The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-06-02
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WITHIN AN ACE.
From AU the Year Round.

From AU the Year Round.
A hot summers day was drawing to its
close, and the sultry, stagnant air was stirr-
ed with The faintest possible breeze as Isat
on the Rhine Quay at Cologne, waiting for
the arrival of the steamer for Rotterdam
Not that was going to Rotterdam, but to
Dordrecht, quaint old Netberlandish
town, where | 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 sketching party and taken line of his
own, leading him up the Rhine, and
through the recesses Of the Black Forest.
The Rhine boat was late, hours late-a
thing had no reason to grumble at, for
my train had also been an hour or two
late, and had the boat been punctual l
should have missed it. And there was
"a hardship in waiting There was the
Rhine in front, broad and majestic, with
its strong, impetuous current and swirling
eddies, while gay Dutch barges Aoated
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,
its dark, undulating line running from
shore to shore. and beyond tho 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
steamer with glittering lights, hooting
and whistling on its way, and then the
bridge of boats would part in the middle,
xaad steamer come painting down.
But not the right one, Darkness came ou,
lights glittered everywhere on the stream,
stars glimmered through the soft haze, but
still no Rhine boat.
/ Hitherto l had been the only passenger
waiting on the quay, but now two ladies
appeared, attended by an old, grizzled ser
want who carried their baggage-only one
light portmanteau Assured that they
were still in time for the boat, the travellers
seated themselves on the same pile of
packing-cases, where ] had already found a
comfortable nook, and dismissed their at.
tendant. who saluted them respectfully and
departed. But the man as he passed me,
gave me a strange, searching glance, that
seemed full of covert hostility. l met his
glance with smile that perhaps was a little
supercilious, for the man seemed to be
lashed into rage as he half turned towards
me, and then, thinking better of his pur-
pose, whatever it might have been, skunk
away, muttering and probably cursing un-
der his breath. Then | looked curiously
at the ladies, who had been attended by
this grained fellow They were
mother and daughter, no doubt. The
elder woman had handsome, clever face,
which time and probably trouble had rem
dered stern and worn. The daughter re-
sembled the mother; she was strikingly
handsome, but there was worn and sor-
rowful look in her face, and her beautiful
dark gray eyes seemed charged with un-
shed tears.
Before long I felt myself in turn the
subject of the elder lady's scrutiny, and
strange to- say my appearance excited the
same antipathy as with the serving man.
A stern, indignant glance was hurled in my
direction, and then the mother turned Ia
her daughter with few earnest words
The girl started violently and our eyes met
Never shall I forget that look; the love
reproach, despair that shone in those beau
tiful eyes, the magnetic influence of which
seemed to penetrate my very soul,
Still 1t was go evident that here was a
case of mistaken identity, for the ladies
were absolute strangers to me, that | deter
mined to clear up the matter, and rising
and saluting the pair, / made some com
Fmonplace remark in French to- the etfeoI
that the boat was very late, The sound ol
my voice, OF perhaps the English accent OF
my French, seemed to break the spell of some
delusion. The elder lady replied quickly
with smile, and in excellent English
"Ah, you are English after ALL We thought
we recognized a compatriot, formerly known
to us. The likeness is remarkable, is it not
Olga?" turning to her daughter. The CIR
replied with simple gesture of assent, as
if she could not trust herself to speak
Her face had lost the glow of excitement
and had relapsed into its former pathetic
calm. The ice was broken l was soor
engaged in an animated conversation with
the elder lady, and the daughter was occa
sionally drawn in to join the talk. They
were evidently cultivated people, excellent
linguists, and acquainted with genera
European literature. In their society time
flew SO rapidly, that it was something of {
surprise when our boat actually drew up tt
the quay, just as the midnight hour was
tolled out from the great pomkirche, anc
echoed from all around.
The steamer was crammed with fruit
baskets, piled high above the deck, leaving
hardly standing room for passengers
of whom, haweveF, there were very few
Carrying the light poFtmanteau of ny
companions, as well as my own, led th'
way to the forepart of the vessel, where {
space had been kept clear of fruit baskets
The night was calm and genial, and We
agreed that it would be pleasanter to camp
out on deck than to descend into the saloon
and, arranging rugs and shawls, camp stoall
and portmanteaus, We settled ourselves
( comfortably to continue our talk. SooI
the boat was on the move, and we passed
away from the twinkling lights of the city
o.. AZ ,,o, ord raftIa % fha fro,r,s