The National tribune., 1893-02-02

= G: !: E q II
! WNlSl0Egu faNylGI tr0on days, stands an
| EISNG4 6@NS%SSA edifce with q history.
! E@@I5 ENSsslgEI 1t was built by one who
| EyaMNN0ll vgZMSSI came to these shores
| EGHD SINn after serving i'll the
| gaAt EMSfl armies Of the Dutch
| @STasS@NGggl stadtholders-one Carl
son Van Rettig He
was queer old man at the time of his com in e,
and lived long enough to build the house in
which he died.
The main treasure of the house of Van Ret
| tig was coat of arms, which had been awarded
the family for faithful service in the field, and
the most conspicuous feature of the design was
| abne tulip, set over the crossed swords of the
| Hollanders.
Tradition said that there once grew in the
gardens of the old warrior of the race rare blue
| tulip, the only one ever seen, and that it was
taken for the design of the coat of-arms. and
remained there for centuries, the envy of the
other Dutch families and the admiration of the
whole world.
As amattcr of course, old Carlson Van Rettig
was proud of the coat. ofarms; but he wanted
| to reproduce that rare tulip. 1t was the ambi
| ton of his life to grow another just like it,
| and when he built the house mentioned he
| added to it a conservatory, where he spent the
very last days of his life in the fruitless search
for a flower which was a myth
His son continued the search, and grew old
and died in similar manner-being found
| ueau among MS Tulips III the Conservatory, IHe
| key of which he carried himself, and whose
| door opened to none but the initiated.
| short time ago an old man with Van
Rettig face might now and then have been
| seen mounting the steps of this famous domi-
| Gil His ascent was feeble, for he had reached
| the allotted threescore and ten of human life;
he was the last male descendant of Carlson Van
Rettig, the old warrior, and. like all his race,
| he had passion for tulips, and that same am
| btion which none of them had ever gratified.
Jacob Van Rettig was a wdower but the
wife of his early years had given him daugh-
ter who had reached the age of womanhood,
and who combined in many graces of person
the rare beauty of the old line.
Julia Van Rettig was the admired Of thou
sands, and those who got glimpses of her when
she went to the parks for a walk, or made short
shopping excursions, raved over her loneliness,
which WAS of that grand type which Van Dyck
loved to transfer to his canvas
The outside world did not know that Julia's
father was hunting that blue flower which had
eluded his ancestors. The house was not open
to many guests, therefore it was not known
just how the old man passed his time.
He was TO be found in the little conservatory
until late at night. Indeed, Julia had known
him to spend the entire night there, working
among the flowers which were for the most
part, tulips. He had "propagated and
"crossed them until lie saw his years waning
and his life going out.
One night Julia Van Rettig, as was her GUS
tom, stolo up the broad stairs to see if her
father was in the conservatory. This was her
usual custom before retiring herself.
She had reached the door and was about to
open it, for he never kept it locked to her, when
she heard voices i'll the conservatory. This
was so unusual that she turned pale and fell
back wondering. She could not believe that
her father had admitted an outsider to the gar
den, but she summoned courage and advanced
again. Just as she laid her hand on the knob
she heard a cry and then voice in expostula-
ton.
You won't give her to me, will you? You
will let her wither like one of your COMPOUNDED
tulips! Well, will see about that. / will
throw my secret open to the world, and you
shall see that Rower which you have hunted
become a common drug on the market"
Julia Van Rettig stood spel-bound in the
hall. Her hands were clasped and her face
was white. She had recognized the voice.
She knew that it was that Of Julius Mar
tells a man whom she had dreaded from her
childhood days, her lover from their first meet
ing, and person to be Stunned by woman
kind. He was rich but wicked-a man with
a dozen vices where he had one virtue.
julia Van Rettig, longed to look beyond
the door Of the conservatory; she yearned to
throw it open and face the man who had
threatened her father in order to win her, but
something kept ncr Dack
Very well, we won't discuss this matter
any longer" suddenly continued Martels. II
will leave you to your reflections, but l say to
you now that | can produce blue tulips, and
that within few days the market will be
stocked with the glory of your house, and all
your years will have been spent for nothing"
Julia heard the groan which these words
wrung from her father. She started toward
the door, but stopped again, and thinking that
ia he Ia
went back to watch for him in the hallway
below.
An hour passed and he did not come. She
grew impatient. but waited another half hour
and then crept Up the staircase again.
Now she found the door of the tulip garden
stood slightly ajar. She hurried forward and
threw it open. In the center Of the room,
which showed a thousand proofs of the old
mans care, sat Jacob Van Rettig himself, with
his head thrown back. Julia dashed into the
room, but paused before her father and then
with cry which rang through the whole
house, stood motionless with her distended
eyes fixed upon him. Jacob Van Rettig was
dead
For some time the girl remained motionless
where she had stopped, but then she bent over
the emaciated form and tried to rouse him.
All her efforts were in vain. Casting look
about her, she saw at her feet the blush petals
of tulip.
hhOW. hHc CTleu Hc ScCTct 10 miuc.
Julius Martels you shall pay for the work of
this dark night. Fate guided me to the door
a while ago. and it has made me this old mans
avenger This is your work. You tried to
buy me with lie, and you have killed him.
1t might not be called murder in the eyes of
the law, but it is murder all the same!"
Half an hour later the neighbors knew that
Jacob Van Rettig had crossed the dividing line;
that the last blue tulip-bunter was found dead
among his flowers. The body was carried down
stairs and laid out in the little room where he
sometimes slept; the curtains were drawn
round the quaint old bedstead, and no one ouU
Julia held the secret Of the death. In due
time he was laid away in the family vault,
and the old house with its appointments and
a large sum of money went to Julia. These
made her an heiress worth seeking, and she
was considered in the market for a husband,
now that her father had passed away and the
blue tulip had for its representative the last of
the Van Rettig line 81
Society wondered what Julia Van Rettig
would do. Would she shut herself up in that
old house and hide from the world? or would
she blossom out like one of the rare flowers of
her dead fathers gardens and beautify little
world decidedly her own?
Julia Van Rettig answered all these ques-
tions in short time, She waited till the time
of mourning had passed, and then had grand