Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-22

it had been his habit for years
to devote scrupulously to HIM
self. She had hauled him in
person and mauled him in feeling, and had
taken him from place and condition of de-
| light to place and condition OF appalling
discomfort. The usually amiable and
agreeable wine merchant had grumbled at a
midnight ride in cab in February fog,
had grumbled at being dressed like friar
"a man of his years and plain nineteenth
century tastes and habits-in calico gown
with hood, and cord around his waist.
If he should chance to be revealed to an ac-
| ouaintance he was sure he would perish
with shame. The air of the Opera House
was intolerable; heavy with mephitic va
pors; stale with the products of combustion,
| human and tobacco; abominable with the
fumes of beer and spirits and wine. Pur-
yeyor of arttully modified alcohol though
7 he was, there was degree and kind of hu-
manly assisted fume at which he drew the
line of his appreciation. The crash of the
band fairly ratified his brain; the haze and
the shutting and shifting multitude gave
him vertigo; it was hot as Tartarus; he hated
the sight of a certain kind of tipsy women
who are bound to be called out in apprecia-
BILE numbers by any great public rout-and
SO on with persistence and acerblty which
four hours earlier in the day would have
been no more discoverable in this patient
and amiable citizen than in the lambs of the
Thuringen or the uncomplaining saints and
angels on cathedral towers.
To supper Minna had to go. IF the worthy
wine merchant had suffered, his tribulations
had not interfered with the production of a
fine appetite. When Minna came back to
him in the box where he sat, after her de-
parture in quest of Herr Martersteig and
the woman with the three roses, and after
her humiliating discovery of that pair, and
the singular and highly painful incident
that followed it, she had regained her out
ward composure; but she was, as anybody
with the least insight of the emotions of
woman may suspect, utterly without appe-
tite. She pleaded and protested against
supper; she had headache, she was highly
nervous, she needed rest, she was over
powered with sleep. but her uncle was OBJ
durate. He had needed rest, he had been
overpowered with sleep, and she had not
respected his condition in the least; now he
was hungry, and to supper Mistress Minna
cab, and were driven over to a restaurant
on the East Side-an easeful, delightful
place, kept by an artist from the German
side of the Alps, and held open tonight on
account of the great ball-and here the wine
merchant breathed sigh of relief as he
stretched his legs under the white cloth and
took the generous Speisekarte in hand.
Minna would eat nothing; Herr Wachs-
muth was in a mood for cold roast goose
and champagne. Rhine wine, he said, was
the proper drink for the reasonable hours of
the day, and for man in normal condition,
but in the loss of sleep, and as spur to rouse
one out of respondent condition, there
was nothing like the sparkling vintage OF
the people who were whipped at Sedan.
Perhaps it was the last virtue attributed by
Herr Wachsmuth to the opera bouffe king
of wines which appealed to Minna; at any
rate she accepted glass of the foaming
beverage from her uncle, drank it eagerly,
and felt great deal better for it.
After a period OF devotion to the goose
and the champagne Herr Wachsmuth made
what he called digestive pause. Leaning
back in his chair, with his hands clasped
loosely above the swell of his waistcoat, he
beamed upon his niece with much amiabil-
itv, and presently addressed her.
"Minna," he said, "Heinrich is boy
with number of good points,"
yes" Minna assented languidly; she
had a vague feeling that, if the whole truth
were told, it would have to be added that
her cousin possessed number of bad points
also, and still another number of points
whose recommendations were only moderate,
but she did not feel called upon to grieve
her uncle by any such gratuitous sugges-
tion. She slipped at her champagne, and
waited with moderate interest for him to
continue.
'I had hoped" said Herr Wachsmuth,
adjusting his spectacles and speaking with
much deliberation, as though aware that
time should be given to the choosing of
language in the expression of some thoughts,
that YOU and Heinrich would be married
to each other"
The wine merchant paused here for re-
ply; but, receiving none, continued:
''It does not seem to me now that you two
are likely to be married. You do not appear
to care for him. and as for Heinrich, saw
him last night at the ball.
"You saw Heinrich at the ballr' Minna
exclaimed, in Some surprise.
eyes, returned Herr Wachsmuth; che
was walking with girl with very pretty
white shoulders and red dress and a crown,
and he acted as if he could eat her up"
but, uncle, how did you know Helm |
rich?" cried Minna.
"By his size, and by his slippers. He |
was dressed as a brigand, but I suppose no |
shoes went with the suit, for he wore the |
green slippers with red and yellow roses |
which he won at Otto Kleinseidels rattle |
last Christmas. Herr Wachsmith shifted |
his spectacles again and resumed: "When |
was in the office to-day, just after lunch.
Alex Martersteig-"
"Do not speak of him, Uncle Friedrichl'' |
cried Minna. 81 cannot bear Herr Marter- |
steigp'
The wine merchants eyes opened behind |
his spectacles until they were perfectly |
round.
mot speak of Alexi Not bear Alex!'' |
he feebly calculated.
"Noi' cried Minna. 81 never wish to |
hear his name again! will have Helm |
rich, if he wants me, but as for Herr Mar |
tersteig, III despise himP'
Poor Minna! The end of her speech died |
away foolishly in choking sob, and her |
eyes flushed with tears. at this moment |
a couple entered the room. One was a lady, |
richly dressed in black, heavily veiled, |
wearing three red roses on her bosom; the |
other was Herr Martersteig. They seated |
themselves at a table next to the wine mer-
chant and his niece. Minna's back was
turned to them, and Herr Wachsmuth was |
so astonished and disturbed by the girls |
that for moment he did not no.
tice the newcomers. For a moment, too,
Martersteig was oblivious OF the presence of |
Minna and her uncle; he was busying him
self with the disposal of his companions
wraps and satchel, and had not vet glanced |
about him. In another moment, however,
he and the wine merchant looked up and |
saw each other. Herr Wachsmuth's ewes
l,rt l,a., f,,11