Ellsworth American., 1871-07-13
Il do insisted the stout gentleman

| , Il
Van Curler: I'll hunt her up if it takes
sill dooms day
All this was uttered with such a
curious air of cagerness that it was hard
u say whether he were in Jest or in
earnest, prcposterous rs were his sup
positions and declarations. Resuming
a quieter look presently, he turned
over the hotel register until he found
the entry, Mr.. and Mrs. Fred Van
Curler, New York city
Who's that:' he demanded. sharply.
The landlord reflected moment aud
decided that there was no harm in tell
ing what ls knew. it amounted to so
little.
"A voun. man and his wife who came
here yesterday he answered.
What's the style of the lady
About eighteen. small, dark, dark
eyes black ringlets.'
I've seen her said the stout man.
with three or four satisfied mods. I've
noticed her, and she noticed me Are
they at breakfast,
The landlord was being questioned
too much. He looked cxultant as he
replied, They have gone.
Gone You don't mean to say
gone Gone where
How should | know. They drove
to the station in time for the eight
O'Clock train west
Let me have my bill, gaspcd the
stout gentleman. There's the name
James +. Willard. Include the break
fast, Sr.-No Sir: never mind. Sir.
/ IL wait till the eight o'clock train To.
morrow morning.
/ 'Ah means to question the con
ductor, thought the landlord but he
made no remarks whatever. governed
| by the wise reticence of his class.
Mr.. James +. Willard was certainly
singular gentleman. IIc sc, value
on that mustard poulticc which was far
beyond it, commercial worth, and
which might lead one TO suppose that
either Le meant 10 extract some capital
I joke out Of it, or else that he iabpred
under delusions concerning IT. During
the lay he kept il in his pocket, feeling
OF 1t occasionally 10 make sure il was
there. Toward night it became some
what stale. His ncishhors at the sup
per table perceived the fact. There
were shifting queries as 70 that pecnl-
/ lar odor
Consequently he carried the hand
kerchlef 10 the lauudrc>s of the hotel.
/ and asked her to wash II. But so fear
/ inl Was he of losing il that he stand hy
her during the whole process OF rn.ins,
/ drying, and ironing. When il was
hande,Iio him. nicely folded. with tie
aamc OF Fanny Van Curlcr on tie out.
! side corner, he solemnly placed il in
an inner breast pocket, next his heart.
q. @al conferred upon the laundreSs the
( ui-proportIUnate iu-..s~..
'Thi, j. the most honorcd day III vonr
liic. he said. IN . WAY which made
Bridget grin and take him ipl funny
/ ould gintlcman.
On tine eight O'Clock train west was
he next morning, furnished with 4
I ticket through 10 New York. His onlY
baggage was 4 yer, small travelling
saichel, and M oDlong hoN which eyi-
/ dently contained a guitar. II j. 10 be
supposed that he found the right CON
/ ductor, aud obtained some guiding in-
formation from him, for he lett the cars
at the sea coast town of Guilfori. aud
took the stage down 10 the Gniliord
Point House.
Meanwhile our two childlikc and
irolic-ome hnickcrbockers. lar from
su,pecting the trouble that va, Journey .
in. toward them were having a jolly
time. To people OF their gay ana con-
tented natures one place furnished ab put
H. much Happiness as another. Fred
Van Curler could have but one vacation
a year. and hc was determined to get
the utmost possible fun out of ID: and
his kitten oi wife w4- thoroughly
| likcminded. | doubt whether any two
! Anglo-Saxou OF American raising could
have plucked a. much 10Y a, these
two American Hollanders.
OF course the remembrance ot the
nocturnal adventure helped along the
merriment. II affected Fred Van Cur
| Ter very much rs dose OF laughing-gas
IL threw him every now and then into
spasm o; giggling; it laid him on the
grass, and tickled him roundly. He
laughed over il until his wife got i'm
patient, and pou,ed out good naturcd
protests.
'You shabby thing She exclaimed,
Il wish YOU wouldn't 90 on so about that
horrid blunder. IL was the cium>iest,
ugli.st, wretchedest scrape that | ever
got into. think ii's awiulIy mean in
you 10 keep giggl!ng at IT.
/ Even as they talked thus Mr.. James
+. Willard was gazing at them. Ii
must be remembered that they did not
know him from Adam. Not even Fan
nv Van Curler could suspect that here
was the man whom she had medicated.
He passed and repassed them unnotic-
ed he halted near them and stared
at them intently; he got behind Fan
ny, and winked, one might say, vo-
ciferously. He certainly was a very
curiously behaved gentleman, con
sidering his respectable years and
stoutness.
That night the moon was lovely.
Fred and Fanny, daZzled with the to
them novel beauties Of the seaside,
sat late at their window looking out
upon the cleaning waters. 1t was
nearly midnight, and all was still in
| the grounds of the hotel, when, from
the shadow of a tree beneath the win
dow, rose an unmelodious bass voice,
accompanied by a caterwaulish twang-
ing upon guitar
On" cried Fanny, always as
pleased as a child with new incident,
even if it was a new noise. "Oh
serenade Somebody is being serena
ded. Fred, come to the window quick
Oh, such funny voice!
Here the words became audible.
The funny voice brayed forth AS fol-
lows:
o loving fame . heavenly fire.
Elysium Of sntold des ire;
] ask no greater, happier lot
Than mustard pouitice piping hot
Imagine Fanny's dismay at the last
line she absolutely made q grimace