Short Story.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2279, 22 September 1899, Page 6

Short Story.

Mn Answer to a Corre-

spondent.

(By F. G., in "Woman.")

Although it was the middle week of September blie Ostend season was barely on the wane. The bathing machines were still fairly busy, and a warm summer sun kept the water as tepid as the most fastidious Parisienne eould wish. The petit billard and petite ehevaux tables were crowded, and the ldventurers and adventuresses. English, French, and Belgian, still hung about the rooms of the Kursaal, taking port iu Che milder forms of gambling.

The waiters at the hotel restaurants were still pressing the innocent new arrivals to partake of prawns and wild strawberries in Jced maraschino as items of a three franc dejeuner, and then charging four francs extra in the bill because the aforesaid luxuries did not appear on the menu. And makebelieve French and Belgian children played at silly gomes on the sands, and young men and women who were in Ostend, but not of it. were fishing off the end of the pier, of whicih the fashionable habitues know as little as a stockbroker's wife in a Cadogan-square mansion affects to know of the extreme Fast End of London. And one typically nauseous specimen of the ogling class in liberally turned-up white flann »ls and aggressive eyeglass, was still to bt seen ogling as he' walked round the circle ot little iron tables at which subscribers to the Kursaal sip foreign and unwholesome leverages while the band plays in the afternoon. As he walked he turned his head—and small wonder !—to look a second time at a girl sitting at one of the tables.

Her nationality was uncertain. There was an interesting combination of Euglish and French characteristics in her appearance. The form and expression of the face were those of a refined type of British girlhood. But the hat coiffure, and gown were obviously not only made in Paris or Brussels, but were worn just as a Parisian or Brussels woman would have worn them. And I say "woman" because, although she was probably not more than 20 years of age. she had the bearing of a woman. There was no outward sign of the enthusiasm which most girls would have vshown. even if almost imperceptibly, in surveying the crowd of gaily dressed people listening to the soul-stirring music of the powerful orchestra, and Inhaling the fresh breeze of the sea. which kept the atmosphere cool under a sun that Algiers or Cairo need not have been ashamed of.

But in spite of an air of dignity and matured experience and self-control, which enabled her. as it were, to look straight at and through the man who stared at her. without appearing to see him. she had preserved all the freshness of the girl in gesture and figure. The brisk sea air. with a touch of sunburn. took the place of the rouge which showed through the white veils of most of the other women. Naturally slim, she could afford to dispense with an orthodox corset : not even those fault Sees products of a certain far-famed Brussels corse Here who opens a little branch establishment at Ostend during the season, had ever tempted her—at least, so her intimate friends declared. No wonder rhe men stared—and there •were some horrible specimens of the staring man among the nauticnllyJattired foreigners in throat-cutting collars.

Her companions were a man and a .woman—the former a bon viveur of '.some forty years. Iron-gray, redifaced. over-dressed, big-jowled. The iwoman was more over-dressed than Jthe man. and younger, full-busted, alarmingly tight-waisted. huge-hatted : a purple complexion produced by a combination of rouge and pale-blue veil.

Her companion was describing to her some new system by which a friend of his had made "quite a pile" at the little horse game the previous season.

Among tltoe men who were attracted by the strange contrast at that particular table—<the pretty girl seated between the world-worn man and the purple woman—was an Englishman. who himself contrasted favourably witih the bulk of Ostend manhood. lie did not stare, but looked as long as he could without sacrificing that air of " good form" which stamped his every movement and every article of his apparel : and as he passed and looked it was obvious tihatt the girl was not wholly unconscious of his presence. There was no sign of recognition on oith<>r aide, but just a suggestion of "1 Indifferent yon are from most of the men here!" He had finished the tour of the talbles and turned back : and as he retraced his footsteps it w.as evident that no one else at the tables attracted his attention until the was once more opposite ttet particular table. One more glance in her direction and then, evidently anxious to resist the temptation to walk round again, and not to risk a semblance of offensiveness. he turned away, left tfhe ground of the Kniraia.l, aind walked rapidly up the digue towards his hotel. He was not aware that she had seen him pass, or that she wondered why he left so early: the third piece on the programme was bardlv finished.

