Los Angeles herald., 1905-05-28
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CuINeu Chilli VI HillS' i1uBh hidyhe
threw open his window and leanins
out exclaimed, as he eagerly inhaled
the soft air of an early May morning:
AT last! And high timer For nine
days he had waded through the wet
streets heavily leaping the raging gut
ters and stopping before the door of
every optician to scrutinize the barom-
eter. And there are many in this pretty
Bohemian health resort, where bad
weather means bad temper, with en-
forced confinement in dismal lodgings
or stuffy restaUrations, or, last resort
OF the bored, the promenade under the
colonnade, where the band plays as
human beings shuttle ponderously over
the cold stones and stare at each other
in mute desperation.
But the day was glorious one, and
in high spirits the Engllshman left the
house on the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
and moved slowly toward the springs.
He was not thirty, but looked much
older than his years, for his weight
was excessive. An easy going tenn
permanent, good appetite, a we'll filled
purse and a conscience that never dis
turbed his nights slumber contributed
to this making Of flesh. He waddled,
despite his great height, though here
in Marienbad he was not considered
remarkable, while in London or
Paris people looked at him sourly when
he occupied stall in the theater or a
seat at a cafe. Not only had he elbow
room in Marienbad, but he felt small,
positively meager in comparison with
the prize specimens he saw painfully
progressing about the shaded walls or
putting like obese engines up the slop-
ing roads.
The park of the Kreuzbrunnen was
crowded, though the hour of had just
been signaled from dozen clocks in
the vicinity. The crowd gathered from
the four quarters of the globe was in
holiday humor, as, glass in hand, 1t fell
into line and each received the water
doled out by uniformed officials. Occa-
sionally a dispute as to precedence
would take place when the serpentne
procession filed up the steps of the old
fashioned belvidere, but disputes were
as rare as a lean man. A fat crowd IS
always good tempered, irritable as may
be it's individual members. Hugh
Krayne kept in position, while two wo-
men showed him about as If he were a
bale of hay. He heard them abusing
him in Bohemian, a language of which
he did not know more than a few
words; their intonation told him that
they heartily disliked his presence. Yet
he would not give way; it would not
have been Marienbad etiquette. At last
he reached the spring and received his
usual low bow from the man who
turned the polished wheel-the fellow
had an eye tuned for gratuities. With
the water in his glass three-fourths cold
and one-fourth warm, a parti-napkin i'll
his left hand, the Englishman moved
with the jaunty grace of young ele-
phant down the smooth terraced es-
planade that has made Marienbad so
celebrated. The sun was riding high,
and the tender green of the trees, the
flashing of the fountains and the music
of the band combined to make Hugh
feel happy. He had lost nearly pound
since his arrival the week before, and
he had three more weeks to stay. What
might not happen!
Just where the promenade twists
under the shaded alleys that lead to the
Ferdinandsbrunnen he saw four women
holding hands. They were dressed in
Tyrolean fashion-pleated skirts, short
enough to show white. plump stockings,
feet in slippers, upon the head huge
caps, starched and balcony. Their
massive white necks, well exposed,
were encircled by collars that came low
on bodices elaborately embroidered
Behind them marched several burly
chaps in all the bravery of the Austrian
Tyrol-the green alpine hat. with the
feather at the back, the short gray
jacket, the bare knees and the home
spun stockings. Krayne regarded cur
iously this strolling band of singers.
though he had seen it's like before.
Their faces, moreover, seemed familiar
to him, and he rapidly recalled SOU
venirs of Salzburg and an open air con-
cert. But this morning there was some
thing that arrested his attention in the
group. 1t was girl of Is or 20, with
brilliant complexion, large blue eyes
and a robust, shapely figure. AS she
passed she gave him such an imploring
look, such an appealing look, that all
his chivalric instincts rushed into the
field of his consciousness. He awk-
wardly dropped his tumbler. He turned
around half expecting to see the big
child still looking at him, Instead he
gazed upon the athletic backs of her
male companions and to the unpleasant
accompaniment of hearty feminine
laughter. Were these women laughing
at him? No fool like a fat one, he
merrily thought as he bought new
glass at bazaar which grinning,
monkey-faced creature sold him at the
regular price-redoubled.
Before his meager breakfast of one
a,,e, and drv ruslx KraVne endeaVored m