Infatuation
women, the terror of men, alluring even now through the haze of by-gone
pistol-smoke! And though it has been dead and gone these hundred and
fifty years, the strain yet persists in some Phyllis here, some
stripling there, attenuated perhaps, but far, far from lost.
Even to-day such intrepidity casts its spell. The eyes that are
unafraid, the mouth that can smile in peril, do we not still admire
their possessor--and that most of all in a young, high-bred and
exceedingly attractive woman? Washington certainly did in Phyllis
Ladd--young-man Washington, that is,--and they trooped after her in
cohorts, and would have drunk champagne from her little slipper had she
let them.
Months rolled by. The tide of Phyllis' letters rose in Mr. Ladd's
drawer--countless pages in that fine girlish hand, full of zest, full of
the joy of living, revealing, intimate, and silent only in regard to the
most important matter of all--J. Whitlock's successor.
Mr. Ladd knew what value to set on her assertion that she was "tired of
men." He waited, not without jealousy, for preference to show itself;
reading and re-reading every allusion that might afford a clue. If she
wrote that "the ambassador was a very kind old man, with aristocratic
legs, and a profile like a horse, who singled me out for much more than
my share of attention"--Mr. Ladd would forthwith look up that
ambassador; get his diplomatic rating; and worry about his being
sixty-six, and twice a widower.
One day, quite out of the sky, a card was brought him inscribed,
"Captain Baron Sempft von Piller, First Attache, Imperial German
Embassy, Washington." As a rule, applicants to see Mr. Ladd had first
to state their business, and undergo a certain amount of sifting before
they were admitted. In this manner inventors were weeded out, cranks,
people with a grievance against the claims' department, book-agents,
labor-leaders, charity-mongers, bogus clergymen who had been refused
half-rates--all that host who buzzed like mosquitoes outside Mr. Ladd's
net. But the First Attache of the Imperial German Embassy was given an
open track, which he took with a military stride, and the clank of an
invisible sword.
Mr. Ladd turned in his chair, and beheld a florid, tall, fine-looking
young man of twenty-eight or so, with the stiff carriage of a Prussian
officer, and unshrinking blue eyes that had been trained not to droop in
the face of anything.
The captain wasted no time in preliminaries. In a carefully-rehearsed
sentence, innocent of all punctuation, and delivered in a breath, he
said: "It is not my intention to trespass overlong on the time of I know
a much-engrossed gentleman but if you will kindly grant me three minutes
I shall be happy to convince you of the integrity of my character and
the honor of my intentions Mr. Ladd Sir."
Taking another breath that swelled out his magnificent chest at least
four inches, he resumed: "This I now lay before you is my
birth-certificate these are the reports on my gymnasium courses at
Pootledam respectively marked good very good indifferent good very good
till inspired by the thought of a military career I entered on probation
subsequently made permanent by the vote of my fellow-officers the tenth
regiment of Uhlans which after six years of honorable commendation I
left regretted by every one to place myself in the diplomatic service
Mr. Ladd Sir."
Taking a third breath, he went on:
"By kindly glancing at this letter which I have the honor to bear from
my esteemed chief whom I am proud also to call my friend you will see to
your complete satisfaction that I am no needy adventurer trading on an
historic and greatly-renowned name but a man of substance promise and
ability with the assurance of reaching if I live the highest place it is
in the power of my country and my emperor to grant Mr. Ladd Sir."
He was inhaling his fourth breath when Mr. Ladd managed to interpose a
speech of his own.
"I am delighted to see you, captain," he said, "and I shall be happy to
oblige you in any way I can. Perhaps you desire to inspect what is
really one of the most perfect double-track railroad systems in this
country, operated at the minimum of expense, and with an efficiency that
makes the K. B. and O. very favorably regarded by our public. If it
falls below the high standard of your own government-owned lines, you
must credit us with a traffic at least sixteen-fold larger per mile than
that of yours. I will ask you to bear this in mind before making too
critical a comparison."
A boyish and most engaging smile overspread the captain's features, and
for the moment he almost forgot how to go on with the set speech he had
learned so carefully. But he stiffened his shoulders, threw back his
head, and continued, like a student up for a difficult and trying
examination: "Before paying my addresses to one whose youth beauty and
charm has taken captive a heart hitherto untouched by the sentiment of
love I judged it only right as a gentleman and a former German officer
before seeking to compromise the lady's inclination in any way whatever
to provide myself with the necessary proofs of my unassailable position
and honor and lay them with profound respect in the hands of her
highly-considered and greatly-esteemed father Mr. Ladd Sir."
Mr. Ladd nearly fell off his chair at this announcement; but controlling
himself, he bent hastily over the papers, and managed to hide his
stupefaction. He was very much bewildered, and though favorably
impressed by Von Piller, had the American's distrust of all foreigners,
particularly if titled. The word "baron" conjured up horrible stories of
imposture and mortification; hungry fortune-hunters; shameless
masqueraders preying on credulity and snobbishness, always with debts at
home and often wives; old-world wolves ravening for the trusting lambs
of the new.
