Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-06-07
BRET HARTE IN GERMANY.
HOW A CHICAGO MAN VISITED THE DARK
AGES.
8 Backward, Turn Backward. q
Time. I'm YOur Flight,
lBret Harte 10 Sunday New York Sun. !

ENCiy usNy Woo 81 uiuICf. duu Inc serious kelI-
ner OF Der Wilde Mann" glanced i'm mild re.
proach at Mr.. James Clinch, who. disreVari,ng
that fact and the inviting table d'hote, stepped
into me street. For Mr. Clinch had eaten a late
breakfast at kempen, was dispeptic and Ameri-
can, and, moreover, preoccupfed with business.
He was consequently indignant on entering the
garden-nKe court and cloister-like counting
house OF Won Becherat, Sons & Cousins to ind
the compton de serted even by the porter. and
was furious at the maid-servaat Wno offered
the sacred shibboleth. '.Mittagsessen," as rea-
sOnabie explanation OF the solitude ga conn
Try" said Mr.. Clinch to himself s'that stops
business at midday to go to dinner and EN- plovs
wOmen-servants TO answer the calls of business
He stepped from the silent building into the
equally silent kronprlnZen StraSse. Not soul
70 oe seen anywhere! Rows on rows of two
dwellings or might be Offices all showing some
traces OF feminine taste and supervision in a
lower or curtain that belied the legend
Mr.. Clinch thought of Boston and old state
street, OF New York and Wall street, and be-
came coldly contemptuous.
He turned Into the principal alice OF the
town. There was long white building at one
end-the Bahnhof; at the other end he renem
bered dye-hOu5e. He had, year ago met ItS
hospitaole proprietor. He would call upon him
But the same solitude confronted him as he
passed the porters lodge beside the gateway.
The counting house, half villa, half factory,
must have conyOked its humanity In some out
Driveway refectory, for the halls and passages
were tenantless For the first time he began to
De impressed with certain foreign quaintness
IN the surroundings; he found himself also re-
calling something he had read when boy about
an enchanted palace, whose Inhabitants aWoke
on the arrival OF long predestined prince To
this fancy, he took from his pocket the business
card Of Its proprietor, sample Of dye, and re-
called his own personality In letter Of credit
Having dismissed this idea from his mind, he
louDged On again through rustic lane that
might have led to farmhouse. yet was still,
aosurdely enough, apart OF the factory grounds.
Crossing ditch by causeway, he presently
came to another ditch and another causeWay.
and then found himself idly contemplating
massive, 1vy-clad, venerable brick wall. AS
ton, but it seemed to enter and bury itself at
right angles In the side wall of a quite modern
looking dwelling. After satisfying himself Of
this fact, he passed on before the dwelling, but
was amazed TO see the wall reappear on the
other S1de-eXactly the Same-old, ivy-grOwn,
sturdy, uncOmpromising and ridiculous. Could
it actually be part OF the house? He turned
back and repassed the front of the dwelling
The entrance door was Hospitality open. There
was hall and staircase, but-by all that was
Preposterous they were built over and around
the central brick intrusion. The wall actually
ran through the house! "a country said Mr.
Ciinch to himself, "where they build their
houses over ruins to accommodate them or save
the trouble OF removal Is" but very pleasant
voice, addressing him, here stopped his usua
haSty conclusion.
"Guten mOrgen."
the parapet OF what appeared to be garden
ON the roof of the house was young girl. red
checked, bright-eyed. blonde-haired The voice
was soft and pleasing. 1t was part Of the new
impression he was receiving that 1t was Ger
tainly unlike majority OF his fair country
women In vague, Illogical way, he, In some
fashion, connected 1t with the ivy-clad wall
before him. His hat was In his hand as he an
sxered "guten morgen."
Was the Herr seeking anything?
The Herr was only awaiting a longtime.
coming friend, and mad strayed here TO speak
with the before known proprietor.
SO? But the before known proprietor sleep
Ing well at present, after dinner, would the
Herr wait for him on the terrace?
The Herr would, but looked around in vain
for the means to do 1t. He was thinking of a
peared at the open door. and babe him enter zap
Following bis youthful hostess Mr.. Clnch
mounted the staircase, but, passing the mystic
Ifous wall, could not forbear an allusiOn to it.
SIT was here when came"
That was not very long ago." said Mr..
"No. But my grandfather found it here,
too"
sand built over it?r
why not? 1t Is very, very hard, and so
Mr. Clinch here explained, with masculine
superiority, the existence of such modern
agents as nitro-glycerine and dynamite, per-
structions and encumbrances.
but there was not then what you call nitro
giyeerine
The young girl gazed at him with surprise
my great grandfather did not take 1T away
when he built the house. Why should we?''
They had passed through hall and dining
room, and suddenly stepped out of a window
upon graveled terrace. From this few stone
steps descended to another terrace, on which
trees and shrubs were growing, and yet, look
Ing over the parapet, Mr.. Ciinch could see the
road some 20 feet below. 1t was nearly on a
level with, and part of the second story of the
house. Had an earthquake lifted the adjacent
ground, or had the house burrowed into a hill?
Mr.. Clinch turned to his companion, who was
standing close beside him, breathing quite audi
OF gentle and fragrant heifer.
How was all this done?7
The maiden shrugged her shoulders. SIT was
Mr.. Clinch reascended the steps. He had quite
forgotten his Impotence. Possibly It was the
gentle, eGuable calm OF the girl, who, but for
her ready color, did not seem to be stirred at
anything; perhaps 1t was the peaceful repose OF
this mausOleum OF the deadand forgotten wal
that Subcued him; but he Was quite willing to
take the Old fashioned chair on the terrace
which she offered him, and follow her move
mentS with interested eyes as from myse T.
Gus closet In the wall. she drew out certain
glasses and bottles; Mr.. CiiDch had the weak
ness Of majority Of his sex In believing thag he
was good judge Of wine and women. The lat
ter, as shown In the specimen before him he
would have invoiced as fair sample of the
middle-claSS German woman, healthy, comfo-f-
loving, homes abiding, the very genius OF dornes
ticity-wtth the future wholesome matron fore
cast in all her virgin outlines, from the curves
OF her broad hips 10 the lines Of her back aud
shoulders. OF the wine he was to Judge later
That required an even more deliberate and un-
1mpassiOned intellect.
She placed two bottles before him on the
table. One, the traditional long necked amber
colOred RheinfaSche; the other an odd, quaint,
discolored, amphoral- patterned glass Jug. The
first she opened.
"Thisn she explained pointing to the other.
sis only to look at"
Mr.. Ciinch first paid his respects to the opened
bottle-a better quality OF Rudesheimer With
his intellect thus Clarified, he glanced at the
other,
1T is from my great-grandfather 1t is old as
the wall"
Mr.. Clineh examined the bottle attentIyely.
1t had no cork; formed Of some obsolete, almost
opaque glass; It's twisted neck was apparently
Theoretically sealed by the same material. The
maiden smiled as she said, at cannot be opened
low without breaking the bottle. It Is not gooi
luck TO break glass My at-grandfather and
father would not"
Mr.. Clinch again examined It. The neck was
hattened toward the mouth. but on closer in
spection, he became satisfied that was closed by
some equally hard cement, but not by glass
I'll can open IL without breaking the bottle
have your pernission?''
An interested, hall mischievous glance came
In the maiden'5 eye. She colOred as She re-
piled. Il shall not OBJECT but for what VIII you
do it?'
"To taste it,"