The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1902-06-17
Wax FIGURE
OF A HERO
TOripiual I


"Where did you first meet your wife,
Halstead?"
The question was asked by a guest
Of Austin Halstead after dinner, when
to the drawing room and cigars were
brought to the dining table. A smile
passed over Halstead's face.
That's funny story" he said.
Funny stories, especially about the
first meeting Of wives and husbands.
are always interesting"
Il hadn't been out of the Naval acad-
emy year and was as full of nonsense
as the day l left Annapolis. Our ship
was ordered to the Brooklyn navy yard
for refitting, and. having a good deal of
time on my hands. spent it in New
York. ] found the Eden Musee a good
place to get away with an afternoon
and spent not only one but several
there. One day was In uniform at
the time. having been ordered on some
official duty In New York connected
with the ship-I strolled into the show
| Of wax figures along with one of our
fellows. Tom Anderson. Tom was on
leave and in mutt. We went through
| the place and sat on a wooden settee
| to rest and watch the people. A friend
| of Toms went by. and Tom left me
temporarily to 60 to speak to him.
II noticed that several persona look
ed at me scrutinizingly, suspecting that
since l was In uniform l might be q
| wax figure Of some great naval hero.
but as soon as they perceived that
was merely a zeal live MILDLY they lost
interest In me and passed on. Present
| ly l saw coming a young girl of six
teen, whose dresses had not been let
| down to the length for women. in the
care of French maid. She was one Of
the piquant kind. full Of animation.
This was evidently her first visit to the
show, and she was intensely interested
In everything she saw. She gave me
an inQuiring glance. then asked her
maid In French whether I was flesh
and blood or wax. Not getting a salts
factory reply. she came nearer and
fixed her sparkling black eyes upon me.
"Of course 1t was q mean thing to do
but what can you expect from young
ster who has also the disadvantage OF
being a sailor ashore? looked straight
before me. Tom Anderson was stand
ing at a little distance. talking with his
friend, and saw the girl trying to make
me out He smiled and called hii
friends attention to the pantomime
Tom had as much deviltry in him as
and was equally culpable. Tipping tn,
wink to his companions. he led the way
toward me.
Ibid you ever see Admiral Farra
gut as a young manY he said. lout
enough to be heard by the girl. Her,
he is just as he was at twenty-One.'
1.-The two stood before me while
stared at vacancy. The girl drew neal
to hear all about the great admiral.
"'This waxwork.' Tom continued
was made after photographs taken a
the time
This was such a palpable lie that
found it difficult to retain my gravity
When Farragut was twenty-one. pho
Biography was unknown. Besides, thu
uniform was then very different Blu
these facts had no effect on the girl.
".No one would suppose said Tom
that the great naval hero could hav'
been such q miserable looking speci
men of humanity in his early days
Look at that nose. Did you ever SCI
such a probOscisT
81 think he was very handsome,
said the girl to her maid Indignantly.
"sThen his hands-big enough for ,
L nd 10
er the quarter deck Of a line of battl
ship
THE girl tossed her head and turne'
!, her back on the speaker. How l eve
retained my gravity l don't know.
| remember that l felt a horror Of laugh
ing, for it would have revealed terri
: BILE slight upon the young girl l ha
already had enough Of the joke an
wished that Tom would go away an
the girl would pass on without know
ing how we had fooled her. When sh
), looked away for moment, gave ToI
:, an appealing look. which he understoo
and drew his friend to another cur
:. osity.
"As soon as they had gone the gil
a | entered upon an animated dialogu
with her maid, In which the former di
), nearly all the talking.
""Those men ought to be ashamed Q
themselves to talk that way. We'v
Ibeen studying about Admiral Farragr
at school. and it's disrespect
speak 40 even about bis wax figure.
think he was lovely
MY heart melted more and more
my charming defender. and l was b.
coming dreadfully ashamed Of my d.
, ception. The maintaining OF hxe
position was tresome. hut l woul
rather die than reveal myself.
. - don't see.' the girl remarked
how Ii is possible to make wax look 6
=. lifelike. See the color in the cheek
!, the veins Those eyes can't be glass.
a wonder IL he is wax figure after all
N "At this juncture u fy lighted on 10
,e nose and made my position intolerabl
,t The girl came very near and examine
I me critically Then she raised her tap'
10 finger and touched me on the chez
" This was too much. | broke into
o smile and said as kindly as | could:
r. ".Mademoiselle. you have made
ID mistake
id "'Oh. goody graciousp she gaspe
eri dra wing away as from redhot iron.
e. 81 would have upologized. but 81
ut turned and ran away as fast as al
D. could 20. followed by her maid"
"And the second time you met
le asked the dinner guest
st "Oh, that was three years later at
le ball on board the flagship She reco
G. nized me and laughed at the incideT
20 1 fell I'm love with her and We we