Of its kind T do nmt know of any form of ball that cennywiros with ouo of those periodical flawing entertainments given in tin' splendid ball-room of the Ostend Knrsnal. Tt no ni'opp reminds one of n prrivwte bnill in London or Paris than a beanfeast at TTamphMi Court reminds ono of a Ministerial whitebait din nor. A dance at ono of flip bier TTarrozato or Roarboronsrli Imfeis is remarkable for its counterfeit smartness, and its young men wti.r,h rod silk pookot-Kandkorchiofs. who are nnirolhlo of nothing more virions than a mild flirtation : but otherwise it Is uninteresting to the outsider. Tt is rh" oosinopclitan Moment, the mixture of British honeymooners. second-rate Premrlh actresses roues from Paris. spendthrifts from Rrussels. " somotitoings in Iho city" from London. FWimrt bottling niom. and revolting wives and daughters, that makes an Ostend ball so interest imr. if not edifying. The ahiMticity of the dress regulations ai>art from tlio varieties of evening dross, is a feature. An evidently French woman unattended watches the dancers from the gallery above, faultlessly afiired in an afternoon costume, while other and not so well dressed women are scrupulously obedient to regulations, and appear in evening toilettes, which have probably cost not half as much as that of the woman in Hie hat and cape. There are men in dinner jackets, or the French version thereof, and men in swallow tails. Women in half ready made and misfitting evening gowns from cheap London shops; women

whom Worth is proud to number among his customers, and women indelibly stamped " made in Vienna :" girls who are girls only in age ; mothers who are ready to hand over their daughters to the first comer, provided the banker's reference be satisfactory ; and men of all sorts and conditions, from the City clerk 10 the Frankfort banker or the pigeon-shooting prince. The lithe figure of the girl who attracted so much attention in the afternoon is conspicuous among all. She stands fan in hand, clad in an unmistakably French gown devoid of accentuated fashion, just inside the doorway, a few yards distant from the man and woman whom we saw with her before. He is resplendent in a white waistcoat over which the shirt front is centred with a dazzling diamond stud. The woman is daringly decolletee. considering her age and proportions, but she is French, a fact which excuses a multitude of sartorial outrages. The man is talking to her in French, regardless of syntax and accent. The band has struck up a waltz. He turns to the girl, and asks in more than a whisper : "Violet, why don't you dance like the others ? There's plenty of chaps here who'd ask you if you didn't look so like snubbing them."

"I don't know any man here." she said. " I wish I did."

"Oh. that's all. is it ? I'll soon find yon one. I don't know any myself, but I fancy there are lots who ' wouldn't mind knowing me if it meant knowing von."

The colour rose to the girl's cheeks as she replied contemptuously. " T decline to make any acquaintances in that way. father. I would rather not. dance at all. Tt amuses me to look on." " T brought you here to make acquaintances, and T'm not going to be detied. Look across there." and he dropped the harshness of tone and seemed almost to plead. " There's a nice smart-looking chap, seems as if he's worth a bit. T'll " Violet turned round. It was the Englishman who had interested her in the afternoon, who. sinhad since made up her mind, must he superior to the gaieties of a mixed cosmopolitan ball, at any rate was above dancing with haphazard acquaintances. He was pulling on his gloves when their eyes met. Nine men out of ten would have walked straight up to Inland chanced the consequences. He approached her father and bowed. " Pardon, monsieur, if I take a liberty." lie said in perfect French. " the lady here. who seems under your charge, is not dancing. Would it be agreeable to her and to you that you should introduce me to her ?"

" ITere. Violet. T want to introduce you to a friend of mine." To his surprise his daughter offered no opposition, but turned round and faced them, and her colour rose again, but not quite as before. "Ma fille. Mdlle. Violet. Monseer - oh ! j'ai oubleeay votre nom. e'est drole nespar ?" " Oray." interposed the Englishman, ignoring the lie. " quite English you see. so we need not trouble to talk French. T am glad to find I made a mistake." and speaking to the girl. " shall we have 1 turn now ?"

