The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-12-12
CHAPTER II.

into the Northwestern railway station
in Liverpool to take the train for Lon
don.
Going to the station, bought my
ticket for Frankfort-that old town
was destined to see so much Of during
the next few years. On my journey
would pass through Cologne, and from
there the railway skirts the bank Of the
Rhine.
travelled through Belgium and some
parts of Germany by daylight, and was,
as most Americans are who travel or
the continent, shocked to see the en-
pigments Of women. Soon after leav'
ing Brussels saw the, to me, novel
sight Of number of women shoveline
coal, handling the shovel like men. In
other places saw them laboring in the
hrickyards, digging and wheeling clay,
and everywhere they were to be seen
working at men s work in the fields.
A traveller in my compartment proved
most entertaining companion. He de-
scribed himself to me as one who went
about pottering over lot Of antiquities
and fooling around generally.
But my friend, the pottering old an
tiquary, gave me something of a sur
prise At Chalons all of our fellow
travellers in the compartment left us.
Two Of them were voluble Frenchwom-
en-, and they kept it up with amazing
energy for the six hours from Brussels
to Chalons. At every unusual swaying
of the car there would be volley Of
"Mon Dieus!' and ear piercing excla-
nations, and it was certainly a relief
when they left.
Bringing out box of cigars and my
companion producing flask Of wine,
we soon became confidential. Presently,
to my great amusement, my old anti
quarry, warmed by the wine, confded to
me that be was detective police officer
and chief Of the secret service at Ant
werp; that he was then working on a
famous case and had been shadowing
one Of the ladies who had journeyed
with US from Brussels. Before leaving
Brussels he had discovered his quarry
was to quit the train, and as he had to
go on to Mayence he had turned the
business over to confederate.
was young, and no doubt he thought
me innocent. Certainly he did not with
hold his confidence. This is the case he
was investigating:
There was a wealthy gentleman of
the name Of Van Tromp living in Ant
werp, a widower, 20 years of age, the
father Of a grownup family and many
times a grandfather It had been his
custom to go to Baden Baden every sum-
mer, spending money freely both IN
pleasure and in the famous gambling
resorts there. The last time he had met
q woman, the Countess Winzerode, one
Of the many adventuresses to be found
there, and speedily became infatuated.
This Van Tromp was a descendant Of
old Admiral Van Tromp, who, in the
mighty life and death struggle between
Holland and Spain, and in the two wars
with England, the first when Cromwell
ruled the second when the second
Charles was on the throne, held up the
fame and glory of Holland. In one case
he swept the proud navies Of Spain from
the seas and carried the Dutch flag
around the world. In the other he was
only vanquished after stubborn sea fights
lasting for days. This Van Tromp was
the heir Of the fame and the wealth of
all the Van Tromps, and both had gone
on accommodating for 800 years.
The self styled countess knew all this,
and. as the sequel shows, knew her man.
She was 40, had been beautiful, was
still comedy, with good figure, fair
haired, but with steel blue eyes, She
spoke many languages and had dwelt in
every land from Petersburg to Paris.
It is needless to tell how they first met
or Of the intimacy that sprang up be.
tween them, but will merely say in
passing that within five days Of thei,
first meeting he had given her a magnif'
icent diamond bracelet which had beer
In his family more than q century. This
alarmed his two daughters, who were
terrified at the mere suspicion that thei,
father was in earnest and might posi-
bly, present, them with a stepmother,
above all a comparatively young step
mother, and, so far as physique went
q magnificent animal, with promise d
q long life, SO long that her rights d
dover would make cut in the Var
Tromp estates and treasures which
might well cause the old admiral K
rouse himself FROM his three century
sleep in Dordrecht church and oncl
more walk these glimpses Of the moor
in protest Of the sacrilege
Then the scandal Of countess adven
turess becoming a Van Tromp-head O
that family too! They knew Of the pen
chant Of the countess and cared nothin,
for it until, with feeling akin {,
horror, they observed at the dfess bal
one night the countess airing the his
toric bracelet. It would require q vol
ume to relate the scenes that followe,
in the Van Tromp domicile ON thi
paralyzing discovery. but prayers, tear
and histrionic touches were all met b,
/ the stolid reply Of Van Tromp, IT pleas