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

a man was standing at one OF the windows
of the great dining saal of the New Bath Hotel
at Rotterdam, listless and weary-weary of
himself, perhaps, most of all. He had just
arrived by the Harwich boat after smooth
and lovely passage, which he spent partly in
company with big meerschaum on deck, and
partly in cursing very audibly wretched
Frenchman, who was deplorably sea-sck, and
moreover had had the audacity to cast himself
in his wretchedness not only into Liddelrs berth,
but actually onto Liddells rug.
Miserable little brutel" Liddell growled, with
all the heartlessness of splendid sailor Come,
get off the rug at least" Then, finding that the
Gaul did not understand one word of English,
ugh, you wretchdd little beggar! Who would
be Frenchman, wonderl"
That, however, was all over and done with,
and he had reached his destination for that day.
He had had tub, and a shave, ard change of
clothing, yet his temper did not improve, or, to
be quite correct, his WEAKNESS of heart did not
pass away. To casual observer he was just
big, fine, fair-haired, long limbed man, belonging
to the rich upper classes; yet keener eye might
see weary shadows under the eyes and dissat
isfied droop of the mouth under the trim brown
mustache. 1t was not the face of happy man.
He looked at the big, well-shaded room, with
its array of big looking glasses, its long tables
down the center of the floor. and its little cosy
ones beside the windows. He looked at the bill
of fare from which he had just ordered his break
fast, at the flowers in the vases and then at
those blooming among the rockeries out in the
bit of a quadrangle which he supposed the hotel
people were pleased to call garden, and then he
heard a girls voice, outside under tine veranda,
say "Oh, Tom, we can't go out YET must write
home today: I've never written a word since
since Thursday"
He could not see Tom, but he heard a man
laugh, conscious sort of laugh. followed by the
fizz of fuzee and the odor of newly lighted to-
bacco. The girl who had spoken sat at a little
table facing the window, pretty, fresh colored,
sllly-lOoking miss, evidently just out of the
school-room, and as vain of the brandnew ring
upon her left hand as if no one but herself had
ever worn the badge of matrimony before.
Married on Thursday" said Liddell to him
self, turning his eyes from the freshlooking face
of the girl (who, as yet, was not writing home,
but resting her elbows on the table, appeared to
be contemplating her Tom with fond, adorng
eyesl to the only persons besides himself in the
room, late couple, who We're eating their
breakfast in silence and with a timid air, as if
they were not quite sure whether it was the
right thing to have breakfast or not.
What the devil did l come here for?" said
Liddeli irritably to himself, as he looked out of
the window again.
''Your breakfast is served, sare, said smooth
voice at his elbow.
He turned to the table with dissatisfied sigh
and seated himself. Well, after all breakfast
was comfort. There were fresh Strawberries,
and sayory omelette, which proved to be as
good as it looked Lddell helped himself again
to it, and just then the sound of fresh voices
made him turn his head towards the garden
once more.
More honeymooners, he thought in disgust;
'the place is simply infested with them"
But the pair out in the garden were neither
fond and foolish nor abjectly timid, and Liddell
Into rfa1 I q
the indisputable fact that good omelette is bet
ter hot than cold
Fritz" cried the husband
PUSSY, pussy, pussy" called the wife
Now as every one knows who has been there
to see, among the rockeries of that little made
the-most-of garden there is a fountain affair
made by single jet of water, which flows over
half dozen fragments of what has been once
sacred ediice in "a tiny rivulet to a basin, which
is neither Of carven rock nor classic stone, but,
may it please you, good big bath sunk in the
ground. Surrounded by moss-grown stones
fragments of arches and pillars intelspersed with
ferns and flowers, the whole affair does not look
half bad, and on that particular morning such
seemed to be the opinion of a great gray cat
which, Overpowered perhaps by the fierce heat of
the July sun, and lulled by the ceaseless splash
of falling water had composed itself to sleep on
the very brim.
''Hush--sh, Kitty" exclaimed the husband, his
eyes following the direction his wifes had taken.
Let the cat be- By Jove, what a chance!"
In a moment he had tipped Madame Puss
fairly into the water and fiddell laughed ont
aloud, as with back arched and tail rufled, she
scrambled out swearing horribly and splitting
anger and wrath at her enemy.
''Oh, for shame Scott" cried the girl, Elbow
you delight to tease thngs!n
Not bad, that; eh Fritz" said the husband
to the waiter
'''Orrid beast, that cat, sare," returned Fritz.
grinning with delight. Eat up all my break
fast. she did, this morning-orrid beast"
ha rb1
| retribution Well, what are you going to give
us for our breakfastl7
Fritz repeated glibly such dishes as happened
to be going.
''Would you like fish, Kitty"
NO. thanks omelette."
It'll have one, too Omelette and coffee, then
! Fritz"
Strawberries, sarel'
NO" in decided tones from the girl called
Kitty. whats the good of paying a guilder
here for few when we get as many as we
can eat in the town for fourpence"
The husband laughed and Fritz went off
| Struggling his shoulders. 1t was nothing to him
| whether they had fruit or not.
That's nice girl" said Liddel to himself
| land OH" with long drawn sigh, chow she
does reminds me Of He broke off short
not even ending his thought, and pushed away
| his now spoiled omelette, attacking the straw
| berries instead
The frightened pair at the next table had be-
| taken themselves timidy off, and Toms wife
was deep in her letter home, so LiddeIl rested
his elbows on the table and fell to watching
| Kitty-he did not know who--now sauntering
round the grayeled garden holding her husbands
arm. charming girl, he pronounced her, tai,
| and straight as an arrow, with good gray eyes,
| and smooth, shining brown hair. He saw that
the feet under the hem of her white serge gown
were small and smart, and that her hands We're
| slender, but well shaped and firm, And oh! how
| she did remind him Of what he had been trying
to find, or to forget, for more than three long
and weary years.
AS for the man, he was young, big soldier
| like and clad in gray garments, matching in
lightness his wifes pretty serge frock. Truth to
| tell, Liddell was not particularly interested in
him, apart from the fact of his being the
husband of so charming wife.
Presently they sauntered into the saal and
seated themselves at the table the timid couple
| had vacated.
!t(fiYe me the naner. nlaasa Scott 3 said she