The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-17

You are both doubly welcome,
gentlemen. This way, please replied
the old lady with a dip OF her aristo-
cratic head, and before ! knew 1t we
were seated in an oak panelled dining
room with two servants IN livery tum-
bling over each other in their efforts
To find the particular wine best suited 10
our paaates.
Riddles slipped his Rrleshelmer with
the air of a connoisseur, looking at the
ceiling now and then after the manner
of expert wine tasters. and compliment
ing the old lady meanwhile on the
quality of the vintage. l confined my
self to a glass OF sherry and q biscuit
while Riddles, rising from his seat later
on stood enraptured before this portrait
and THAT, commenting on their coloring,
| ending by drawing an ancient book
from the library and gong into ecstasies
| over the binding and type.
There was so far as I could see,
| no change in FiddlesS manner on our
way home 10 the inn from the chateau.
| Nebther was n1is speech On gait at ala
affected by the bottle of Rudesheimer
| land he managed to get away with II
any. mention this because 1t Is
vitality important to what follows.
|
cited, and that was when he passed
the cdbbier's corner. But then he was
always excited when Ire passed the
cobbler seated at work-so much so
sometimes that l have seen him shake
| his fist at him. To-day he merely
frightened his Jaw, stopped Tor a moment
as II determined to step in and have IL
out with him (the cohbRr, I afterward
| found out, was to leave the village for
| good the next day. his trade having
fallen off, owing to his being so UNI
popular). and then, as IL changing his
mind, followed along after me mWter-
ing: Experimentation as had
often heard him do before.
| Judge of my astonishment then,
when an hour later Gretchen came
running into my room wringing her
hands-I had caught him kissing her
the night beforehand burst out with:
"'He is under the iable-the truck
ster's feet on hm-He is there like
dog-ah, II Is dreadful! Mein herr
won't you come"
| "'Who is under the table"
| "'Wilhelm.'
| "'Where?
| "'At che public house.
| SHOW do you know?'
/
him.
whats the matter with him?
"Gretchen hung her head, and the
tears streamed down her cheeks.
"'He is--he is-oh. mein heTr-it is
not the beer-rfobody ever gets that
way with our beer-it is something
he
Drunk
eyes, dead drunk. and under the
table like a hog in the mud-oh, my
poor wilhelm. Oh. who has been so
wicked to you Oh! OH! and she ran
from the room.
at started on the run, Gretchen and
the good landlady close behind. II the
Rudesheimer had upset Riddles 1t had
worked very slowly: maybe it had re-
vived an old conquered thirst. and the
cheap cognac at the public house was
the result. That he was not a man
of humble birth nor one without home
refnements I had long since OWNED.
Had / not suspected 1t before. his man
ner in presenting me to the old baron
ess and his behavior in the dining
hall, especially toward the servants,
would have opened my eyes. How then
could such man in an hour become so
besotted n brute?
And yet every word of Gretchen's
story was true. Not only was Fiddles
drunk. soggy, helplessy drunk, but
from all accounts he was in that same
condition when he staggered into the
place and. falling over a table, had
rolled himself against the wall There
he had lain, out of the way, except
when some dram drinking drivers
heavy cowhide boots had made a door
mat of his yielding body-not an unu-