But the ambassador's letter was most explicit, and its authenticity
could be tested in an hour. The craftiest of wolves would not dare to
take such a risk. Wonder of wonders, it seemed, too, that the baron was
rich--one of the Westphalian iron kings--with great landed estates
besides. Yes, he was certainly a very eligible young man. No harm
could be done by rising and shaking hands with him. Mr. Ladd did so,
impressively.
"You are very punctilious," he said. "I wish we had more of that
ourselves. Your conduct is manly and straightforward, and I esteem it
highly. Frankly, I should prefer my daughter to marry an American--but
if a foreigner is to win her, I should be very happy to have that
foreigner you."
The baron, who was now quite out of set-speeches, and had to flounder in
English of his own making, murmured: "I lofe her--oh, how I lofe her!
My friends they say, 'crazy, crazy,' but I say, 'no, this tells me I am
wise.'"
And with that he pressed his hand to his heart, with an air of such
simplicity and devotion that Mr. Ladd was touched.
"You're a fine young man," he said, "and I wish you luck."
"You will speak well of me to her?--Manly, straightforward--you will say
those words?"
"With pleasure, Baron."
The florid face beamed; the blue eyes were shining; Mr. Ladd remembered
the tendency of foreigners to embrace, and hastened to put the desk
between them.
"I will go now," exclaimed Von Piller. "I will what you call, get busy.
I will lay at her little feet the heart of a man that adores her!"
"Don't be in too big a hurry," said the railroad president kindly.
"Take an old fellow's advice; begin by trying to make a good
impression."
Von Piller smiled complacently.
"Already have I done it," he remarked. "She likes me very mooch. The
battle is half-won, and all I need is General Papa to reinforce."
It suddenly shot through General Papa's mind that the baron was not so
simple as he appeared. Mr. Ladd's first feeling of compassion for a
hopeless suit changed to a grinding jealousy. It was intolerable to him
that anybody should carry off his precious daughter, and this amiable
young man at once took on the hue of an enemy. Their farewell was stiff
and formal; and when, two hours later, the confirming telegram arrived
from the German embassy, Mr. Ladd hotly consigned Captain Baron Sempft
von Piller to the devil.
*CHAPTER V*
Von Piller had not under-estimated the "good impression." It was
certainly good enough for him to become, two days later, the successful
suitor for Phyllis' hand. The engagement was in the papers, and
everybody was happy--save Mr. Ladd. On top of his natural resentment at
any poor human biped in trousers daring to aspire to his daughter, there
were two letters from Washington that embittered him beyond measure.
The one was from Phyllis; the other from Sarah Fensham; and though very
different in expression their gist was the same. He was besought _not_
to come to Washington.
"Dear, darling old daddy," wrote Phyllis, "The whole thing is such
gossamer, so faint and delicate and eider-downish, that one belittling
look of yours, one unguarded and critical word--would utterly destroy
it. Of course, Sempft is not the Golden Young Man, and I know it very
well, but I really do like him lots, and if you will give it six weeks
to 'set,' as masons say, I believe that it will turn very nicely into
love. But just now--! Oh, Papa, the poor little building would topple
so easily--and you know how hard I have found it already to stay too
close to those big, greedy, grasping creatures who want to race off with
one as a poodle does with a stick. Not that Sempft isn't awfully nice
and considerate, but I know there will be times when--! Oh, Papa, be
patient, and give me a chance, for if you should hurry over and catch me
in the right humor, I would send him away so fast that he would think he
was fired out of a Zalinski cannon!"
Sarah's letter was in a more wounding strain: "For Heaven's sake, stay
away, my dearest brother, or you will ruin everything. That girl of
yours is too fastidious and wilful for belief, and from the bottom of my
heart I am sorry for the poor dear baron, who is making such a goddess
out of an icicle. She is possessed of the same insane pride that you
have, and is quite of your own opinion that nobody is good enough for
her. After bringing her up all wrong, don't add to your folly by
breaking off a second splendid match. Stay in Carthage, and try to
acquiesce in the fact that sooner or later she is bound to marry
somebody; and thank your stars that it is somebody to be proud of. I
know she is too good for any one but an archangel, but still, steel
yourself to accept a young, wealthy, handsome, brilliant, accomplished,
high-born and distinguished son-in-law, who has the world at his feet.
Naturally to you it is an intolerable prospect. I don't ask you to say
that it is not. But for Heaven's sake, remain in Carthage, and keep
your sulks at a distance."
After his first anger had passed, Mr. Ladd took himself seriously to
task, and forced that other self of his to admit the undeniable justice
of both these letters. He was a cantankerous, cross-grained old
curmudgeon, and the right place for a cantankerous, cross-grained old
curmudgeon was unquestionably--Carthage. If he were so utterly unable to
make allowances for youth and immaturity--and he had to assent to the
fact that he was unable--he ought, at any rate, to have the grace to
keep his fault-finding face turned to the wall. Phyllis was right.
Sarah was right. Everybody was right, except a hot-headed old fellow,
with a sick and jealous heart, who, if he did not restrain himself,
would end by marring his daughter's future beyond recall.--Yes, he would
hold himself in; he would do nothing to incur reproach; he would let