New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-14

lean parent, that the wondering glanccs directed At
his offspring prompted by unbridcd admiration.
The Others struggling along in the rear, loaded
with tho bundles which Rose and BERTHE refuse to
carry further.
| Father says he will take Rose and Bertic down to
tea and they descend the brass stairs Of the boat In
a charmingly united manner To Rose and Bertic
this is the event Of the day. For week previous
they have pictured tn. absorbing delights of that noe
turnal supper.
To guard against a renewal of hostilitles, Father
sits at the head of the table, with either hand,
his long legs under the festive board, interceptng
their furve hicks. Father, alone and without female
aflies is filed with fear and meeky attempts to con-
ciliste them. He let's them order what they please
Rose has the first chance This has its advantages and
disadvantages 1t argues a corresponding prominence
in all departments, but also gives the edge to the
enemy, who may be daringly original in his order
that Roses will be tamo and fiat by comparison.
This thought Expresses Rose in her selection Of the
most tempting vands At last she says hcsitating1y
"some fried potatoes, Father, please. the thin,
curly kind" then fixes her heavy, sleepy eyes on
BERTHE
lie hardly waits for her to finish before he fires his
bombshell
"A cup Of cofec-and some hot rolls That's first !
Then becfsteak and an omcette, and some fish like
what that down there's got-and-of course.
fried potatoes. Then little of that red stuff in tho
glass dish, and ice cream, II hcy have any, and some
Of those cakes with pink tops.'
"Now, Father" with trembling undorlip ~
want some of those. too.n
Z" But she didn't say so, Father. You gave her first
choice and she took the potatoes
"Don't cry, Rose, for heavens sake" urges Father
m desperate whisper, "you can have Just what you
want. Bcrtie's greedy boy
Rose chcercd by this structure on Berte's manners,
comforcd merely requesting that she give hcr
own order to the waiter So the waiter is called
round, and Father says, amiably
snow Rose, IT'S your turn
Now whether the excitement Of the moment IS too
tense or whether Rose wishes to perform such prod
gles Of ordering that she cannot decide whore TO be-
gin. who shall say7 Whatever is the cause. silence
falls upon and blchts her and she sits with tragic
eyes and puckered brows anrry biting tho end Of
her napkin Father desparlng, plies her with every
name on the bill of fare in the hopo of striking the
forgotten dish The waiter standing BY vies with him
in suggestions, murmurng with broad, bright smilc
GLASS milk sab Toast an buttah cup o. cofreo'"
He little knows the taste Of Rose, the epicure Tho
grsnds caux are just beginning to play when father
and the waiter, neck and neck, gasp:
Soft shelled crabs 2"
reetle bit o. corifsh 2"
Here Rose gives the nod Of Jove and the
stop Soft shclled crabs is Roses choice. There is
faint suspicion in Fathers unhappy mind that this is
not dish calculated sweeen the sumbers Of youth,
but his misery and not his will consents.
On the centre of the table stands glass dish
decked with fossil remains of preAdamite cahe
To these relics of prehistoric age do Rose and
Berthe seriously incline, especially to with pink
sugar ornament curled around its ancient top They
eye It steahly, but by communication of soul each
knows the other is bent upon the possession of that
pink masterpiece. Father wonders what makes them
so wonderfully silent all of a sudden. In fact they
almost afraid TO breathe The question will be de-
cided by the who gets done first who will solve
the difficulty by grabbing the and running.
As the feast draws 10 close the suspense becomes
terrible At every movement of Bcrtics, Rose starts
at every rustic of Roses skirts, Berthe stretches
lowering claw over the coveted relic. II Father
is consulted, he may break 1t in two, worse yet,
do what he did that dreadful day when they fought
for a caramel, and Father decided the conflict by eat
ing its cause.
Father is quite pleased at their behavior. He al
ways thought he could manage them, when mamma
complained OF their being troublesome. After all
said and done, women made fuss about a thing
any man could do easily possible. Could any chill
dren be better so quiet so well behaved, so-but
here the dream breaks BERTHE darts forth thevish
hand snatches the cake, and 10 Roses voice rises
in a wall Of desolation, which every head 10
turn in her direction.
"Oh. the pink cake The pink cake n-and tho
tears choke her" the pig kagc the pig kagc'
The pig what? Rose, darling, arc you hurt? Is
IT pain ~ thinking guiltily of the crabs. Is there
a pin sticking your
"Oh the kage! Ny pig kage! There dolly
wod and he took IT.
"Kagcl wod lie took It - mutters Father,
going over these mystical utterances; Dcrt,7 with
a sudden fierce eye his son. have you taken any
thing"
Really, father" says the culprit with an un-
conscious air and the raised brows Of inQuirng In
nocence, can't think what she means pig kaec'-
never heard Of anything lko that before Perhaps
something's hurt hcr-a pin in the chair. We some
times fix them that way in the seats at school,
Rose, who has suspended her walls TO listen IN
ently TO this dialogue hoping for repentance and
tuon, breaks forth again with still louder accama-
lions. The sympathetic walters hover about Offering
panaceas various dishes, which they thrust before
her weeping eyes and then draw back The ada
cent people deeply interested. Father is In
scarlet misery BERTHE alone is absolutely tranquil,
musingly slipping his coffee. Rose refuses TO move,
still grieving
"Oh my pig kagei There was only wod"
And here waiter thrusting cake dish from |
adjoining table into her line of vision, she stops in
mid YELL looks at It, and wiping her eyes on her |
napkin, robs It Of its choicest ornaments, two pink
cakes Then snufing, but happy she says carelessly
10 Fathor, her hand extended her eyes her treas
ure:
Handkerchief please" operates with 1t and trips |
smilingly out Of the room, cake in each hand
But Berthe was punished for his misdemeanors. In
the dead vast and middle Of the night he has dreams
which suddenly lead him to step from his upper berth.
nmndful Of its altitude and precpi,ato himself upon
the floor amid a chaos of bags and underclothng. A
oud cry and heavy fall-one can't say slckening
hud for his descent is accompanied with sharp, Jar
ing sounds as his extremities hit the sides of the
his arrival among the bags. Both
Berthe and Mary-who has the lower berth-are
weakened rrdeIy from their slumbers. They at first
maintain aggrieved and amazed silence
Holy fathers !, at length says Mary in awe
struck Tone was that you, Bertie7"
Oh my! Oh, my elbow Oh, my kneew then
with sudden change of tone, II guess I fell,
lldnt II"
Are you hurret?"
Am hurt 2" sitting up rubbing his scars,
I'LL ccii and off that chclf