The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-11-03

How like human Nature was the
nature of that fox who, hayine
through some misfortune lost his
tail, tried TO persuade all his brother
foxes to the same curtailment! The
reason of my making this philosophie
reelection will appear as the present
story il developed.
This is not a study Of character, an
analysis of motives, an autopsy oil
ideas Ii is simply narrative, string
ing together of incidents, of RAPID
changes and of swift happenings, in the
order in which they occurred.
Furthermore, every word, every iota
of what / have here set down, Is the
truth, the bare and naked truth. Some
Of these incidents may appear, to tie
prosaic and humdrum reader, as some
what startling, as being improbable,
and inclining toward the supernatural.
Startling and fantastic they may be,
improbable they may seem, but L
hold that they are in every sense and
strictly possible, and that they follow
exactly and in every particular the i'm
mutable laws of nature
IL came about in this manner: was
travelling in Germany two or three
months ago, and, in an evil hour, IL
came into my head to go hundred
miles or thereabouts out of my way, 10
make a call on an old college friend
of mine, whom had not seen in several
wears. That man was Jack jenkins.
In some romantic way he had become
acquainted with and married a German
girl of noble birth, q certain Frauline
Hilda Won Waldeck. II was this insane
idea of renewing an old friendship, ana
this particular idea always is insane,
which submerged me in the sea OF
troubles from which / barely escaped
with life and honor
Jenkins was the United States consul
at Oldendorf, the residence town of the
petty principality Of Andel Schwartz
burg. 1t was at Oldendorf that Jack
met and married his wife. After the
| wedding, the fair but obstinate Hilda
declined to leave the place of her birth,
and nv friend made the best of it, Sc
cured his appointment as consul and
settled down in this sleepy old German
city.
Well. I arrived at Oldendorf after q
roundabout and tedious journey, and
Jack. who expected me, was at the
station and gave me what seemed
hearty welcome. For few minutes
thought him the same frank, rough
and-ready, jovial chap whom l had al
ways known; but j soon began to no
tice something of change in him
There seemed, at times, TO be sort o
restraint in his manner; there was, J
struck me, often false note in his dis
course He was more subdued and n
seemed to have grown ten years olde
than he should have grown in the spac
of time since had seen him last.
His talk, like the letters he had writ
ten me. was all Of Hilda. 1t was Hid
this and Hilda that; there was never
creature like her, and / must g
straightway with him and see hel
Now. was not particularly intereste
in Hilda, excepting as naturally woul
be in something which belonged to
friend of mine. My benedick acquain'
ances have often bored me by detailin
the perfections of their wives, and
suppose / have shown that i was bore
and have been considered very unsyn
pathetic and british; but what is
fellow TO do, when he knows that thes
rlotards, like the ancient mariner, spea
from compulsion, and that sever
eighths of what they say is falsehoo
or only imaginary? / came there
see him, to talk with him about the ol
times, ten years before.when we bunke
together, and did not care fig abot
uilda: but of course l couldn't tell hil
20. and therefore he had his way an
dragged me off at once to his house
meet his wife.
/ shall say very little of Frau Hid
Won Waldeclk Jenkins, for the reaso
that she figures quite slightly in IN
tale. She was tall and not half ba'
looking, and / could easily see how
man of my friends yielding md enth'
siastic nature might imagine her to
an angel. | say imagine, because, I
course, YOU know, she wasn't; none I
them are. and some of them are qui
, the reverse.
t SO much for her appearance. AS
: her character, well. i will only say th'
| scarce ten minutes had elapsed e'er
felt the most hearty commiseration II
John Jenkins. The fact was that
was completely under petticoat rul
! lie gave no opinion, made no asserti'
, without meanwhile glancing towa'
: her for signs OF her approval. III
I fact was, as soon saw, that the m'
: brcathed only because he thought tn
il was her pleasure for him to do so.
Almost Immediately after the fin
words OF greeting. after the first 9
dinary and necessary remarks and Que
tions. my bachelor position was
saulted by my treacherous friend; al