The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-26

ooh, well; as to that looked over your shoulder
yesterday and saw justone sentence Scott isn't
very bright, though to be sure, he is awfully
good-tempered. That was pretty thing to say
of your husband"
HOh that was about the luggage being lost"
she answered; 'all your fault
Not bit of it-all yours; for you made me
laugh SO at those French people never gave the
boxes thought
Here is Fritz" said his wife
She handed the paper back to Liddell with
gracious smile, and he stayed to study the
news that he had already seen, simply that he
might have the pleasure of watching the smooth
coils of her brown hair, and listening to the mu
steal tones of her soft voice.
"Shallwe go and see the monkey again, ScottF
she asked.
IF you like-let US have the strawberries first,
though"
Very good Apause-then she spoke again:
~ think we may as well go on tomorrow; we've
seen everything here
YES we might have gone to-day, only you
seemed to have set your mind on going to this
cafe chantant."
yes must see that; never was at one in
my life
Il expect it will be awfuly low"
Then we can come out. But Fritz says not
he says it is splendid affair; that there is
| young lady singer quite an attraction"
"Oh FPitz-yes, dare "-contemptuously.
For few moments there silence in the
large room; then the husband of the charming
girl, who had taken Liddells not very easily
pleased fancy, broke it.
II say Baby" he said abruptly, suppose we
go up as far as Gouda this afternoon by rail and
| look at the windows2'
Liddell threw down his paper and STROBE out
! into the garden his heart in his mouth and all
| his misery back upon him in ten fold force The
fresh-faced girl and her tom" had disappeared,
and Liddell flung himself down upon the nearest
| bench and wished fiercely that he were dead or
that he had never been born. Was it three years
or three centuries ago that he had addressed Just
/ ri hXTf hot form
''Oh Baby, Baby, Baby" he groaned, where
| have you hidden yourself all this long, weary,
sickening time? Shall l never find you again"
Along time he sat there till, indeed, the bis
tering heat of the sun sent him indoors for
| shelter, and when he reached the saal it was
empty-Scott and Baby were gone
! In looking back upon that day. Liddell always
| thought of it as one of the longest and mos
| dreary days he had ever spent in his life The
| heat was intense; and when Rotterdam is hot
| it is hot-there is never any mistake about it;
the clean, white streets that morning
simply glazing, for the sunshine glanced off the
white houses and the bright windows and heat
upon the spotless pavement until they pos
itivey scorched the feet of passers- by. Liddell
found his way up to the dusty Zoo, where an
unfortunate Polar bear was painting
his heart out, and tropical ami
mails were laid about their dens in
evident enjoyment. He saw. but was not much
gratifed by the sight-for he was not at that
time in the frame of mind to be pleased by trfes
the 1nOSG WONDERFUL tnlng IN monkeys the CIV
ilized world contains-or at least, so they said
at the Rotterdam Zoo. I know not whether it
be living or dead but year or two back there
was an ourang-outang in those gardens the
oldest, quaintest little creature possible, sweet
tempered and lively, with soft fur of light stone
color. and the wisest little dark face in the
world, just like the face of little old man. It
was there then, the wonder and the pet of all
but Liddell, as / have said, was not much graft
fled by the sight of it. He left the gardens
and sauntered back to the town, looked in at
the Groote Kerk in disgust at the white
wash and the hatpegs, dawdled along the
Boompjes, and watched the different sorts
Of craft plying up and down or lying at anchor
in the river; and then, finding that he had
| reached his hotel he went in and called for
brandy and-soda in sheer desperation and for
want of anything else to do. From friendly
Fritz he obtained all the information he wanted
concerning the cafe chantant, and then he asked
the name of the people who like himself, intend
ed to go there that evening
Era lady in white ss-tall-er--and
the gentleman upset the cat in the water
Fritz grinned at the recollection of it.
| oh yes, sare Captain and Mrs. Laurie; the
gentleman is offcier-I don't know what regi-
ment.n
Presently he saw them arrive in a cab, and
then they passed through the garden to the lit
| tie side stairway leading to the upper floors.
| So they had come back! Fritz told him that
they had bought lot of old plates at Gouda,
and seemed to think they had been completely
done. Liddell felt sorry as if he had been
done himself
| The dinner was not 50 good as the breakfast
had been and before the long service had come
| to an end the Lauries Slipped away, and Liddell
| Immediately followed their example. He pres
emily found himself in the cafe-a large low
room, with many little marble topped tables,
and more unsteady chairs-on one side a stage,
and on that stage young person rejoicing in the
name of Nellie darlington, who, dressed in
short and seanty scarlet frock, held q golden
skipping rope in her hands and sang, in a shrill
and utterly unmusical voice, a music hall song,
| of which the refrain went
Ow, lit-tal darrngl
It was true that she could dance and skip to per
fection yet Liddell looked to see what effect the
| performance had upon Mrs Laurie. She laughed
a little, but laughed yet more when fat con
| tralto in green satin, emerald green, garnished
| literally with red roses, came forward and sang
with many wriggles and gesticulatons, French
! bravura song winning vociferous encore from
! the audience, which, to a man, shouted her name
repeatedly the moment she ceased singing. But
she in turn gave place to a weakly tenor, with a
thick bare throat.
Then pretty Jane, my dearest Jane,
| All never look so shy-hy-ly,
But meet me, meet me in the ee-ee-eev ming,
When the bloo-oo-oom is COCOON the rye
But nobody seemed to mind, and some people
looked very much astonished when, in the mid
| die Of the second verse; the Lauries went out
| Liddell would have followed them, but remem-
bering there was nothing but bed for him if he
went back to the hotel stayed just for the next
song, ballad (Scotch) by Miss Nelson-the at
traction spoken of by Fritz the waiter
The roar of applause which greeted the Eng
fish ballad singer caused Liddell to look back at
the rough audience; then the first notes of bal
| lad stole through the room, and for the second
time that day Liddell felt a great knot
creeping up his throat black mist
gathered before him. He turned his dimmed
eyes towards the stage, and saw a vision! A
visonl Oh no, a reality of flesh and blood; the
| reality of great bua DleadnQ the paa1itv of
a mouth that he had kissed hundreds of times
but with the lips now downdrawn with misery
and OIL most painful reality of all to see-the
face he had loved all his life bearing the cruel
stamp of poverty and pain.
So much for the singer, and what of the songl
AS the programme had promised, ballad
| Scotch; it was the song Liddell had been used
to call his in the unforgotten days which would