Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-12
An EPISODE OF VIlSDADEN.
tsTom Time.

al N
sSpsd as cooler bsunts aud sea-breezes
limited them away. AS to myself,
Cscl Brooke. ! also lonsed 10 take my
Se,atture. for vas sick to death Of
, w,esbaden, whore | had been located
ior more than month under the care
- celebrated oculist, who was treat
;,g me for Inflammation in one oil my
as. knew every rice. every walk,
q, miles around; had explored all the
nl.ces Of interest in thu neighoorhoot,
,na was familiar with every inch OF
The ground leading TO tho Rhine and
tne Platte. | was now quite restored
,ohealth my doctor had told me that
he would not require me TO pay h'm
mere than a couple Of visits, and | had
A, etmined that | would pack up my
tr,ps and be of the following week.
IL was on broiling hot afternoon
that came to this conclusion, seated
in q comfortable loupging. chair beneath
tie oleander trees In the courtyard Of
the Rose. remembered that the din-
nee wasat 3 o'clock. Horrible thought .
Farcy sitting down at that unearthly
hour to thick soup aud huge JOINT! |
closed my eyes and mentally recalled
TIE waving green woods around the
Duke Of Badeu's hunting box, the fair
panorama Of bill and valley, the blue
waters Of the Rhine, Gro wned by many
fruitful vineyard and csstellated pile,
hirg beresth; and determined to
eschew table dh0te and wend my way
up there, returning late in the evening
TO supper in the Kurssal to the music
Of one Of the best bands on the Cont
nent.
must have been fast falling into tho
lard of dreams, when | was suddenly
aroused by the arrival OF a couple OF
carrisges with a pile Of luggage.
Evidently some one Of consequences,
thought /, watching with some amuse-
ment the obscquious little proprietor,
who rushed out, all smiles and bows,
to receive the newcomers.
The luggage was accompanied oy
maid AID valet, bat the occupants oil
the other carriage we're lady and two
gentlemen, one of them being an elderly
man Of somewhat course and common
appearauce. tho other tall, good
looking Young fellow about thirty.
But il was the lady who riyeted my
attention. had seen many bealtiful
women, but none more lovely than the
one who was now alighting. She was
tall and graceful, her hair was Of the
finest. silkiest gold, and her eyes of
Spanish darkness. As | half-rOse from
by seat, those soft, liquid Orbs met
mine for an instant in a glance that
fascinated, Yet repealed me, and which
haunted me with vague sense Of IN
essireSs.
Before long | was in possession Of
the fact that she was a Miss Dalton,
travelling with her brother and father,
the lsttcr being an Australian gentle
man Of considerable wealth.
! did rot 90 20 the Platte that after
noon; no, J vent meekly in to the
5.o'clock fQiie dhote, submitted with
on. murmur TO the thick soup and
aHruHfs Il Ia Tdrtqre, with tbs Their
mometer at eighty.seven degrees Fab
renLeit in the shade. and had the mex
possible felicity of sitting opposite to
my new neIghbors.
was not impressed With the men.
The elder was q title uncOuth in man
ner, and savored rather more Of the
squatter than altogether approved Of;
his son was an amended edition Of
himself, more refined, more agreeable,
aud decidedly better-lookin6. His
daughter resembled him not in The
least indeed, it was hard to believe
that any relationship existed and for
this | was, strange TO say, suprenely
thankful. She reminded me OF s0me
gorgeous tropical flower IN garden Of
weeds, her brilliant colcring and high
bred air completely extInguishirg all
the other women present. As TO my
self, vas quite subjugated. was a
passionate sdmirer Of beauty, aud this
woman, with her allurins smile and
wonderful eyes, intoxicated and Devil
dercd me,
Her father entered into conversation,
the son followed suit, but Miss Dalton
only looked at me, and her glance
completed her conquest. | LEFT this
dining-room as utterly in love at first
sight as the yeriest greenhorn, and
wandered across into the shady gardens
Of the Kursaal 20 consider how | could
further my acquaintance with this
siren.
| was ssuntering along the most I'M
freQuented paths, enjoying my cigar,
when | was conscious of heating my
name spoken. stopped voice said
softly, Hush :" The mex. moment
there emerged from a summer-houso
half hidden by the trees the very peo-
pie who occupied my thoughts.
Miss Dalton started yiSibly at sight
Of me, aud a blush which intensified
her beauty stole into her cheek. | felt
somewhat sgitated ard passed quickly
on. They had been talking Of me
Evidently had been of some interest
TO them, and, fool that | was. went
home in a fatter Of delight and sa. .:
my window far into the night, weaving
dreams Of future bliss, in which Miss
Dalton was the principal figure.
am not the least susceptible, nor
was at that period, and though | had
arrived at the mature eye of twenty
five, not one Of Ewes fair daughters
had ever raised the ghost Of nutter
in my breast. Therefore it puzzled,
and, ! must confess, somewhat an
ncyed ne to find Miss Dalton occupy
ing far larger portion Of my thoughts
than | particularly desired. Her face
haunted me. Her low trainante voice
rapg in my ears, and as the days wore
on ard came to know her better |
got more and more hopelessly entangled
in the net which her alluring beauty
had woven.
wondered, too, at her manner to-
ward her relatives. She scarcely, if
ever, addressed her father; il be spoke
to her she replied as coldly and CURLY
as politeness would permit; nor did she
seem more friendly with her brother,
Tom Dalton. | could not help think