The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-04-29
BY RIVER
BANKS.
zA~1A7M

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MY DEAN EaIExD-Dine with us tonight. ]
most particularly want to see you. Yours
ever, LUcIE.
II know what she wants-to saddle me
with her young cub for his holidays ]
thought as / tore up the note and threw
the bits tho waste paper basket.
Lucic was the widow Of my best friend.
/ was godfather to the boy, and since he
got into his teens I had been cajoled into
being bear leader each summer. AS he
cared neither for fishing, boating, hill
climbing nor any other mild pursuit suit
able to his position as the only son of a
widow, holiday time was my hardest work
In the year.
l found Mrs. Winthrop even more
charming thar usual. The little dinner
was perfect, the wines irreproachable, and
Bortie seemed quite clothed and in bis
right mind. 1t was some slight relief to
find that for the first time I was to be al
lowed to cart my godson abroad.
"Bertie has taken quite q turn for
architecture of late, " said his mother to
lie at dessert. HE longs to see the Bel
GUM churches. A friend of his has Just
gone off with his bicycle"
BERTHE was just 90. I wonder If the BIZ
cycling friend happened to have a sister
with him or what was in the wind. How
| ever, / ~succumbed, as usual, and a few
days later found us both on board one of
the comfortable vessels that run between
Harwich and Antwerp.
I suggested Bruges and Client as our
next hating places, but he looked glum.
"You see, the mater did not quite un-
derstand me. 1t is not churches and
things l care for. 1t i~slscenery, especially
river scenery" he said convincingly.
Then he descanted upon the beauties Of
the Mouse, particularly its grand capaci-
ties for fishing. Now, fishing is a weak
ness of mine, although BERTHE did not
know it.
Twenty four hours later we were steam
ing through the rocky and woodland seem
cry of the river Meuse. Gradually but GER
tainly I and my godson' s relative positions
had changed. Anyhow l agreed when we
awoke next morning at Dinant that this
was the pleasantest time we had had to-
gether. Breakfasting in the fine room
overlooking the river, we ordered a car
riage to drive to Waulsort, a village where
Bertie's friend and his fishing rods were
putting up. Here we were met by Bertie's
friend, really a pleasant, g~entlemanly fell
low-quitc a flsherman-who would take
no denial, but insisted upon my taking
his place in a punt moored nearly opposite
the hotel and using his rod and tackle for
the rest of the day.
81 and Berthe will take a spin. can
borrow a bike for him." he said, and a
splendid days fishing I had Of it. l really
enjoyed myself-until supper time amt
and BERTHE and his friend failed to appear.
With a desperate effort l unearthed what
was in my mind of the French language
and appealed to the head waiter. From
him l gathered that they never expected
gentlemen back from Dinant until mid
night. / paced the road gloomily in the
moonlight, imagining every sort of horror
which would blast poor Lucie Winthrop's
happiness forever, and swearing to myself
that | would never let her precious son
out of my sight again, until the Wander
ers returned in high good spirits. BERTHE
said he was enchanted with the music at
Dinant. There was a place called a casino,
where any one could enter free inc hear
two splendid concerts u d-ay-concerts that
beat everything he had heard in London
l said little, BUT next morning, when the
two suddenly announced that they We're
taking another spin" | ordered a car
riage and-as / Notwithstanding them
to Dinant, entered the casino.
My fears were aliayed by the appear
ance of the pface-a large, well appoint
ed house in the Grande rue. Entering
you pass a deserted refreshments room,
with billiard tables on your right and a
deserted Office on your left, Il are con-
fronted with a charming garden-tabies
and chairs under the clumps OF trees ~
a kiosk for the orchestra at the end Evl-
IDENTIFY the two lads were not here
So l wandered about the town, iunched
and returned to hear a charming concern
in the afternoon, which was mainly at
tended by young and middle aged persons
of the opposite sex.
Still no BERTHE n Harold. Twas leay-
ing the place to be driven back to Waul-
sort when l cane upon them coming down
a thickly carpeted staircase so deeply IN
conversation that they did not see me.
When they did, they looked confused,
but soon recovered their equanimity and
told me they had become members OF the
CeFcle DIES Etrangers, as 1t IS called, nav
ing found fellows to introduce them, and
that they had been playing backgammon
and chess, the favorite games in the place.
/ frankly told BERTHE that unless I could
become a member, too, / could not really
countenance his lettering about a place
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