The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-04-14
Wit1iQ an Ace.

A hot summers day was drawing to it's close, and the sultrv, stagnant air was stirred with the faintest possi- ble breeze as I sat on the Rhine quay at Cologne, waiting for the arrival of the steamer for Rotterdam. Not that I was going to Rotterdam, but to Dor drecht, a quaint old Netherlandish town, where I expected to join my mother and sister. The latter had been sketching all the summer among the old towns of Holland she has an enthusiasm for the Dutch school, an enthusiasm that is hardly shared by her brother, who had deserted the sketchiDg party and taken line of his own, leading him up the Rhine, and through the recesses of the Black Forest.
 The boat was hours late-a thing l had no reason to grumble at, for my train had also been an hour or two late, and had the boat been punctual I should have missed it. And there was no hardship in waiting. There was the Rhine in front, broad and ma- jestic, with it's strong, impetuous cur rent and twirling eddies, while gay Dutch barges floated down, or were anchored in the stream, mixed up with huge timber rafts; and great, noisy tugs labored up against the stream, with long strings of barges in their train. There, too, was the bridge of boats, it's dark, undulating line rum ming from shore to shore, and beyond the bridge long reaches of the river stretched out to the low horizon in doubtful kind of haze. Out of the haze every now and then came a steamer with glittering lights, hoot- ing and whistling on it's way, and then the bridge of boats would part in the middle, and the steamer come panting down. But not the right one. Dark ness came on, lights glittered every where on the stream, stars glimmered through the soft haze, but still no Rhine boat.
 Hitherto I had been the only pas- senger waiting on the quay, but now two ladies appeared, attended by an old, grizzled servant who carried their baggage-only one light portmanteau. Assured that they were still in time for the boat, the travellers seated them- selves on the same pile of packing cases, where I had already found 8 comfortable nook, and dismissed their attendant, who saluted them respect fully and departed. But the man, as he passed, gave me strange, search ing glance, that seemed full of covert hostility. I met his glance with smile that perhaps was little supercilious, for the man seemed to be lashed into rage, as he turned half towards me, and then, thinking better of his purpose, whatever 1t might have been, slunk away, muttering and probably cursing under his breath. Then looked curiously at the ladies, who had been attended by this cross- grained fellow. They were mother and daughter, no doubt. The elder woman had a handsome, clever face which time and probably trouble had rendered stern and worn. The daugh- ter resembled the mother; she was strikingly handsome, but there was a worn and sorrowful look in her face and her beautiful dark gray eyes seemed charged with unshed tears.
 Before long felt my self in turn ths subject of the elder lady's scrutiny and, strange to say, my appearance excited the same antipathy as witf the serving man. A stern, indignan, glance was hurled in my direction and then the mother turned to hel daughter with 8 few earnest words The girl started violently and our eye, met. Never shall I forget that look the love, reproach, despair that shon' in those beautiful eyes, the magnetic influence of which seemed to penetrat, my very soul.
 Still it was so evident that here wa case of mistaken identity, for tn, ladies were absolute strangers to me that determined to clear up the mat. ter, and, rising and saluting the pair made some commonplace remark il French to the effect that the boat wa very late. The sound of my voice and perhaps the English accent of my French, seemed to break the spell O some delusion. The elder lady replied quickly with smile, and in excellen English: "Ah, you arc English aftel all; we thought we recognized com patriot, formerly known to us. Tn,