The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-10-23

hastlly set down the glass which he was car
rying to his lips. Besides,' continued
Fearloe,. "you can't go to Rome at all before
winter.'
Hold on" cried the other, looking as il
the sense Of solid reality were slipping away
from him. "Has any body got map here.
Let's settle one thing at time. You know
what l want to do first is to strike down tc
bad Peppers. I'd like to settle just how that
stands
Scharlach Immediately went to his state.
room and returned promptly with large
and perfect map of the Continent, showins
all the railroads and post-roads. Seeing this
was tempted to make some sarcastic re.
mark about his thorough German equip.
ment; but | remembered Sedan, and shud.
dered. He was soon busily engaged in trac.
ing out certain lines of travel with his Ions
pink finger, the nail of which was whitish
and edged with Understanding strangely
with the Prussian national colors. thought
Scharlach took peculiar interest in Pfeiffers
and seemed oddly familiar with it. He fur.
nlshed our fellow passenger with full de-
tails about the place; how it was situated or
the Tamina River-which Steavens, with
friendly Renaissance Of New York politics
instantly transformed into "Tammany'
River.
There is hardly a circle more merciless in
its criticisms than body of first cabin pass
gers on one of the European steamers; and
SteaVens soon became an object of amuse-
ment to most of us. His simplicity, OPEN
ness, and perfectly od-humored, almost
Joyous, ignorance, made him an easy prey.
But he proved to be good sailor" and
was very gallant toward the ladies. The
strangest part Of it was that they rather liked
him, and took his side against our covert
ridicule. l suppose must admit that this,
instead of altering our opinions concerning
him, only addeda slight bitterness to spir-
it of fun which would otherwise have been
quite innocent; and we got into way of
looking at him with sarcastic hostility.
When l say tive" l refer more particularly
to Fearloe, the German, Scharlach, and
myself, who, having been thrown with him
more than the others on the first day of the
voyage, regarded him as sort of comic eX-
hibition under our special supervision.
This rather absurd bond of union between
us led to some degreee of intimacy with
Scharach, who disclosed-greatly to the en-
hancement of our interest in Steavens's
journey-that he, likewise, was going to
Pfeiffers. His errand, moreover, was a ro-
mantle one. Five years before, he had fallen
in love with the orphaned niece Of a rich
merchant in Berlin; but feeling his cause to
be hopeless, at least as regarded the girls
uncle, so long as he had nothing but his per-
sonal appearance and very elaborate edu-
cation to support his suit, Scharlach had
while starting out to better his condition;
and accordingly he had never made posi-
1--WE declaration of his passion, but had gone
to Bra zll, where he succeeded in gaining
moderately handsome fortune. His friends
had kept him informed of Fraulein Raslaff's
movements. As yet she had not married,
from which he augured hopefully for his fu-
lure; put her uncle had become an invalid,
ana they We're now about resorting to
Pfelffers for his health, whittier Scharlach,
of course, purposed following them in order
to learn his fate.
He requested us urgently to say nothing
about this to any of our fellow voyagers,
and we even kept the secret Of his destina-
ton from SteaYens. But that could not pre-
vent Fearloe and myself from privately talk
ing over Scharlach's prospects a little. My
own opinion was that such cool self-posses-
sion as his course showed might not impress
a woman so favorably as it did us, and said
was by no means sure that Scharlach would
win, after ALL Fearloe did not agree with me
here, and stroked his beard with an air of
restrained certainty as he replied: {" see,
Mlddleby, you fancy that women want some
thing more startlingly romantic than that.
But they are very practical, too; and | think
you'll find Miss Raslaff will appreciate such
sensible devotion as this of our Brazilian
As L have said, Fearloe knew
the effect he could produce on women, and
was proud of it, and when he uttered this
remark it was plain that he thought he had
settled the question.
AS left the steamer at Southampton, and
went up to London for a few DAYS, parted
with Steavens before the voyage was COM
pleted. 1t was nearly a week later that L
met Fearl0e again, in Paris. We went to-
gether to dine at a neat little two franc place
in the Rue St. Honore, which We had form
ery haunte |, and during dinner he suddenly
asked, with roguish look, "Who do you
think l saw NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ~ And
Fearloe here bent his head, bathing his beard
in laughter. g Do you know he has been in
Paris three days and hasn't gone near the
"Well, that shows a healthy independ-
ence,' said l. " Is he studying the Lou
vre!'
Sc No." was the answer; "he has dis
covered something far more important than
the Louvre or the Xposition-something
trip
"What can that be?'' 1 queried rather
blankly.
"He has discovered said Fearloe.
&c that Paris is the place to buy shirts in!''
l did not happen to meet Steavens while in
Paris; but in August finally acted on Fear
loe's hint aboard ship, and went to Pfeiffers
NY scIlJ NH0lt lOttllu uOL only our enJQuSl-
asst in shirts, but also Scharlach and Miss
Raslaff, together with that young lady's I'M
Gle, shriveled little old man, who had the
air of being put away to keep in his thick
white hair and whiskers, like dried beetle
in cottonwood. To the rest of US, indeed,
the old gentleman was Of no more account
than beetle, and appeared to have as little
influence on the lives around him as an in
sect might. But, as a matter of fact, though
he was so nearly dead, and scarcely stirred
A limb, he clutched three lives in his faded
fingers, and held them fast there-his niece's
life, Scharlach's life, and Steavenss life.
For | was not long in discovering that nv
rheumatic pilgrim had fallen in love with
Fraulein Raslaff almost at first sight. He
himself took good care that should not re-
main blind to the fact. He drew me aside,
and pouring his tale into my ear, though
With somewhat more reserve than he had
shown on the steamer in discussing his
plans of travel.
l said to him merely, "Have you spoken
to her?''
"I've tried to feel my way,'' was his re-
ply. I" But that uncle Of hers-he's an old
potato bug, sir. He's worse than potato
Dug. don't know what to call him. He
won't let any one come near her, and yet he
ton't seem TO take any pleasure in her him
self. He looks just about dead, but tell
you it's only shamming: the minute another
nan talks to Miss Raslaff he wakes up: it
puts life into him, and he flies around sharp.
Then it's only the uncle that troubles
youY' quered. =" You don't feel afraid
If Scharlach:'
Steavens paused, looking anxious for an
instant. Then the child-like expression