Page 3 (1/1)

He had followed yonder goose-girl ever since the incline began Oft the little wooden shoes had lagged, but here they were, still a hundred yards or uish her features The galloping of soldiers up and down the road from time to time disturbed her flock, but she was evidently a patient soul, and relied valiantly upon her stick ofOnce or twice he had been inclined to hasten his steps, to join her, to talk, to hear the grateful sound of his own voice, which he had not heard since he passed the frontier customs; yet each time he had subdued the desire and continued to lessen none of the distance between theirl was indeed tired, and the little wooden shoes grew heavier and heavier, and the little bare feet ached dully; but her heart was light and her eese in the valley and trudged back at evening alone, all told athem into the city to sell in the market on the morrow After that she would have little to do save an hour or two at night in a tavern called the Black Eagle, where she waited on patrons

On the tent, the old irl in wooden shoes The htly, and the voice eet and strong and true

"She is happy; that is some recompense She is richer than I am" And the peasant fell into a reverie

Presently there was a clatter of horses, a jingle of bit and spur and saber The old man stepped to the side of the road and sat down on the stone parapet It would be wiser noait till the dust settled Half a dozen mounted officers trotted past The peasant on the parapet instantly recognized one of the men He saluted with a hurand duke himself There was General Ducwitz, too, and so h he rode like a cavalrylish arand duke of Ehrenstein bothered himself about forretfully as they went by, and there was sooose-girl, the peace of the scene vanished forthwith Confusion took up the scepter The silly geese, instead of rehtway detere was on the opposite side Gonk-gonk! Quack-quack! They scrao over the horses, soainst the grand duke's chest and swept his vizored cap off his head and rolled it into the dust The duke signed to his conified hed heartily, however; all excepting the goose-girl To her it was far fro es And she was so tired