Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-10-16

meme, with bowl and dagger, or ThaIia
with the talr hair and the laughing face
was only to be guessed at 1t was POM
| larly conceded, however, that Van Twille
was on the point Of forming dreadfu
| mesalliance =
Up to this period he had visited tn,
cluD regularly. Suddenly he ceased +,
appear. lie was not to be seen on Broad
way, or III the Central Park, or at tn,
houses he generally frequented, Hi
chambers-and mighty comfortable one
they were-on Thirty fourth street wer,
deserted. He had dropped out of til,
world, shot like bright particular sta
from his orbit in the heaven of the hes
society.
Where's Van Twiller?"
Who's seen Van Twiller?"
w hat has become of Van Twiller ?"
Delaney picked up the EoenSnq Post
and read, with solemnity that BETRAYED
young Firkins into exclaiming, "By Joy,
nown'- ~
Married, on the 10th instant, by tn,
Rev. Friar Laurence, at the residence O
the brides uncle, Montague Capulet ESQ
Miss Adrienne LIE Couvreur to Mr.. Ralnl
Van Twiller, both of this CITY. n
cards"
cit strikes me-" said Frank Living
stone, who had been ruhling the leaves Q
magazine at the other end of the table
that you fellows are in a great fever
about Van Twiller''
so we are"
"Well, he has simply gone out o
town"
"Where9"
up 20 the old homestead on the Hud
son.
Its an odd time of year for a fellow
to go into the country''
"He has gone to visit his MOTHER" sale
Livingstone.
IN February"
Il didn't know, Delaney, there was any
statute in force prohibiting a man from
visiting his mother in February if he
wants to-
Delaney made some light remark about
the pleasure of communing with Nature
with a cold in her head, and the tonic
was dropped.
Livingstone was hand in glove with
Van Twiller, and if any man shared his
confidence it was Livingstone. He was
aware of the gossip and speculation that
had been rife in the club, but he either
was not at liberty, or did not think il
worth while, to relieve our curiosity. In
the course of week or two it was report
ed that Van Twiller was going to Europe
and go he did. A dozen of US went down
to the Scotia to see him off. 1t was re-
treshing to have something as positive as
the fact that Van Twiler had sailed.
Shortly after Van Twiller's departure
the whole thing came out Whether Liv-
ingstone found the secret too heavy a bur
den, or whether it transpired through
some indiscretion or the part of Mrs.
Nanrensselaer Vanzandt Van Twiller,
cannot say; but one evening the entire
story was in the possession of the club.
Van TWiller had actually been very
deeply intereSted--not in an actress, for
the legitimate drama was not her humble
walk in life, but--in Mademoiselle
Olympic Zabriski, whose really perilous
feats on the trapeze had astonished New
York the year before, though they had
failed to attract Delaney and me the
night we wandered into the up tow til ca
ter on the trail of Van Twiller's mystery.
That a man like Van Twiller should be
fascinated for an instant by a common
circus-girl seems incredible; but it is al
ways the incredible thing that happens.
Besides, Mademoiselle Olympic was not a
common circus-girl; she was most dar-
ing and startling gymnaste, with beauty
and grace Of movement that gave to her
audaclOus performance almost ali air of
prudery. Watching her wondrous dex-
terity and plant strength, both exercised
without apparent effort, it seemed the
most natural proceeding in the world
that she should do these objectionable
things. She had a way Of melting from
.f,,I int
the dissolying figures thrown from a
stereOpticOn. She was like a 1.-the, radi-
ant shape out Of the Grecian mythology,
now poised up there above the gas-lights,
and now cleaning through tie air like a
slender gilt arrow
l am describing Mademoiselle Olympic
as she appeared to Van Twiller
on the first occasion when he strolled into
the theater where she was performing.
To me she was girl of eighteen or TWEEN
ty years of age (maybe she was much
older, for pearl powder and distance
keeps these people perpetually young,
slightly but eXquisitely built, with sin
ews of silver wire; rather pretty, per
haps, after manner, but showing plainly
the effects of the exhaustive drafts she
was making on her physical vitality
Now, Van Twiller was an enthusiast on
the subject of calisthenics eff | had a
daughter" Van Twiller used to say, Il
wouldn't send her to a boarding school
or a nunnery; I'd send her to a
gymnasium for the first five years
Our American women have no physique
They are lilies, paid, pretty and perisha
bic. You marry an American woman
and what do you marry? A headache
Look at English girls. They are at least
roses, and last the season through"
Walking home from the theater thai
first night, it fitted through Van Twiller's
mind that if he could give this girls Sc
of nerves and muscles to any of the two
hundred high bred women he knew, he
would marry her on the spot and worship
her forever.
The following evening he went to SCI
Mademoiselle Olympic again. "Olympt
Zabriski," he thought, as he saunteret
through the lobby, what queer name
Olympic is French, and Zabriski is Polish
1t is her nom de gaterre, OF course; her rea
name is probably Sarah Jones. VIA
kind of creature can she be in private lite
| wonder? | wonder if she wears tina
costume all the time, and if she springs t.
her meals from horizontal bar. o.
trapeZe." And Van Twiller went OF
making comical domestic tableaux o
Mademoisclle Zabriski, like the clever
satirical dog he was, until the curtain
rose
This was on o Friday There was
matinee the next dav, and he ATTENDED
that, though he had secured a seat 10
the usual evening entertainment. Ihel
-. L, 1,;t pf Nor