The Washington critic. (Washington City, D.C.) 1890-1890, 1890-02-16

"
able impression, and this took care to
confirm by the liberal expenditure
which you, in your ignorance, have
called extravaganza; by treating money
as If It's abundance in my Golfers made
II valueless In my eyes, and by delicate
generosity in the shape of presents to
mother and daughter. The trap was
too well set TO prove failure; the birds
arc fairly shared, and to- night, when
we take our usual romantic stroll, l
shall raise the fair Sendel to the seventh
heaven of happiness by asking her to
become Madame Van Haubitz"
Although the tenor and tone Of these
confessions by no means tended to clc-
waite the Dutchman in my opinion, I
could not but smile at the GOODNESS
with which they were made and at the
skill of his maneuvers. There was
some good about the scamp; he had
his own code of honor, such as
IL was, and from that he would
not easily have been induced
TO swerve. He would have scorned
to do a dirty thing, to cheat Mt
cards, or leave a debt of honor unpaid;
hut would readily have got in debt to
trades-men and money lenders beyond
all possibility of reimbursement. And
as regarded his present conspiracy
against the celibacy and salary Of
Mademoiselle Sendel, q senate of sages
and logicians would have failed to con.
vince him of its improperly. He
looked upon it as a most iustifable
stratagem, q lawful spelling of the
spoiler, praiseworthy in the sight of
mn III.
would perhaps have boosted of to
considerable extent to many beside my
self had not secresy been essential to
the welfare of his combinations.
] did not feel myself bound to betray
his plot or to put the Sendel on her
guard against this snake among the
roses. And while mentally resolving
rather to diminish than increase the
intimacy which the confident and con-
tidential artilleryman had in great
measure forced upon me, and which |,
through sort of easy-going Incidence
of character, had perhaps somewhat
lightly accepted, / anticipated diversion
in watching the maneuvers of the
high contracting parties. l considered
myself as a spectator called upon to
witness an amusing comedy in real life.
and admitted behind the scenes by pc
culiar favor OF an actor. / resolved to
watch the progress of the intrigue, and,
If possible, TO be present at the den0ue-
m62t
"Are you quite certain" said I to
Van, that Mademoiselle Sendel's DC.
cuniary position and prospects are so
very favorable? The sum you men.
toned is large one for an actress who
has been so short time upon the stage.
Public report, very apt to take liberties
with the reputation Of theatrical ladies,
often endeavors to compensate them by
magnifying their salaries.
Van, / may here mention, lest the
reader should not have perceived it,
had most inordinate opinion of his
own abilities and acuteDess. Like GER
tain Yankees, he Connected it was
necessary TO rise before the sun to out
wit him, and even then your chance
was poor one. He had been in hot
water all his life, never out of difficult
ties and scrapes-once, as has been
shown, kept from suicide by a mere
accident, and was now reduced to the
alternative of beggaTy or of marrying for
q living. None Of these circumstances,
which would have taken the conceit
out OF most men, at all impaired his
opinion Of his talent and sharpness.
Replying to my observation merely by
a slight shrug and by q smile of pity
Tor the man who thus misappreciated
his foresight, he again produced his
pocketbook and extracted from its in
nermostrecesses fragment of a Ger
man newspaper, reputed oracular in
matters theatrical. This he handed to
me, tapping particular paragraph sig
nignificantly with his foretinger. The
paragraph was thus conceived:
THEATRICAL INTELLIGENCE. - That
promising young actress, Fraulein Emile
sendel-whose first appearance, in the
spring of last year, at once established her
in the foremost line of the dramatic genius
OF the day-has concluded her twelve
months engagement at the Hof Theatre OF
Is -, where she doubtless considered,
and not without reason, that her talents
and exertions were inadequately compen-
stated by salary of 10000 forms. The
gay society OF that capital will sensibly
feel the loss OF the accomplished and fasci-
mating coincidence, who has accepted an
engagement at Vienna, on the more suitable
telms OF 10000 florins, with two months
congo and other advantages. Before pro-
ceeding to ravage the eyes and ears of the
pleasure-loving population Of the Kaiser
Stddt, IL belle Sendel is off to the baths,
under the protecting wing of the watchfui
guardian who has presided at all her theat-
rical triumphs,
"Clear enough, | think" said Van,
when ! raised my eyes from the pro.
tracted periods of the penny-a-liner.
! had nothing to say against the lu-
cidity Of the paragraph, nor anything
to urge, at all likely to avail, against
the prosecution of Vans designs upon
the lady's hand and Is, 200 forms, with
two months congo and other ad.
vantages.' No possible sophistry, to
which | was equal, could prove the
marriage to be against his interest; and
as to trying him on the tack of delicacy
Imposition on IN unprotected
woman, degrading dependence on her
exertions" and SO forth-I knew the
thick skin and indomitable self.con.
ceit OF the gunner would repel such
feather shafts without feeling them,
or that the utmost effect / could expect
to produce would be TO get into
quarrel with the redoubtable native of
the Netherlands, predicament In
which, as q man of peace, was by no
means anxious to find myself. SO,
after hazarding the fruitless hint with
which the reader was made acquainted
at the commencement of this narrative,
/ abstaincd from all further informed
ding and retired to my apartment,
leaving Van Haubitz to con the decla.
ration with which he was that evening
to rejoice the ears Of the fair and too
confiding Sendcl.
Invent to bed early that night, and saw
nothing more of the Hollander till the
next morning, when l was reused from
balmy slumber at the untimely hour
OF seven by his bursting into my room
with more impetuosity than ceremony,