The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-10-17

winter. But il was in the middle Of q
warm and beautiful summer when the
deed was done.
As yet am not alluding to anything
mysterious at all, but at the same time
am very anxious to explain how IL was
that i, humble and not altogether soli-
tary Englishman, found myself located
in the Hotel Drei Liebchen ut Anannas-
berg within few hours OF Christmas
day.
/ was travelling alone one summer timo
full ,of health and uncommonIy full OF
spirits, and rashly got out OF the Rhine
steamer at Anannasberg in order to pay
flying visit to q miniature Paris, hedged
round with avenues and consecrated to
| the military, and deliver some letters
| of introduction to an enthusiastic En-
| glish engineer, who was doing his best
| to make the stolid Germans energetic,
and make fortune during the unenviable
| process.
Strange TO say, he took to me. There
was no beating about the bush. We were
friends at once, and few hours after my
credentials were read and thrown aside,
found myself walking with my arm in his
towards that cosy and hospitabie mansion
In which he lived, and where he had in
troduced that delightful home feeling,
and those pleasant family associations, SO
dear to the English-so strange to the
foreign mind.
| Here was q miniature English homo
planted in a strange land, and can tell
| you that IL was by no means objectiopa-
| BILE to enjoy my cut of joint under his ma
hogany, in the company of men worth
| talking to, and women decidedly worth
| admiring.
| am now gradually nearing the point.
| Before the next sun sank my portman-
| teau was moved up from the hotel to my
friends house, and the first night slept
under his hospitable roof was dreaming,
strange to say, of his daughter.
There was no help for il. II was the
very place Of oil Others to make love in.
1t was the very weather OF all weather for
the operation.
| A house surrounded by a wilderness OF
varied trees overarching one another, and
making love in their quaint and fnnciful
fashion; lake at the end of the garden
full of desolate weeds, and owning a crazy
old boat; soft croquet lawn for the
more worldly, and bright flowers for the
lovers OF nature; a sun which perpetually
cleaned upon the warm white house, and
laughter forever ringing out of it-surely
| such n place as this was the one OF all
others to make love in.
They called her Annabel, and I called
her SO first on the brightest of all the
moonlight nights, when half dozen of
us had been frightening the girls in the
shrubbery, and we found ourselves alone
Il deny that it was Accidentally the
gloomy lake.
There we were. The one word Annabel
came trembling from my lips, and the one
look which her answering eyes gave me,
persuaded me that / had not made O mis-
take.
| We were engaged, and few days after
] left for England with all the parental
difficulties got over-the husband that
was to be of as true and sensible and as
pure a woman as ever fell to young fell
lows lot.
| This was in the summer time, and at
Christmas / found myself, of course, at
the Drei Liebchen at Anannasberg.
1t was q bitterly cold winter, but
| needed it not. The thoughts of seeing
her again almost warmed me. My excite
| ment to get away from London was tre-
| mendous. We all know that pleasant
| time, those few days before Christmas,
when every cab dashes past us with a
| portmanteau on its roof, taking little
hearts and happy faces to kindly homes
| far away.
| Twas bound for Germany and my love.
| My holiday was short, but, under the cir
| cumstances, where i'm the whole xoriA
could it better be spent?
And what with sleeping and smoking,
and dreaming and thinking, and fidget-
ing and longing, arrived after midnight
on Christmas eve at the Drei Leibchen.
1t was too late to present myself at the
white house. Beside, was not present.
able. i was dirty, unshaven and woe-
begone with constant travelling. A quiet
night at the hotel thought the best plan,
that might present myself spick and span
the next morning.
Such precautions as these should never
be forgotten. The female mind is gener-
Gus but susceptible, and this susceptibility
not unfrequently conquers generosity.
determined to be on the right side OF
the hedge, and made up my mind for
refreshing sleep at the Drei Liebchen.
But reckoned without my host.
| 1t was after midnight when i drove up
to the hotel from the station, and though
as luck would have 1t, mine host had not
retired for the night, found anything
but pleasant news awaiting me. l was
absolutely thunderstruck. There was no
room in the hotel.
"What! at this time OF the year7"
| asked, with something like irritation.
A stupid and very positive ia" an
swered me incontestably.
I" But have you no corner in which you
can squeeze me for the night?" asked.
The landlord consulted his slate. He
also consulted very sleepy and obstinate
servant-the kind of man who seemed de-
termined not to smile or be genial, and
appeared to take a quiet and fendish de-
light in my misery.
{" Yes; there was one room"
There was one room; but should i OBJ
ject? There was not somebody, but some-
thing in 1t.
"What is that3" asked, curiously.
"a black box"
| looked astonished.
| "Oh! there's nothing TO be alarmed
at" said my host, wondering at the Curl
Gus expression of countensnce had as
IN i. 4. -.