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spirit of the occasion. Once, as I rode along I detected the unmistakable aroma of roasting turkey, which stimulated my growing hunger. First making sure that my horse was properly taken care of at the stables, I went directly to the hotel. I would have a warm bath, then breakfast and dinner combined, after which I would spend the balance of the day reading. A smiling woman looked up from the reception desk as I entered. "Good afternoon," she greeted. "Merry Christmas. It is a beautiful day, isn't it." I returned her greeting and assured her I was enjoying the day, and as I signed the register, I inquired about the bath and dinner. "The bath is at the end of the hall, and dinner will be ready within the hour," she said kindly. And then I saw it! On the wall at the far end of the lobby, was a picture of a man, a stocky man with delightfully smiling eyes. His head was perfectly bald and rested right down on his broad shoulders; and even as I looked, somewhat startled, the parted lips seemed to be speaking to me in broken German. "Who is that man?" I asked, my voice trailing off into a whisper. "You really are a stranger to these parts, aren't you," she answered kindly. "That is Josef Konig . . . Doctor Josef Konig. He was loved by every man, woman and child who ever knew him." "Was?" I questioned incredulously. "You mean . . .?" "Doctor Konig died during the terrible winter we had a year ago. There was so much sickness, and he wouldn't give up. He contracted pneumonia . . ." I couldn't feel that my feet were even touching the floor as I turned away and started walking toward the hall. At the end of the lobby I paused to look up into that friendly face. -52- |
