The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-08-05
AN ILLUMINATION.

found only in it's native land, America.
Tho European variety of tho species is
but tolerablo imitation, having nei-
Their tho comfort nor the elegance Of the
original article. Still there arc rock
ing chairs in Europe, and company in
Austria turns out very good semblances
indeed of bent wood with cane trim
mings.
was tho first one out from tho big
hotel to the terrace i'll front. and there
fore had my choice Of all the chairs
scattered so profusely around, and if
none Of them was 30 good as the big red
rocking chair Of the American hotel ve-
randa, yet the Austrian article standing
empty beside tho little round metal ta-
bio was not to BIO despised, 80 1 sat
down III it and lit my cigarette. Tho
waiter, who had followed me out, bring
Ing cup Of black coffee. now poured
out liquor glass Of the aromatic, pen
etrating green decoction. pouring it so
dcftly that it came exactly to tho brim
and did not spill'a drop.
have always admired tho experiences
Of tho European waiter, either with cof-
fec or tho moro expensive monkish liu-
uOr.
There was u small hedge at tho edge
of the terrace, and thought had tax
Oh the last scat toward the western end,
but found was mistaken. Behind mo
OH the terrace was gray green bush,
and behind that bush and sheltered from
the hotel lights stood another round
metal table and two chairs.
Two young girls camo down the hotel
steps with their arms around each other
i'll the confidential fashion of young
persons still i'll their teens. They were
aged 20 or thercabouts, and they took
their places behind tho bush, apparent
~ not noticing that l was within hear
ing distance. BY this time many people
wero coming out i'll twos and threes and
little groups, and many began walking
about the gravcled terrace, tho wise,
however, securing good places at the
little tables before the rush for seats be-
gan.
The deep gorge Of the Rhine had fill
ed with darkness, which the thin crest
Of the silver moon hanging In tho sky
had not light enough to penetrate Just
before going to dinner I had noticed
how lovely this gorge was. with the deep
green river f1ecked with white foam
from the falls and tho many tints Of
its surface reflecting back tho splendor
of the sunset sky. Now all this was
gone. but almost directly below us the
Rhine falls showed white and fieecy in
tho gathering darkness. We wcro some
hundreds Of feet above them, but their
roar came up to us like the long sus-
tanned note of an organ.
Tho falls Of tho Rhine are tho great
est in Europe. but you cant expect u
man brought up OH niagara TO wax very
enthusiastic about them Still 1 will
say this-that they arc very pretty little
falls about go feet i'll height, moro like
rapids than cataracts, but probably it
would not be quite safo to shoot these
Rhine rapids in IL canoe L haven't very
much respect for them, but they wero
pretty and white and fleocy and fragile
as looked down OH them from tho ter
race of tho big hotel.
"You SEQ" said one Of tho girls from
behind the bush, las soon as her par
ents realized how serious the case was
they took her at once to Switzerland -
"Ah, " said 1 to myself, some poor
invalid who came here with tho hope of
getting we'll. and who probably staid to
die -
"Her father left the strictest intuno-
lions that no one was to know whore
they were Mono of tho people at the
Office knew where the family had gone
except tho confidential clerk, who for
warded tho letters
''But why" said the other girl,
Ibid they come to SO public place as
the Rhine falls? should have thought
they would have been sure to have been
found out -
mo-" said tho other girl. who must
have been quito 81 years old and who
knew great deal. Of course mo; the
right way when you are hiding is to go
to the most public place you can. 1t is
always in the most out Of the way
places that you find people yo-1 don't
want to meet"
"Oh, hoi" said I to myself. ut Is
not case Of illness then. 1t looks more
like case of defalcation or something
of that sort. "
1HoS eooh ehose rooIls WIN the long
balcony in front, and they had all their
meals served there often saw the poor
girl sitting on the balcony, for they
never allowed her to go out but watch
ed her like couple Of old cats think
they expected her to forget in the midst
Of scenery like this, but it was quito
evident that she forgot nothing"
AS it," said the younger girl, with
some Indignation in her voico-''as If
the sight Of the Rhino falls would make
up for the sight of tho person one loves !"