Evening star., 1898-08-06
4 BRUSSELS EPISODE
How Dishonest Doorkeeper Tried to Collect
Twice From Americans.
Prompt Redress by the Omciai-an
Extemp0re Ballet in the
Hotel de Vile.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

BRUSSELS, Belgium, July 10, 1898.
In foreign travelling there is always set
round of sightseeing which ones conscience
will insist upon being performed, but any
little unlooked-for incident will give zeal
TO 1t and fix scene in the memory more
Nividly than is possible in the ordinary
routine. We enjoyed such an episode here
the other day which gave an added inter-
est to our visit. We went, of course. to see
the beautiful Hotel de Vile, and as the
hostess had an engagement to fill tnat
morning, she left US at the great building
to do our sightseeing, arranging to meet
US in the court yard an hour later We
went in, paid our entrance fee to the man
In waiting, who, reaching over to the back
of a table at hand, gave us a little printed
description of the rooms shown. and we
passed on. When we reached the Gothic hall
In the second story we had an amusing
Sihpse OF a novel scene. A grand official
pan was TO be given there week later and
we were informed that the hall was not
open to visitors that morning as some Ia
dies of the corps de ballet from the theater
were rehearsing in preparation for some
part they We're to take in the coming fes-
uVltles- AS the door from the corridor
was open, however, and a group of peoplA
We're peerlng in, we stopped and did like
"lse' Tor the sight was entertaining.
An Extempore BALLET.
Inc temporary stage was in full view
from the door, and the truly French Young
women Were dancing in costumes which the
exercise demanded. The street skirts had
been slipped off and pretty silk petticoats
or fluffy white ones gave the necessary
hrevity, while often the unbelted shirt
waist was an lnoongruous top finish to the
airy frou-frou below.
We passed on, and finally reached the
iCWer outer door, on the opposite side from
which we had entered The official stand
ing there inquired for our tickets to which
we replied in meager French that we had
none He asked if we had paid our fee
halI franc, as l remember-and we said we
mad, but that no tickets had baen given us
IN return, and We, not knowing had not
asked Tor them- Very WELL" he said ne
would accompany us to the man at the first
door ana inquire about it. Just then ia
cur reilef, we saw our French friend an
proachlng, who asked, of course, what tfe
hattef was, and went on with US The
man we had encountered ar the first an
trance stoutly denied that we had maid hin,
anything, and when / showed him fbt. lea f.
let ne mad given US could not remember
anything about it.
obtaining Justice.
My friend at once said, II wish to see the
secretary and spt ak to him about this
ana the second official said that would he
'he pest way So we We're conducted to
the secretary's office, where We were polite
~ received, and witnessed the, to us, very
enIertainlng interview, of which we could
only understand a word now and then. bur
winch the vivaciouS gestures and yoluhilitv
OF Madame S. made pretty intelligible to us
fancy her hagrin,' she said, ito find thar
iier ne ;, AInerlcan .n friends have been treat
ed. They are from the capital CITY of
America, and what would be the Thought
of people there If on their return thav tell
their president they have been cheated
IN the very city hall itself of Brussels"
Prompt Redress.
The secretary said he was very glad she
had come to MIN, for once before if had
been thought that doorkeeper had done
something of the same kind, and he would
see it was not repeated. He was extremely
sorry that it should have happened. and
asked If we mad already seen the building.
On hearing that our view of the great hail
mad been prevented, he said if we would
call the next morning, he would be most
happy TO show 1t to us personally OF
course. we returned the following day and
after being informed that the offending
doorkeeper had been dismissed imme-
diately after our departure we wers
conducted all through the great build
ing, into private rooms as well as
public, and had much better time than
II We had gone through uninterruptedly
at first. Madame s., though she had Ii ed
In BRUSSELS fifteen years, had never seen
haif before that she saw that morning but
the strongest impression remaining with
me is of a room, now a private office. where
under the high window is a platform. on
which stood the infamous Duke of Alya.
on the 9th of June, 1868, gazing across the
square, when by his order those two brave
young noblemen the idols of the people
the Counts Egmont and Horn were led |
out to their execution. We are learning by |
experience these days something of the |
Spanish character, and the terrible duke of |
Stnt- Of
who have starved and murdered the |
wretched concentrates of Cuba and fired |
on our wounded soldiers in this year of |
grace 1898.