She did not reply. Tt was not necessary. As they glided over the floor there was no more conspicuous couple in the room. Xo man so handsome, no girl so pretty. Both tall. "So admirably matched !" was an exclamation that might have been heard in three languages in as many minutes. They had danced four consecutive dances together and wore sitting out in 1 quiet corner of the vestibule. "T suppose you know a good many neople here ?" he asked.

" Xo. Yon are the first man T have spoken to. except my father, since we came." " How dull for you !" "I have not found it so. And ventre you a stranger to Ostend ?" "I only arrived to-day. and have not seen a soul I know. I have been attending to a batch of business letters all this morning. They have been accumulating here. lam only staying for a few days in Ostend on my way home. T have been trying to climb mountains in Switzerland."

He looked am if he had probably done more than try. " You in business ! Yon do not look like it." " Oih ! yes. TYn a regular business man now." " Not in London ?" " Yes. why not ?" "You don't seem like the business men T know." she said, turning round and looking him in the face. " I'm glad I'm not cut from a pattern anyway." he replied, laughing, and showing a faultless set of front teeth that seemed to intensify the bronzed cheeks and dose cut black hair. He was fanning her. and little ends of hair came out and danced in the breeze. " I am curious." she said. He laughed aigain. " T don't work very hard I'm afraid. I do most of what T have to do through the post—from Melton or ('.owes, or wherever T happen to be. You will be surprised if I satisfy your curiosity." "T should like to be surprised." "Well. then, as yon have forced me to talk ' shop' I'll show you something that I received to-day by post. Tt has interested me deeply, and I have l>een longing to show it to some one. I am proprietor of a ladies' paper -don't be horrified. T can't help it. I bought the propeitty as an investment, and a good one it is." And drawing an envelope from his pocket he continued :

" My lady editor is instructed to refer to me whenever sslie is in doubt as to huw to art in any matter requiring delicate treatment. She has to-day sent me this remarkable letter asking me how she is to deal with it." He took a hitter of several sheets from I] nveloo • and opened if. The girl -1 ized it from his hand and crumpled it up in hors. " You shall not read it again."

For a moment he was so taken aback 'bat he did not know what to make of it. "Ah !" lie said, happy to have found an excuse for her conduct. " I knew you didn't really want me to talk sink]). • live it me back. 1 will not read it." Tale as death, she exclaimed as she put it back in his hand. " Head it again to-night. I wrote it. Now I'll go back to my father, please." And that was how it happened that -he left Brussels and settled down in a home of her own among the Surrey hills.

The following was Mm content's of the crumpled let.'er : Dear Madam. I have never before in my life written to the editor or to any of the.staff of a paper. Rul at the nuinonl I feel I must confide in some one. 1 cannot give my name or any el no to my identity, but I hope you will nevert;heli>s.s advise me in the columns

of your paper. I am L'O years of ago. I live with my father and his second wife in a Continental city, the postmark

of wlvich will not appear on this envelope, becaaise I am staying for a fortnight in Osteoid. My mother died two yeans agio, and my father, who was in very straitened circumstances at the time, took me to live with him on the Conitinenit. He was always a gambler and a weak man, and a year after my mother's death he married a woman whom I blush to call 'his wife. She owns ia. small hotel whidi is nothing but a gaimbling-house. My father tells me I am good-looking, and spends a large minvpn my dress. I have suddenly rea.li'setl to any horror that he is trying to make mo serve as a. decoy for their gambling hell. He has brought me to Ostend floping I shall get. to know some rich men in the hotel. I need hardly «a<y that I 'have refused to " play the game" with Mm, as he calls it. but I nave mo petiiee. He keeps me without money, fearing that I should leave him, but he will not mind giving me a little to play nitil on the tables here, and I nope to be able to keep some of my winnings if I a.m fortunate. lam too proud'to write to my mother's relatives, and to admit what a scoundrel my lather is. What I want to know is the address of some place I can go to in London do stay until I can get a situation as governess—l speak French and Italian fluently, and sing. I believe, as well as many professionals—and whether under the English law my father can follow me and bring me back ? Pray answer in your next issue—to " Violet." The ;.nswer never appeared.