THE PURPOSE




Chapter I.


It was a blazing afternoon, late in July. The Cheruskan fraternity
entered Ellerntal in celebration of their mid-summer festivity. They
had let the great wagon stand at the outskirts of the village and now
marched up its street in well-formed procession, proud and vain as a
company of _Schuetzen_ before whom all the world bows down once a year.

First came the regimental band of the nearest garrison, dressed in
civilian's clothes--then, under the vigilance of two brightly attired
freshmen, the blue, white and golden banner of the fraternity, next
the officers accompanied by other freshmen, and finally the active
members in whom the dignity, decency and fighting strength of the
fraternity were embodied. A gay little crowd of elderly gentlemen,
ladies and guests followed in less rigid order. Last came, as always
and everywhere, the barefoot children of the village. The procession
came to a halt in front of the _Prussian Eagle_, a long-drawn single
story structure of frame. The newly added dance hall with its three
great windows protruded loftily above the house.

The banner was lowered, the horns of the band gave wild, sharp signals
to which no one attended, and Pastor Rhode, a sedate man of fifty
dressed in the scarf and slashed cap of the order, stepped from the
inn door to pronounce the address of welcome. At this moment it