Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-03-22
WON IN a CAFE CHANTANT

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 him.
sell, perhaps. most of all. He had Just arrived
oy the harWich boat after smooth and lovely
passage, which he had spent partly In company
WIN big meerschaum on deck and partly in ours
ing very audibly wretched Frenchman who was
depiorably seasick, and moreover had had the
audacity to cast himself in his Indebtedness
not only into Liddell's BERTH but actually on to
Lddels rug
Miserable little BRUTE Liddell growled.
with all the heartlessness of a splendid sailor
Come. get OF the rug at least" Then, finding
that the Gaul did not understand one word Of
English. added Ugh you wretched little beg
gar, who would be Frenchman | wOnder.r
That, however. was all over and done with
and he had reached his destination for that day
He had had a tub and a shave. and change OF
clothing vet his temper did not improve or, to
be quite correct. his WEAKNESS OF heart did not
pass away. To casual observer he was lust a
big. fine. far-haired. Iong-Iimbed man. belong
ing to the rich upper classes. Yet keener eye
might see weary shadows under the eyes and a
dissatisfied droop of the mouth under the trim,
brown mustacne. 1t was not the face of a
happy man.
He looked at the big, well-shaded room. with
its array OF biz lOOking-GlasseS. its long tables
down the center of the floor. aud its little cosy
ones beside the windows; he looked at the bill
of fare from which he had just ordered his
breakfast. at the flowers in the vases. and then
at those blooming among the rOckeries out in
the bit of a quadrangle which lie supposed the
hotel people were pleased to call a garden. and
then he heard girls voice outside under the
verandah. say: 'Oh, Tom We can't go out YET
must write home to-day. I've never written
word since-since Thursday"
He could not see Tom. but lie heard man
laugh. conscious sort of laugh. followed by
the fizz OF fuzee and the Odor of newly
lighted tobacco. The girl who had spoken sat
at little table facing the window, a pretty
fresh-colored. silly-looking miss, evidently just
out OF the school room, and as vain Of the
brand-new ring upon her left hand as if no one
but herself had ever worn the badge Of matri-
mOny before.
Married on Thursday" said Liddell to him
self, turning his eyes from the fresh-lOoking
face OF the girl (whO. as yet. was not writing
home, but, resting her elbows on the table, APP
peared to be contemplating her Tom with fond
adoring eyes, to the only persons besides HIM
self in the room. late couple who were eating
their breakfast in silence and with timid air.
as II they were not quite sure whether it was
the right thing to have breakfast or not.
What the devil did come here for?" said
l.iddell irritabiy to himself, Us he looked out of
the window again
Your breakfast is served, sare," said q
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 straw berries
and savOry Onelet which proved to be as good
AS it looked. Liddell helped himself again to
ii. and just then the sound of fresh voices made
him turn his head toward the garden once
more.
More honeymooners," he thought in disgust
"1he place is simply infested with them"
But the pair out in the garden were neither
fond and foolish abtpptlV tim6 IiAdoll
was Enthusiastically interested-in spite of
the indisputable fact that good ome!et 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-n0st-Of garden there is a fountain affair
made by single jet of water. which flows over
halt dozen fragments of what has been once a
sacred edice i'm tiny rvulet to basin, which
Is neither OF caryen rock nor of classic stOne;
but, may it please YOU good big bath, sunk in
the ground. Surrounded by moss-grown stones,
fragments of arches and pillars interspersed
with ferns and flowers, the whole affair does not
look half bad. and on that particular morning
such seemed to be the opinion of great gray
cat. which. Overpowered perhaps by the fierce
heat of the July sun and lued BY the ceaSelesS
splash of the failing water, had composed itself
to sleep on the very brim.
''Eush-sh. Kitty" exclaimed the husband
Eyes TIE uiItCt!DU HIS VIE : n9u
taken. Let the cat be. By Joye, what a
chance :"
In a moment he rad tipped Madame Puss
fairly into the water. and Liddell laughed out
aloud as with back arched aud tail ruflled She
scrambled out swearing horribly and splitting
anger and wrath at her enemy.
''Oh, for shame, Scott cried the girl How
you delight to tease things" -..I,-.4,f
Not bad. that, eh, Fritz" said the husband
to the waiter.
.''orrld beast. that cat, sare" returned Fritz.
grinning with delight Eat up all nv break
fast. she did. this mOrning-'orrid beast"
oh did SHE. though? Then it was proper
retrbution, Well. Lat are you going to give
Us for breakfast!'
Fritz repeated glibly such dishes as happened
to be going.
Would you like fish, Kitty"
No. thanks: omelette."
''l'il have one, too. Omelette and coffee, then,
Fritz"
Strawberries. sare?
No." in decided tones from the girl called
Kitty. whats the good of paying guiIder
here for a few when we can get az many as we
can eat in the town for fOurpence:"
The husband laughed. and Fritz went of
Struggling his shoulders II was nothing to him
whether they had fruit or not
That's nice girl" said Liddell to himself,
and OH" with a long-trawn sigh, 'how
she does remind Inc Of" He broke off snort.
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 tmidiy off, and Toms wife
was deep in her letter home. SO Liddell rested
his elbows on the table and fell to watching
k!tty.he did not know whO-now saunterinp
ROUND the grayeled garden, holding her hus-
bands arm A charming girl. he pronounced
her, tall and straight 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 were slender. but we'll shaped and tirm
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 MAJ ching in
llghtness his wife's pretty serge frock. Truth to
tell, Liddell was not particularly Interested in
him, apart from the fact of his being the hus-
band of so charming wife.
Presently they sauntered into the saal and
seated themselves at the table the timid couple
had vacated.
Give me the paper. please Scott" said she.
Now it happened that the Times Of the pre-
viOus day was at that moment under I.iddells
elbow, and he presented 1t to her with bow
"Oh thanks! but really l did not notice that
you had it," she said looking at him with her
Gear gray eyes-dangerous eyes they were.
81 was not reading 1t. indeed" he assured her,
which was true enough. for lac had read every
word of it the previous day.
We'll. l will look at 1t til, you finish your
breakfast and ours comes" she said smiling.
She sat with her pack to the window her face
halt turned to him. her left hand resting on the
L,alr ol,~;-