The Red Cloud chief., 1902-11-21
CHAPTER /.
The Van keemskIrks.

~
air and wind. the same rareied fresh.
ness, full Of faint, passing aromas
from the wet earth and the salt sea
and the poisoning gard Is.
In the city the business Of the day
was over: but at the open doors OF
many Of the shops little groups of ap.
prentices In leather aprons were talk.
Ing, and on the broad steps of the
City Hall a number Of gra~ye.looking
men were slowly separating after a
very satisfactory civic session. They
were all noticeable men, but Joris al
Heemskirk specially so, HE bulk was
so great that II seemed as II he must
have been built up; It was too much
to expect that he had cver been a
baby. He had a fair, ruddy face, II
large, firm eyes, and a mouth that
was at once strong and sweet. And
he was also very handsomely dressed.
The long, stiff skirts Of his dark-blue
coat were lined with satin, his
breeches were of black velvet, his ruf-
Res edged with Flemish lace. his
shoes clPsped with silver buckles, his
cCcked hat Made Of the finest beaver,
With his head a little forward and
his right arm across his back, he
walked slowly up Wall street into
Broadway, and then took a northwest
erly direction towards the river bank.
His home was on the outskirts OF the
city, but not far away; and his face
lightened az he approached IT.
Councillor Van HeemsEirk's father
had built the house and planted the
garden, and he had the Dutch rever-
cnce for a good ancestry. OFTEN he sent
his thoughts backward to remember
how he walked by his fathers side, or
leaned against his mothers chair, as
they told him the tragic tales OF the
old Barneveldt and the hapless De
Wits; or how his young heart glowed
to their memories Of the dear father
land, and the proud march OF the Ba-
tavian republic.
Good evening, Mr.. Justice. Good
evening, neighbor," and he stood a
minute, with his hands on his garden
gate, to bow to Justice Van Gaasbeeck
and to Peter Sluyter, who, with their
wives, were going to spend an hour
or two at Christopher Laer's garden.
Men can bear all things but good
days" said Peter Sluyter. when they
had gone q dozen yards In silsnce;
since Van Heemskirk has q seat In
the council room, 1t is a long way to
his hat.
Come, now, he was very civil.
Sluyter. He bows like a man not
used to make a low bow, that is all"
We'll, we'll, with time, every one
gets into his right place. In the city
Hall. l may yet put my chair beside
his, Van Gaasbeeck."
so say /, Sluyter, and for the pres.
ent it is all well az 1t is"
This little envious fret of his neigh
Dor lost itself outside Joris Van Heem-
skirk's home. Within It, all was love
and content. Madam Van Heemskirk
was a little woman, with clear-cut
features, and brown hair drawn back
ward under a cap of lace very stiiy
starched. Her tight-ftting dress OF
blue taffeta was open In front, and
looped up behind in order to show an
deliberately quilted petticoat OF light
blue camblet. Her white wool stock
ings we're clicked with blue, her high
heeled shoes cut very low, and clasped
with small silver buckles. From her
trim cap to her trig shoes she was q
pleasant and comfortable picture Of q
happy, domestic woman; smiling,
peaceful, and easy to live with.
When the last duty Of the day was
finished, she let her bunch Of keys
fall with a satisfactory "all done
Jingle, that made her Joris look at
her with a smile. Then he asked:
where Is Joanna and the little one?
And Bran should be home ere this
II am not uneasy, Joris. They
we're to drink a dish Of tea with
Madam Semple, and Bran promised
to go for them. And, see, they are
coming; but Bran is not with them,
only the elder"
Elder Alexander Semple vas a great
man In his sphere. He had a reputa.
tlOIi DOtH lot TlCntb anu BOuiiIlcSS anu
was scarcely more respected in the
market-place than he was in the Mid.
die Kirk. And there vas an old tie
between the Semples and the Van
Heemskirks-a tie going back to the
days when the Scotch Covenanters and
the Netherland Coniessors clasped
hands as brothers In their Churches
under the cross" Then one of the
Semples had fed for life from Scot
land to Holland, and been sheltered
in the house OF a Van Heemskirk; and
from generation to generation the
friendship had been continued. So
there was much real kindness and
very little ceremony between the fami.
lies, and the elder met his friend Joris
with a pleasant good evening" and
sat down in front Of the blazing logs.
Joanna tied on her white apron, and,
at a word from her mother. began to
take from the cupboards various Dutch
dainties, and East Indian jars of fruits
and sweetmeats, and a case Of crystal
bottles, and some fine lemons. She
una n fair rnuy girl uJtth a Einl