The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-08
PRESENT OF YELLOW TOMATOES.

When Dominicus Van Brunt first went
to the public school in his adopted coun-
try he had the felicity of sitting opposite
little girl with freckles and blue eyes.
Her name was Bertha Henderson, fshich
was a difficult name for Dominicus to re-
membes But It was not at all bard for
him to remember the dear little sirl with
freckles. She wore tiny black tassels at
the top Of her shoes, and white aprons,
ruff,ed and tied upon the shoulders with
large, airy-looking bows, and the ends of
her smooth braids were tied with ribbons
color of the rose.
Dominicus said to himself that in Am
sterdam he had never known any girl SO
freckled and SO dear.
Il wish she would look at me-" thought
little Dominicus Van B-unt. But he
thought it in Dutch, although when he
spoke aloud he managed to make himself
understood in English. 1t must be con-
fessed that little American children are
too egotistical to be polite. Thinking as
they do that they are nodded on the right
pattern, they are inclined to regard all
children differing from them as curiost-
Dutch boy, with his ways and deferential
| manner to the tea cher, strange but little
fish indeed. And no one in all the school
was more amused than the dainty Bertha,
who looked at him covertly out OF her
grey blue eyes. However, she did not
laugh at him. So Dominicus, who did not
know that she was amused, and who per-
ceived only her aspect of gravity, thought
her kinder than the rest and was CRATE
foul ~v,l,
him, or looked at him as if she were his
friend, he would have had nothing more to
ask-he could even have been patient with
that terrible English language which
everyone around him was jabbering
He determined to do something to call
the attention of his freckled hearts own
to himself, and one day he hurried into
the school room the first minute the
doors were opened and laid three pear
shaped yellow tomatoes on her desk. The
scholars came. saw the pretty vegetables,
and had little trouble in deciding from
what source the tribute came. For who
else in fashionable suburb would have
yellow tomatoes exceot the son of the
Dutch gardener? The school INDUCED in
unrestrained giggling, but Bertha, instead
OF participating, shot defiance from her
grey-blue eyes, and turning with an ador-
able smile toward Dominicus, carefully
fitted one of the yellow tomatoes into
her red mouth, and devoured it in the
same spirit in which a loyal subject
drinks to his king. 1t was evident
that Dominicus mad been right. Bertha
was different FROM the others. His happi-
ness stained the boys amiable face scarlet
and while the other boys jeered at him
number of them felt distinct pang of
Jealousy. They were quite alive to the ex-
traordinary favor which had been shown
him.
From that day on Bertha, the daugh-
ter of a prosperous lawyer and little
maid distinctly conscious OF her social
opportunities, and Dominicus the son
of the man who raised garden truck,
were friends. There came a day when
Bertha, having reached the proud age of
ten. gave birthday party on her fathers
lawn, and insisted on having Dominicus
among her guests-a famous day for Do
minicus, in which he saw his princess In
all her glory of her best white frock, her
hair crimpled down her back, and had the
rapture of eating cream tarts in her COM
pany.
But there was yet a prouder day In
which Dominicus was permitted TO return
this social attention, and was allowed to
invite Bertha and three other friends to
tle SNOWY OF MS nome DICK Oh tue
garden, where the mother of Do ninicus
sang beautiful songs to them n Ian
guage they could not understand, and fed
them with crullers and grape Juice.
Bertha thought she had never seen any
room SO charming as this kitchen, with
its racks of blue plates, its shining pans,
and its Illuminated notices upon the
wall
Bertha was not more than twelve when
-1n. yarttr oh and
the years went by she saw people OF quite
different sort from Dominicus and his
father and mother, and ought, probably,
10 have forgotten all about them. But ii
is an undeniable fact-though it may have
shown some evidences of yulgarity In her
nature-that all the years that she was
occupied with other matters such as
boarding school and summer resorts, and
coming OUT and gaieties OF winter in
the city, she remembered that curious
kitchen, and the people who lived in it.
and wondered where they had gone. For
ii had happened that one autumn, after
returning from the seashore, Bertha had
discovered that the house back of the
garden was empty. 1t had been a sad
moment for her. She had felt the tearc
come to her eyes as she locked at the I'M
tidy piece of ground where the exquisiteiy
kept garden of Jacob Van Brunt had been:
face of her friend had often smiled at her,
rerulsed her now with their hareness
1t happened that in course of time
Bertha had a notion 10 go abroad and
having the consciousness of her certiii-
cate of graduation In her trunk, she was
in no haste to return 10 her home. So she
fingered where she pleased arrogantly di-
recting the movements of her party, which
consisted OF a maiden aunt and an elderly
second cousin With this double chaperon-
age she was allowed to do almost anything
she pleased.
At length they reached Amsterdam.
making headquarters for themselves there,
and planning TO go upon many excursions
through the country. 1t was natural
enough that having a local habitation,
they should make some friends in the city,
and so 1t came about that before they
had been there long they were invited to
dinner by an American lady. Mrs Truax,
whose husband was engaged in some mer-
camille enterprise there.
The Truax house was cosmopolitan
one. and al it the habitue. expected to
meet all manner of celebrities and hui
man curios. Bertha. much eated at the
prospect. whirled off, accompanied by her
decOrous relatives, arrayed for the occa-
sion in the most unbecomng of their best
silks.
what dear old frumps they are"
Bertha. commented TO herself. Il think
the Amsterdam ladies will like hem
They just suit the background"
They seemed to, indeed, and got on
better than Bertha. whose youth con-
demIed her TO a subordinate place This |
was not as 1t was in America, Bertha re-
fiected, and permitted herself to indulge |
in a moment of inconsistencies, as she sat |
apart, her glowing beauty unnoticed by |
the middle-aged people who were pay |
ing their respects to her aunt and her |
second cousin.