The Washington weekly post., 1899-12-26
copyrisAt. 1858 By ". L. Alssn)

places In Europe which are nap
PLY ignored by the tourist agen-
cles. One of these Is Altberg. the
capitaI city OF the grand duchy OF
es-shin-Hols II contains small
s-.hslutiful cathedral OF the early Gothic
- and & has retained certain quaint
- picturesque medieval ceremonies
-ti.hSthe march OF civilization has ban
80 nom the rest of Germany. Although
q. Is raver included in the tours arranged
- ne beueAcent Cook, IL - occasionally
.i-ef by those who are really interested
q. architecture ard who wish TO see the
.-srf duke ride bare-headed and barefoot
white horse from his palace to the
g,,- of the cathedral on Christmas morn
l-g Vow AID then an English family
.---ss 20 Altberg 20 spend a week, and
,.r.-g !a love with the place never leaves
d. sin .t Is practically on undiscovered
.--.-v % far as the vast majority OF
.---t.,s {s concerned. and those who know
.-r love .t ardently hope that IL will long
- remain such.
~. Rev MI Bennett. rector Of a small
s-,,oy ra-ish. had been spending a month
!, Dayos Piatz. with a view OF eonciliat-
s.opfS llrgs. which had begun 10 manifest
-r-1rv symptoms. There he had met an
,--e~iran colonel and his daughter. who
h,F stoned for a few days at Mr. Ben
,...,'s hotel The young clergyman soon
s-,,rs himself on friendly terms with the
Americans. and learned, 20 his surprise,
hat they were living at Altberg. He had
s,rea6v determined to spend Christmas
,he-e and when he mentioned his purpose
tho colonel Insisted that he should be his
guest al dinner.
For ONE in the year" said the colonel,
I calculate 10 have genuine American
cookery My sister and daughter, who
keen house for me will do the cooking,
and ! can promise you victuals such as
YOU can't get anywhere else on this be-
uightel European continent. I've sent TO
America for oysters and terrapin and
genuine turkey, for these European tur-
keys are only poor limitations of the Amer
ltau article. And you shall have pumpkin
DE that viii bring tears to your eyes. You
drive straight to my house the minute you
get 10 AlJbcTg. and we'll 20 and see those
ridiculous old ceremonies together"
Mr Bennett reached Altberg late on
Christmas morning. The train had been
delayed and il was nearly the hour for the
ceremonies TO begin. Leaving his luggage
Al the station, he walked directly TO the
cathedral and was delighted 10 find that
the grand duke had not yet made his ap-
pearance. As he stood in the throng that
lined the pavement shabby little man
pressed somewhat rudely against him. The
clergyman vas about TO remonstrate when
The man, speaking in excellent English
remarked that il was fine day. MIR. BEN
nett replied Courteously and the two con-
versed for few moments on the state OF
the weather and the beauty of the front
Of the cathedral Suddenly there was a
movement in the rear Of the crowd. Two
policemen we're forcing their way toward
The clergyman and his shabby acauaint-
ance. The latter no sooner caught 4
gAhpSe or The policemen than he rushed
across the road and plunged into the
crowd on the opposite side of the street.
"here ne was promptly seized by two
other policemen and dragged away. while
me crowd hoOted and sWore at him in the
most complicated and vindictive German
MI Bennetts first thought was that the
man was pickpOcket; and he thrust his
HdhdS INTO his various pockets one by
one, TO discover If he had been robbed.
Nothing was missing. On the contrary.
there was something in the right-hand
pocket Of his OVercOat which had not
been there a moment before II was a
small projections. MI Bennett was on the
point of taking il out of his pocket for
examination when it suddenly occurred
10 MIN that it was bomb He had seen
al museum In Brussels one of Orsini's
bombs and he felt sure that the object in
MS pocket was of the same character
Evidently the shabby little man was an
anarchist who had meant to assassinate
'he grand duke. but had been baffied by
Inc appearance of the police. He had
thrust the bomb into MIR. Benefits pocket
IN order 10 rid himself of the evidence of
ms guilt. Mr.. Bennett had always alb
horred anarchists and assassns, but
never until he found himself in the invol-
untary possession of a bomb, had he fully
realized the infamy of a wretch who. in
ADDITION 10 plotting a sanguinary murder
could be capable of playing so atrocious
uick on an innocent clergyman.
'ust then another policeman lightly
totched Mr.. Bennett on the shoulder and
AlN%ei him TO come to the police station.
II vas useless TO protest. Moreover, the
'''rlslon Of he crowd had been attracted
70 nl1. and it was quite possible that he
tiISht ne mobbed and torn to pieces He
"vuId be safer, for the moment. at the
I"ice station. than he would be il he at
ueTeIorc readily consented to follow the
oiIcer TO the station, whittier the real
'Iarchlst Mad preceded him.
uad MT Gennett been in full command
vi MS nerve he would have produced the
u'ho The nj epment he found himself in
'"r presence Vol the grim chief Of police
ana would ave told his story frankly
anu iui!y. 3lt that he. a respectable
-'eIsl man, sh ppld be arrested as an an
aIChlSI was astounding that he com
pe'eiy lost hi e presence of mind, and by
'le tine he ID regained ii the opportu-
any for exp hnation had vanished No
N-aiee was ffnade against him. but he
Nas quest <6ned with the utmost minute
re,, nr,s n compelled TO produce his pass
i'fL md the letters that he happened 10
\, G. about him. He admitted having ex-
yhanged Few words with the anarchist.
but claimed that IL was quite natural that
he should reply 10 a courteous remark
made TO him in English. even though the
person addressing him was an entire
stranger lie avoided mentioning the
name Of the American colonel, for he did
not wish 10 subject the latter 10 the an
noyance Of a visit from the police and
he had made up his mind 10 leave Altberg
at the earliest possible moment. Finally
the anarchist was brought from his cell
and confronted with Mr.. Bennett. Fortu-
rately the mans story agreed with that
of the clergyman, and the latter was
finally suffered 10 depart with a solemn
warning that he would do well 10 be ex-
iremely careful as 10 his conduct while
in AltbeIg-a warning with which he fully
agreed as he thought of the bomb that
was weighing down his pocket.
Wnen Mr. Bennett found himself outside
OF the police station. he had lost all inter.
est In medieval ceremonies He decided 1,
80 al once 10 al hotel and send 10 the
railway station for his luggage. He woull
then get rid OF the bomb, change his dress
and arrive al the coloLers Eesidence Jus,
IN time FOR dinner. OF course. re coulF
not carry the bomb with him into III.
house Of hls friend. and so run the risk %
blowing up the faai,y at any moment. L
he was doomed 20 be the unwilling instra
ment for blowing up innocent people h,
HEaFerFHA k..T aE.s. IA