spark in the vintners vintner's eyes Only for lor a few da days s She in interests me Carmichael produced a pipe and lighted ted itAh it Ah yes the tho pretty peasant girl al always always al- al ways interests you gentlemen There was a note of bitterness Did you OU come here to seek her This is the first time I J ever saw her here And let me ad eve evenly ly that my interest In her is not of the order you would infer She is' is good and patient and brave and m my interest in her is im Im- personal It Is not necessary for me to tomake tomake make any explanations but I do so Pardon me The vintner was plainly plain plain- ly abashed Granted But ut you you seem to possess possess pos pos- sess a a. peculiar Interest The vintner flushed I have that right with an air which rather mystified mystified fied Carmichael That explains ins ins' everything I do not recollect seeing you before in the Black BlackEagle Eagle I am from the north a vintner and there here Is plenty of work here in the valle val val- le eys s 's late in September The grape mused Carmichael You will never learn how to press it as they do in jn France It is wine there it is vinegar this side of ot the Rhine France said the vintner moodily Do you think there will be any France FranceIn In n the future Carmichael laughed France Franceis is an incurable cosmic malady it will always be e. e It may be beaten devastated led but It will not die You are fond of I- I Franco rance Very Do you think it wise wise- to say so here I am the American consul nobody minds m my opinions The American consul repeated the vintner Gretchen could now be be seen wending her ler return In and out among the clustering clus- clus ering tables She set the tankards down and Carmichael put out a sliver silver crown And do not not bother bother about the change Are all Americans rich she asked soberly oberly Do you never keep the change yourselves Not when we are in our Sunday clothes Then it is vanity Gretchen shook her ler head wisely Une is worth only our Jour coppers too to- ni bt he said The vintner laughed pleasantly Gretchen Gretchen Gret Gret- chen look looked ell Into his eyes and an echo found haven in her own Carmichael thirstily drank his first thinking So this vintner is isn In n love with our goose girl Confound ny my memory It never failed me like this before J I would give twenty crowns to know enow where I have seen seen- him Its It's only the he time and place that bo bothers hers mo me not he the face A fine beer he said aloud holding up the second tankard The vintner raised his there was an unconscious grace In the movement nt A covert glance at his hand satisfied Car Carmichael michael 1 in regard one e thing g I He g r vr f fh fhe t might be e a vintner b but the h hand was as as soft and well ll kept as a woman's womans for all tt t that It w was s stained by wind and sun shine A handsome beggar whoever and whatever he was But a second thought disturbed him Could a man with hands lIk these mean well toward Gretchen He was a a. thorough man n of the world ie knew Innocence at first glance and Gretchen was both innocent and un un- un worldly To the right man she might be he easy prey Never to a a. a man like Colonel von Wallenstein whoso whose power and high office were alike to any girl of the peasantry out a man Inthe in inthe the guise Kulse of her own class of h her r own world and people people- here was wasa a snare Gretchen might not be able to foresee He would watch this fellow and at the first sign of an evil muscular muscular mus mus- cular brown hands opened and shut ominous om om- inous The vintner did not observe this peculiar of the hands and Carmichaels Carmichael's face was bland I A tankard rapping a table nearby I called Gretchen to her duties There was something reluctant in her ber step in the goodbye glance In the sudden fall Call of the smiling lips She Sho will make some man a good wife said laid Carmichael The vintner scowled at his tankard He is not sure of her thought Car Car- michael Aloud he said What a funny funny fun fun- ny world It Is How Gretchen is beautiful enough to be bea a queen and yet she is merely merel a Hebe Hebein in a tavern Hebe suspiciously The peasant Is always alwa's suspicious of ot anything he doesn't understand Hebe was a cup bearer to the mythological mythological logical gods In olden times Carmichael explained He lIe had set a trap but the vintner Intner had not fallen into ItA ItA It A fairy story The vintner nodded he understood now Carmichaels Carmichael's glance once more rested on the vintners vintner's hand He would lay another another an an- other trap What happened to her Oh b s said Carmichael she spilled eba Y WI wine on a god o one day and t they banished her It must ha have i le ee a rare vintage I J suppose you ou are familiar with all aU 1111 l Yes That is a fine country The old man in m tatters sat erect in his chair but he did not turn his headY head Y You ou ha have vc served A little f I could be an officer 1 should like the army The vintner reached for his pipe which lay on tho table Try this urged Carmichael offering his pouch This will be good tobacco I know The vintner filled his pipe Carmichael followed this gift with many questions about wines and vintages vintages vin and hidden In these questions were a dozen clever traps But theother the tho other walked over them un hesitant with witha a certainty of step which chagrined the trapper By and by the tho vintner rose and bade his table companion a good night He had not offered to buy anything another sign puzzling to Carmichael This frugality frugality fru fru- was purely of the thrifty peasant But the vintner was not ungrateful and he expressed many thanks On his way to the door he stopped whispered into Gretchen's ear and passed out into tho black street Either he is a fine actor or he is really what he says he Is Carmichael was dissatisfied Ill stake my chances of being president of the United States which is safe enough as a wager that this fellow is not genuine Ill I'll watch him Ive I've stumbled upon a pretty ro romance romance ro- ro mance of some sort but I fear that it itis itis is one sided He wrinkled his tore fore head nead but that part of his recollection he aimed to stir slit remained fallow in darkness T TUe e press in the room was thinning There g e Jer were vacant a chairs dh h here ta and Jh there 1 now A carter at sauntered d past and sat down unconcernedly at the table occupied pied pid by the thA old man whose face Carmichael Carmichael Car Car- michael had not yet seen The two exchanged ex ex- changed not even BO so much as a casual nod A little later a butcher approached the same table and seated himself after the manner of the carter It was only when the dusty baker came along and repeated d this procedure preserving the same silence that Carmichaels Carmichael's curiosity was enlivened This curiosity however how how- ever was only of the evanescent order Undoubtedly they t were socialists and this was a little conclave and the peculiar peculiar pe pe- culiar manner of 01 their meeting the silence sl- sl lence ence and mystery were purely fictional Socialism at that time revolved round the blowing up of kings of demolishing established order Neither kings were blown slown up nor order demolished but it was a congenial topic over which w to while away an evening This was Inthe in inthe the German states in Russia it was a different matter Had Carmichael not fallen ad roaming over his pipe he would have seen the theold theold old man pass three slips of paper across the table he would have seen the carter the butcher and the baker pocket these slips stolidly he would have seen the mountaineer wave his hand sharply and the trio rise and disperse And perhaps It would have been well for tor him to have noted these singular manifestations manifestations' of conspiracy since shortly he was to become become be be- come somewhat Involved It was growIng growing grow grow- ing late so Carmichael left the Black BlackEagle BlackEagle Eagle nursing the sunken ember In his pipe and surrendering no part of his dream Intermediately the mountaineer paid Ills his score and started for the stairs which led to the bedrooms above But he stopped at the bar A very old man was having a pail filled with hot cabbage soup It was the tho ancient clock mender across the tho way |