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About The united American : a magazine of good citizenchip. (Portland, Or.) 1923-1927 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1925)
JUNE 1925 THE UNITED AMERICAN be declared against Germany, old Stoltz to the parlor lamp, while Stoltz with was stunned. “Mine Gott!” he cried. many grunts and shiftings would com What trick is England put over on Uncle pose himself in the rocker. She would Sam? He fight the Fatherland? No, no! read—very slowly, while he pondered The big men in the east is money mad. every word. Sometimes he would grunt, But the people fight to make them all and Minnie would flush and look de the more richer? No!” termined. Indeed the nation’s warward sweep “Ach! Read that again,” he would say. had come to everyone with the force of She would do so. a shock. We were appalled when the “Ach! Well—go on!” Lusitania was sunk, but somehow we The whole town was shocked When assumed that the kaiser would cease word came that Fred had been killed in submarining, and that Uncle Sam would battle. The explanatory letter read: “He stay clear of the war. It took a lot to was a hero, and his country may well be wake us up. We had some sympathy, proud of him.” then, for old Stoltz—all except Doc Stoltz took it hard, unburdening his Fraser who had old country relatives in grief to father. “I knew mine boy would the war. Doc was short, sturdy and never come back!” stubborn like old Stoltz, and it was a “He was a hero,” father consoled. sight worth seeing when they locked “Yes,” agreed Stoltz and lapsed into horns in Pete’s cigar store. moody silence. ♦ ♦ ♦ Our occasional glimpses of the old man Knowing Stoltz’s attitude, we were showed he was bitter. He grew haggard dumfounded when the news flew around, and seldom acknowledged our greetings. shortly after war was declared, that his Even his visits to father’s office became boy Fred had enlisted. I had rather lost more and more infrequent. Minnie sight of Fred during the later years. He grieved, too. She failed, was- hollow- had grown up into a stalwart, fine look eyed, but Stoltz was as gentle and ing fellow, yet on the whole irresponsible. deferential to her as ever. He played the cornet in the band and We knew that something was bound to danced more industriously than he had happen, when we saw him plodding along ever worked. Old Stoltz had grieved the street, his head drooped, his hands over his shiftlessness, which came to be clasped behind his back. And I myself the burden of his talk with father. caused the breaking of the storm. I And Fred had recently deepened the wrote a scathing editorial about the tragedy by eloping with Minnie Allen, a kaiser and his crew. Rather it wrote dark-eyed little miss, apparently as ir itself. I did not foresee what I pre responsible as he himself. I can imagine cipitated. Strolling into Pete’s cigar their reception when they returned from store, I was surprised to find myself their matrimonial escapade. Yet Stoltz facing an excited group. Roaring, amazed us all by providing them with a gesticulating, Stoltz was brandishing a little cottage. But he kept aloof. For a copy of the paper. while Fred did odd jobs of painting “This is one dirty, lying rag!” he around town, then he dropped the brush shouted, waving it aloft. Catching sight and enlisted. No one could understand of me, he bellowed: “He lie! And if the workings of his mind. He went away you believe him you all lie!” with a prospect of getting to the front A roar went up, and several men soon, but left Minnie, as far as he was grabbed hold of him. He shook them off concerned, to shift for herself. His collar torn loose, he stood at bay, His father was at the train to bid him glaring at us with bloodshot eyes through goodbye, his face filled with mingled streaks of dishevelled hair. “Liars!” he grief and reproach. “Mine son,” he said, panted. You bully an old man • just “be brave. And Gott bless you.” Tears ’cause he tell the truth.” streamed into his beard ,and his thick Just then father stepped in. He didn’t arms went around the boy and he kissed say a word, yet everybody was silent. him and cried, his brow on his shoulder. What a dignity he had! And he never Minnie sobbed piteously as the train showed it to better advantage. His new drew away, and Stoltz stood looking after blue suit and carefully arranged white it, a little more stooped than usual. tie were the last word in exacting neat We assumed that Minnie would go ness. His tall, spare, erect figure; the home to her folks. But here were mis tilt of his soft, dark hat, revealing his calculated. The cottage was rented, and high forehead; his business look and she went to keep house for Stoltz. No warrior’s gray mustache, all seemed a one envied her, but we were treated to definition of commanding superiority. another surprise. The shades were rolled He fixed his gaze on Stoltz and said: up and white curtains appeared- at the “Herman—you go home.” windows. The whole place seemed The old man stared, then raised pro brightened. And when Stoltz came down town, Minnie was often by his side. W,e testing hands. “But, mine old friend, suspected that he blamed her for Fred’s they lie about the German people. You enlistment; but if so, not a soul knew it tell them they lie!” Gravely father shook his head and re except himself. And Minnie grew more womanly. She seemed proud of being a peated: “You go home.” soldier’s wife. By the path of sacrifice Stoltz staggered arid went white. His she came into her own. faith in father was shattered. “Mine old When' letters came from Fred, their friend,” he grieved,” you turn against me, reading was reserved for the evening too!” He stumbled away, his arms limp, hour. Minnie would draw her chair close his head swaying—a crushed, broken- Page Forty-five hearted man. We all pitied him as much as our excited feelings would allow. He came no more to father’s office. But father made no comment. He became more reticent than usual and allowed no one to discuss Stoltz in his presence. The old German shunned the light of day, but people spoke of seeing him wandering around at night. But he spoke to no one. Beginning to hear how obdurate Germans were being dealt with elsewhere, more than once we thought of him. There was a young lawyer in the town by the name of Mason, who was gaining noteriety by his fiery, patriotic speeches. “Show me a man,” was his dramatic cry, “who is not heart and soul with Uncle Sam, and I will show you an enemy who is dangerous to the country.” “He hits from the shoulder,” his ad mirers said. “And there’s a jolt in every word.” Mason prided himself as a man of action, too. “There’s a man in this town,” he cried one evening at a patriotic meeting, “who sticks to the kaiser and slurs the good faith of Uncle Sam. He shuns the sunlight where every true American rejoices to walk, and prowls around after dark like our enemies who specialize in deed's of darkness. No one knows what he may be plotting. I say, don’t take any chances! To make sure he won’t do any damage, put him where he can’t.” In eommmon with others I was im pressed by Mason’s logic. What if old Stoltz went insane through his continual brooding? Who could tell what he might do? A council of war was called, to meet at father’s office. Father was not pleased , with the idea, but he voiced no open objections. Mason was the spokesman, working himself into ora torical frenzy. “Are we doing our duty,” he argued, “in letting this man roam at large ? Who knows what’s in his mind? Who knows what this old minion of German state craft may be hatching up? It’s in him; he can’t help it! So I say the time for talking is past. It is up to us to act!”' He paused with fine dramatic effect, and there was a general chorus: “Have him taken up!” But father sat silent.. Mason was watching him, and noting that he did not join in the assent, levelled a finger at bim and demanded: “What’s your opinion, Judge?” “You leave Stoltz alone,” was father’s pointed advice. “He’s all right at heart and will come to himself.” Regaining his poise and realizing that the crowd was mainly with him, Mason proceeded insinuatingly: “Now. Judge, we know you and Stoltz are old friends. But shouldn’t yo.u think of your country, first,” “I fought for my country in the civil war,” father countered, “and Stoltz’s son died for her! And you have nothing but your suspicions on which to base a charge against him.”. “Ah!” was Mason’s significant ex clamation. “Perhaps you think—well, (Continued on Page Forty-eight) 9
