The herald., 1894-08-31
AN ILLUMINATION.

but tolerable imitation, having nei-
ther the comfort nor the elegance Of the
original article. Still there are rock
ing chairs in Europe, and company in
Austria turns out very good semblances
indeed of bent wood with cane trim
mings.
was the first one out from the big
hotel to the terrace in front, and there
fore had my choice of all the chairs
scattered SO profusely around, and If
none of them was so good as the big red
rocking chair of the American hotel ve-
randa. yet the Austrian article standing
empty beside the little round metal ta-
BILE was not to be despised, SO l sat
down in it and Lit my cigarette. The
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
deftly that 1t came exactly to the brim
and did not spill drop.
I have always admired the expertness
of the European waiter, either with oof-
fee or the more expensive monkish liq-
uor
There was small hedge at the edge
of the terrace, and thought had TAX
en- the last seat toward the western end,
but found was mistaken. Behind me
on the terrace was a gray green bush,
and behind that bush and sheltered from
the hotel lights stood another round
metal table and two chairs.
Two young girls came down the hotel
-4o kl,s,
in the confidential fashion of young
persons still in their teens. They were
aged 90 or thereabouts, and they took
their places behind the bush, apparent
ly not noticing that was within hear
ing distance. By this time many people
were coming out in twos and threes and
little groups, and many began walking
about the graveled terrace, the wise,
however, securing good places at tho
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 the 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 feclred with white foam
from the falls and the many tints of
its surface rejecting back the splendor
of the sunset sky. Now all this was
gone, but almost directly below us the
Rhine falls showed white and feecy in
the gathering darkness. We were some
hundreds of feet above them, but their
roar came up to us like the long sus-
tanned note of an organ.
The falls of the Rhine are the great
est in Europe, but you can't expect
man brought up on Niagara to wax very
enthusiastic about them. Still I will
say this-that they are very pretty little
falls about 80 feet in height, more like
rapids than cataracts, but probably it
would not be quite safe to shoot these
Rhine rapids in canoe haven't very
much respect for them, but they were
pretty and white and fleecy and fragile
as looked down on them from the ter
race Of the big hotel
''You see," said one of the girls from
behind the bush, ''as soon as her par
ents realized how serious the case was
they took her at once to Switzerland. %
''Ah," said l to myself, "some poor
invalid who came here with the hope Of
getting we'll, and who probably staid to
die"
''Her father left the strictest injunc-
tions that no one was to know where
they were. None of the people at the
office knew where the family had gone
except the confidential clerk, who for
warded the letters -
''But why" said the other girl,
"did they come to so public place as
the Rhine falls? 1 should have thought
they would have been sure to have been
found out"
''No," said the other girl, who must
have been quite 81 years old and who
knew great deal, of course. "No; 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 you don't
want to meet"
r "Oh, hor' said to myself. "It is
not case. Of illness then. 1t looks more
like case of defalcation or something
Of that sort -
Ihey CoOk those rooms With 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. 1 think
they expected her to forget in the midst
of scenery like this, but it was quite
evident that she forgot nothing
"As if, +" said the younger girl, with
some indignation in her voice-"as if
the sight Of the Rhine falls would make
up for the sight Of the person one loves.
"Ah," said I to myself, with some
disappointment. sit is neither a case Of
consumption nor defalcation, but mere
ly an affair of the heart -
OF course I lost interest in the con-
versation at once and coughed lightly
to Lot them know I was there, but at
that moment the big globe containing
the carbons for the arc light began to
hiss and sputter over our heads, and
finally it flooded all the terrace with the
steely white illumination Of electricity.