The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1875-10-06
VOL. L.

]
manner in which Cornelius received it,
and placed it in one of the presses, sup
posed to contain papers of the greatest
/ importance.
His first thought was that this precious
deposit Enclosed some newly imported
bulbs from Bengal or Ceylon; but he
was very little addicted to tulip growing.
and that he only occupied himself with
the affairs OF man, a pursuit by far less
peaceful and agreeable than that of the
florist He, therefore, came TO the con-
some papers, and that these papers were
relating to politics.
But why should papers of political i'm
port be entrusted TO Van Baerle, u no
not only was, but also Toasted of being,
an entire stranger TO the science of gov
ernment, which, in his opinion, was
more occult than alchemy itself?
1t was undoubtedly a deposit which
Cornelius De Witte, already threatened
by the unpopularity with which his
countrymen were going TO honor him,
was placing in the hands of his godson;
a contrivance so much the more cleverly
devised, as it certainly was not at all like
ly that it should he searched for at the
house as one that had always stood a!oof
from every sort of intrigue.
And. besides, if the parcel had been
made up OF bulbs, Boxtel knew his neigh
Dor too well, not to expect that Van
Baerle would not have lost one moment
in satisfying his curiosity and feasting his
eyes on the present he had received.
But, on the contrary, Carnelius had re-
ceived the parcel from the hands of his
godson, and turned towards the door,
Van Baerle Selling the candlestick, and
lighting him on his way down TO the
street, which was still crowded with peo>
pie who wished to see their great fellou-
cttIzen getting into his coach.
Boxtel had not been mistaken in his
superstition. The deposit entrusted to
Van Baerle, and carefully locked up 10y
him, was nothing more nor less than
John De Whites correspondence with the
Marquis De Louvois, the war>minister of
the King Of France; only the godfather
forebUre giving to his godson the least
intimation concerning the political inn
portance Of the secret, merely desiring
him not to deliver the parcel to any one
but TO himself, or to whom he would send
TO claim it in his name.
And Van Baerle, as we have seen,
locked it up withjhis most precious bulbs,
TO think no more oft, after his godfather
had left him; very unlike Boxtel, who
looked upon this parcel, as a clever pilot
does on the distant and scarcely percept-
bic cloud which is increasing on its way,
and which is fraught with storm.
Little dreaming Of the jealous hatred
OF his neighbor, Van Baerle had pros
ceeded step by step towards gaining the
prize offered by the Horticultural Society
of Harlem. He had progressed from
hazel-nut shade to that OF roasted coffee;
and on the day when the frightful events
took place at the Hague, which we have
related ia the preceding chapters, we find
him about one clock in the day, gath
dring from the borders the young suckers,
raised from tulips of the color Of roasted
coffee; and which. being expected to
flower for the first time in the spring of
1915, would, undoubtedly, produce the
large black tulip required by the IIaar~
lem Society.
On the Goth Of August, 1872, at one
o'clock, Cornelius was, therefore, in his
dry-room with his feet resting on the foot
board OF the table, and his elbows on the
cover, looking with intense delight on
three suckers which he had just detached
from the mother bulb, pure, perfect, and
entire, and from which was to grow that
wonderful produce Of horticulture, which
would render the name Of Cornelius Van
Baerle forever illustrious.
81 shall find the black tulip" said
Cornelius to himself, whilst detaching the
suckers. 81 shall obtain the hundred
thousand guilders offered by the society
| shall distribute them among the poor at
Dorti and the hatred which every rich
man has to encounter in times of civil
wars will be soothed down, and | shall
be able, without fearing any harm either
from Republicans or Orangists, to keep
as heretofore my borders in splendid con-
ditiOn. ] need 20 more be afraid, lest On
the day of some riot the shopkeepers of
the town, and the sailors of the port,
should come and tear ont my bulbs, to
boil them az onions for their families,
as they have sometimes quietly threat
ehed when they happened to remember
my having paid two or three hundred
guilders for one bulb. 1t is therefore set~
tied shall give the hundred thousand
guilders Of the prize Haarlem to the
poor. And yet"
Here Cornelius stopped, and heaved a
sigh.
"And vet" he continued. at would