The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1883-06-20
OUR HOSTESS'S DAUGHTER.

3 "COme," | said, rising n throwing
aside my book-"come, Traverse, we
have had work enough for one day.
Let us take a sunset walk on the old
ramparts, and have Il tea at that
charming little restaurant under the
beeches."
& Traverse took a last lingering look
at his sketch, then carefully set back
the easel against the wall, and we
descended the stair from our apart
ments on the upper floor, where we
.senioyed a view of the housetops OF
the quaint little town of Neureide, on
the banks of the wide and winding
Rhine.
"Stop a moment" Traverse said, as
we reached the first floor. 1--WE will
see if there are any letters. 1 desired
the Frau Hansing not to bring them
up hereafter, for, good woman though
she is, her talk is rather overpower-
ing"
We had been recommended to Frau
Hansing's lodgings by a fair cousin of
my own who was visiting some half
English, half-G German relatives near
Bonn.
! "If you stop at Neureide," she
! wrote, "my relative, Madame Estor1'
desires me to say that you will find ex-
] cellent lodgings with Frau Hanslng,
an old and faithful servant of hers.
} who will make you very comfortable
And, despite Frau Hansing,s love OF
talking, of which Traverse mildly COM
planned, we had found the promise
amply fulfilled, and had so far no cause
to regret Our choice of lodgings.
The old lady opened the door in an
swer to Traverse's light tap, and her
plump, rosy face assumed an express
ion of commiseration and sympathy.
"Ah, mein Herr. so sorry No let
tiers to-day-though,"s she added, cheer
fully, in her broken English, on which
she prided herself. Likely there will
becomes much letters one day. to-mor-
row, and then the Herr shall rejoice to
his full contentment to hear from his
home"
8 Over her shoulder I saw that she
had decorated her little sitting-room
with flowers and evergreens.
"You art expecting company, Frau
Hansing?"
"Ah, yes, mein Herr; but it is only
my little Bertha-my daughter, who
is companion to Madame Estorf. A
mice, dear little girl, and my only
one" 49,.
And the old lady's eyes shone with
( pride and delight as She thus spoke of
her daughter:
] "She IS with madame, who is now
] at Rudesheim, en- a visit; and, its Icing
! 80 near, madame has kindly consented
to her coming to us for n week. She
/ is very clever and pretty, is my little
Bertha, though it is 1 who say it; for,
was she not brought up ~ madame,
and in great part with madame's own
granddaughter, the Fraulein Estorf?
It was very kind of them to treat my
little Bertha so well; but. then, I my
self was nurse to the poor little grand
daughter when her W mother died.
Well. she is a great heiress now, as the
Herr knows"
It was true that my Cousin Julia, in
describing the family in which she was
now staying, had more than once al
luded to this Fraulein Estorf. She
was granddaughter of the old madame
of the same name, and was the real
owner of the estate on which they re-
sided near Bonn, with the handsome
chateau and the valuable vineyards
adjoining. Beyond this, I knew moth
ing of the Fraulein Estorf; though the
probability was that 1 might some
time meet her, as in this our summers
holiday-trip Traverse and I were
slowly making VI way up the Rhine
toward Bonn-which was, in fact, the
objective point of my travels; for 1
must let the reader into the secret of
my engagement to my fair English
cousin, Julia.
That evening, returning rather late
from our al fresco tea, we observed
Frau Hansing's door half open, and
the tall, graceful figure of a young girl
standing under the h~anging-lamp read
ing a letter.
aThat must he Bertha" said Ira
verse, his artists eye instantly attract
ed. "Let us see what she is like"
"Any letters yet, Frau Hansing?"
he inquired, peering intot the room; and
the girl turned around quickly, dis
playing a lovely, piquant. brunette
face, with dark. eyes and delicate
. cherry-red lips.
FRAU Hansing is OUT she said,
modestly.
II beg your pardon. You are the
Fraulein Bertha?" said Traverse, re-
solved, as it seemed, to make her &C
uuaintance, and at the same time lift
ing his hat with graceful courtesy.
ayes" she answered, with some sur
prise and also a certain reserve.
"Excuse me: but 1 knew you were
expected. And since the Frau Han
sing is absent, will the Fraulein he
good enough to give me my letters, II
there are any?'
I had passed up the stairs, andit was
fully five minutes before my friend
joined me.
"What a charming little creature is
our landlady's daughter" he said, quite
enthusiastically. Observation-Disclosures
and 80 much expression! And then
one can see that she has been brought
up with cultured and refined people.
Really, there is something about her
. quite magnetic"
So indeed it appeared, judging from
the frequency with which, on the fol-
lowing day, my friend journeyed up
and down the stairs, at first anxious to
receive letters and then on some
newly-discovered business which ne
cessitated frequent inquiries at the
door of Frau Hansing's rooms. More
than once, in passing this door, I
beheld him seated on landlady's
horsehair sofa, engagedin an animated
conversation with Bertha.
"Do you know" said he, with the
air of one communicating an important
discovery, "tnat the Fraulein is as in
telligent and accomplished as she is
beautiful? What a pity that she is
only our landlady's daughter
Thus the week passed. For myself, 1
only saw Bertha in the evenings. She
certainly was a charming girl, refined
and ladylike, though dressing in a
simple bourgeoise style, and engaging,
as we had opportunity of observing, in
occupations not above her station
such as knitting stockings for her
mother and assisting the old lady in
household duties. even to cooking and
cleaning. That she did not do this at
the chateau she acknowledged. Her
business there was to walk out with