The record-union., 1897-11-11

pears in answer to a call. He is not
more than sixteen, but chubby and
strong, his face well Drowned by the
Belgian sun. His plump legs are set
tight in very narrow trousers in the
Belgian style, and his blue cap with
straight front piece gives him the de-
sired official appearance. But his
cheerful smile completely overshadows
his other equipments. 1t is not at all
the kind of smile that is assumed for
effect, or the desire to make a good i'm
preston. 1t is the natural jolly ex-
preston of a healthy boy of the noun
tains who is pleased with everybody
and everything. He goes off smiling
with his long platform mounted on two
wheels, and comes back smiling with a
load Of satchels and bundles.
SOME OF THE GUESTS.
In this mountain inn that NJ. the
Tourist has not discovered the
guests must b. worthy of some
attention; and they are. We
cannot eat yet for some hours,
for the dinner hour is / and the supper
time is Z, SO there is ample time for a
study Of our fellow-idlers. / cannot
make a better beginning than to start
with the Count. He is a Portuguese
Count in business in London, and of
necessity he speaks English. But he
is advanced in years and none too
strong, and much of the time is not
visible. In fair weather he takes his
meals out under the trees, his diet be-
ing different from the food Of the hotel
table. He is here every summer, year
after year. And he is everybody's fa-
vorite; if you We're here a week you
would be glad to do him a service,
as / should be. Some men are made in
that fortunate way.
The next is native Belgian of mid
die age, who speaks English to some
extent. He is very tall, and wears
such very tight trousers that to stoop
would be dangerous He is something
of a mystery. Apparently he has a
house of his own somewhere in the
neighborhood, for he does not sleep in
the hotel. He says that he lives in
HaStiere all the year round, and that
it is no so very cod'' in winter He
keeps dogs, anad is reputed to be a
great hunter of wild boars All can
say positively of him is that a three
pint carafe of beer is set before him
every day at dinner and that when he
rises the carafe is empty
Then we have the Swedish army Off
Ger, with his wife and two infant chill
dren and their Swedish nurse. He is
a big, handsome fellow, who has been
sent over by his Government to inves-
tigate Belgian military affairs at Brus-
sells. where he spends most of the time.
They speak French, English. Dutch
and Swedish
There are two Belgian couples of mid
die age who take life placidiy under the
trees. and nearly every day there are
casual strangers dropping in, with an
occasionai addition to the regular COM
pany. The madame from Paris is not TO
be overlooked among these. She
dropped down from the clouds one day
with little satchel on her arm and inn
mediately became sociable with the
whole company. She is no fiighty young
thing to be scared by a sheep. Her hus-
band, she says. occupies a very high
position in Paris" but she does not ex-
plain whether he is a Secretary Of State
or the electric light man in the Eisfel
Tower. She is suspicious about the
plates, and always wipes them with her
napkin before eating. She fires vol
ley Of questions up and down the table:
Do they air the beds well ?" rs there
any escape in case of fire., And are
there no bells in the roomso WHY, one
might die here and nobody know or
care. 1t is useless to try TO escape by