Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 April 1908 — A stratagem; [ARTICLE]

A stratagem;

“Now, my dear Franz, let us talk as man to man. Ton do not love her but for the money she will bring you, which would be 51.000, with which you would set yourself up in the turn. Ing business. Her father favors you, for you are a decent sort of fellow, and dislikes me, for I am somewhat of a devil. Now, as money is the idea, I will give you hard cash in hand |1,500 to take yourself out of the way.” “What! Pay It to me on the spot?” “Yes, on the spot.” “All right, then; give me the money and I will leave the city.” Now, it happened, as is frequently the case, that the fair Gretchen liked the better looking man of the two despite his spice of gayety. Her father, a tobacconist, however, was so dead set against him that it was impossible for him to visit her openly, and so the two had recourse to stratagem. They met in the dead of night, and she startled Carl by whispering in his ear that she was sure that both she and her father were to remove from the city, as'she had witnessed many strange movements which could not be accounted for in any other way. “Hum, hum!" thought that shrewd young man. “This will not do. Try to bewail Franz for a day or two, and perhaps your father will tell you.” The little blue eyed minx actually did this wicked thing and wept copiously for hours together. “Deserted—ah—deserted! Oh, Frans, Franz! Oh, the wickedness of wretch, ed man!” It worked well. The father was at first a trifle suspicious, but, being finally convinced by his fair daughter’s prolonged misery, whispered this in her ear: “Don’t be alarmed, my love. I am glad you are awaking to the merits of this estimable young man. He is not far off, only 100 miles or so, and we will go to him. It is necessary that he should be hid for the present on account of the vengeance of some rascals whom he ruined, but he cannot get on without you, and so tomorrow we will meet him, and you may marry the dear boy as soon as you choose, and, to tell the truth, we have arranged to have the ceremony performed at the third station from this city by a friend of mine, who will get aboard the train at that point.” All this was not long withheld from the gaping ears of Carl, who stared at this new evidence of the fallibility of mankind. “He tried to cheat me out of my $1,500, did he? Well, then, we’ll see if we can’t do some cheating on our own account. Kiss me, Gretchen, and hug me, if you choose, but don’t be afraid. Go on bewailing.” The time came. The goods and chattels of the tobacco merchant were packed, and in the darkness of the night he smoked his parting pipe, sitting on a corded box containing his wardrobe, while Gretchen, pale and shivering, sat beside him, holding her satchel and looking anxiously at her forefinger, on which as yet no ring appeared. Meanwhile strange things were going on a few miles out of town. The virtuous Franz walked out of his lodgings and proceeded to the depot, chuckling. He was in his normal condition, half intoxicated. At a dark part of the way he was jumped upon by a strong fellow, who took him up bodily and carried him to a stable In the rear of some buildings, preventing him from crying as he went. He ehtered a dark spot, and then, on shutting a door, he turned up a light. Of course it was Carl. He took some leather straps from a harness and bound up the fellow very tight and bandaged his mouth. “Now, my dear devil, we are likely to be even. You shall stay where you are until somebody finds you in the morning, and I shall go and marry your intended wife. It was all found out, and I have half a mind to thrash you on the spot. It was a mean trick you attempted to play—infernally mean—but we shall be even, my lad.” An hour later a train steamed into the station, and a man with Franz’s drunken gait, his cloak and cap, staggered into the rear compartment where were the honest tobacconist and his daughter and the minister with divine powers. The tobacconist embraced the newcomer. “Ah, my beloved Franz, my son, my jovial boy! No wonder you drank on this joyful day”’ Franz, however, seemed to prefer the embraces of the sweet girl, who flew at him with all ardor. It was necessary -that the work should be done quickly, as the honorable minister must get out at the next station to go to a dinner party, so they stood up, and In a few minutes it was completed. The minister and the train came to the station. Carl and his wife arose. “But you are not going to get out here, Franz!” cried the father. “Yes,” replied Carl, “as well here as anywhere.” All alighted. They went into the. brilliantly lighted saloon. Carl took off hat. The tobacconist uttered an oath like the sound of a mortar and sank prostrate upon the seat. Ten minutes did he glare, and ten minutes more did he rave and curse. It blew over. All things blow over. Franz got sls damages for bruised ankles and hurt spirit, but all are now happy In the extreme.