up money enough. That had been seven years ago, and still he had not joined them. He would never see his father, who had died two years before while John was still in High-School. Without a word the seventeen-yearold boy had taken up the support of his mother. Many of the young fellows with whom he worked belonged to the militia. And he was persuaded to join them. His mother remembered how Karl had been forced to undergo three years' military training in Germany. Truly the United States was a wonderful country where German. Frenchman, Italian. Polack and Swede lived lIide by side in peace and harmony. Frau Rosendorf went into her kitchen to complete her dinner. Before long her house was scented with spicy and inviting odors. The screen door at the front part of the house slammed. and a deep and gay voice penetrated into the kitchen. 路路Ach. Mutter! Where are you? _ I have a letter for you from Karl." "Ach. a leiter from KarD" repeated Frau Rosendorf. eagerly reaching for it. "Johann," she said as she tore it open with trembling fingers. "maybe it will say--" she broke off and commenced to read aloud: "Dearest Mother and Johann: It is all settled. Marta and I will start for America on August twentieth--" "HurrayI" interrupted John, giving his mother a tight hug. "Ach. du Schafkopfl See once. you have mussed up my nice white apron that Mrs. Gardeau gave me. Let me finish the letter." Together they read the rest of Karl's plans to come to America. "They are going to come. at last," she said. "But Karl won't get to see his father." She sat for a moment with bowed head. John fumbled with the pages of the letter It was only a few days later that John read 10 his mother that the Crown Prince and Princess of Austria had been assassinated. Then. came rumors of threats, of the massing of troops. of treaties, and of alliances. At fir8t, they paid little attention to them, so happy were" they in their plans of Karl's coming. But the twentieth of August did not find Karl on his way to America. He wa8 advancing with the German army on France. It was 80me time before Frau Rosendorf could realize that nearly all Europe was plunging into a gigantic struggle. John told her some of the things he read in the American papers. She could read for herself in the German papers. Her faith in the Fatherland was strong. The stories could not be true. The Kaiser might have ordered such things to be done. but the German people would never have obeyed. She heard about the Lusitania.
Pogr 191