The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-23
A HAUNTED TEACHER
VEAL OUTLETS AND CHIN WHISPERS
SEEMED TO BE EVERYWHERE.

They Drove Her Out of Europe, but Even
Then Her Troubles Were NoAat an End.
A Strange Tale of q Good Deed and Its
Reward.
1t was in the Faubourg ST. Something
or Other, or the Rue de ST. Something
Else. At any rate it was in Paris. Miss
Watson, teacher in the Louisville schools,
being on her vacation, went to foreign
lands to spend an intellectual six months
respite from her language classes. She en-
tered a cafe on the thoroughfare above
mentioned, and, looking about her, saw a
middle aged man with chin whiskerS and no
mustache, who sat at a neighboring table.
1t is a well known fact, that aside from the
ecclesiastical exception of Methodist bish-
ops, no one but an American capitalist
has sufficient courage to go about the
world wearing only chin whiskers and no
mustache. AS Miss Watson heard very
distinctly the sound of half subdued pro-
fame language, she felt that this man was
not bishop, and was therefore a capital
ist She noted that garcon stood near
him and that the garcon was in as much
French trouble as the capitalist was in
| American wrath. Miss Watson felt intui-
lively that the grief was simply a question
of language, and leaving her escort she
| approached the table of her countryman
| and said:
81 wonder if I can be of any service to
your
INA 'amP" CALCULATED the stranger.
| "Oh, yes, ma am, if you will be so kind.
| Do you know what is French for Dreaded
| veal outlets? 1 have tried every way known
to man to let this here garsen know that
| want Dreaded veal outlets, and he seems
| to get ignOranter and more i1literate every
J minute"
Miss Watson smiled graciously and
| speedily set the mans troubles at rest by
! directing the garcon in the language of the
| Gaul to serve him with the thing which
| his heart desired.
''You don't know how much obliged to
| you 1 am, . said the American earnestly.
| Two weeks afterward Miss Watson was
working her intellectual way through the
| Florentine galleries. The summer sun of
| Italy hung like silver disk in the blue
| sky. Miss Watson was intently studying
some dismal looking old daub, over which,
| according to tradition, it was proper to
gush, when suddenly she heard a half re-
membered voice: 81 beg your pardon,
ma am, but is it possible you're the woman
shat ordered the veal outlets for me in
Paris? 1 want to tell you how much obliged
| ann
"Oh, don't mention it, beg,'' said Miss
Watson, her rhapsodizing dream dissipated
beyond recall at the sight of those chin
| whiskers.
He stuck to her all afternoon and talked
about hides and leather. He was in the
hide and leather business.
Miss Watson rose early on the Tuesday
| of the week following and went out upon
the promontoried cliff at the edge of the
| Interlaken hotel grounds to see the sun
rise OFF to the east a glare of gold shot
| upward from the horizon line to melt into
the azure of the sky as the azure imper-
ceptibly mingled with the overarching
| g IL,
slowly from the land. Miss Watson's very
soul was moved. She clasped her hands
upon her breast, and with face uplifted she
seemed in an ecstasy of admiration, when
suddenly from rearward came voice:
81 beg pardon, ma am, but amt you
the lady that ordered my veal outlets fol
me? You will never know how much
obliged 1 am to you. I'm mighty glad to
see you And with the unwhiskered por-
ton of his face beaming with delight, the
American capitalist came out of the semi
shade toward her.
1t was the Venice of moonlight The
silver beams fell upon the water like q
benson, and a path of light seemed to ex-
tend from the heart thrilled teachers feet
and out across the lagoon and up to the
sweet orb of night. Miss Watson stood
on the Via Something and turned her fond
gaze from the moon and the swift gliding
gondolas, and closing her eyes, said softly
81 beg your pardon, ma am, - a glad
cheerful voice borke in, "but aim you the
lady that ordered my veal outlets for me
in Paris? Amt it funny that we should
meet here? I'm glad OF it, though. You
don't know how much obliged L am tc
you
The whisl1ers themselves fairly glowed
with joy. Certainly they in their enthusi
asm drove the Bridge of Signs and about
everything else Venetian out of the mind
of Miss Watson. Very YEARLY and sadly
she begged of the capitalist not to mention
it.
1t was in Athens The Acropolis ross
like memorial device set to mark the
death and burial of an entire world, anc
| in the valley the white city lay, more G
ghostly part of the past than real par
of the present. There was a mystic sub
Unity, a grand solemnity about it all
Here was the place where centuries haC
been born to grow large and great will
events. Here-but much more than cal
be told in the scant space at present at ou1
command can be learned from u perusa
of Professor ThelIings' "Athens, the Old
en- Suffice it to say that Miss Watson
having read this book, knew exactly vvha-
to think and dream and muse upon, anC
she was doing all three with all her heart
when suddenly quick step was heard be
hind her, and as a detached stone rolled
down the side of the hill somewhat ia
miliar voice spoke:
81 beg your pardon, ma am, but aim
you the same lady that ordered my yea
outlets for me?' And he continued to tel
her how grateful he was for her kindness
on that day and to say he wished he co1lC
hear some quotations from the hide anC
leather market.
1t was purely accidental Every one O
these meetings had been without any de
sign whatever, and the following one
were equally impromptu- The following
Assuredly. For as Miss Watson was view
ing the winter palace in St. Petersburg in