Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-04-21
ONLY A MISTAkE.

1t was winter morning, cold and cheer
less, with the clammy dampness of a COM
ing snow storm in the air. The strips oil
blue sky, upon which even the poorest beg
gar of the street may sometimes look with
faint glimpse of the heaven beyond, were
quite hidden by dark masses of cloud, that
reflected their own somber hues on the
faces OF the hurrying passers-by.
Ralph Field ran down the steps of his
boarding house, aud hailed passing car.
The downtown rush had just begun, and
an involuntary shiver of discomfort ran be-
meath his wrappings, as he saw, on step
ping in, that all the seats were taken
Dingl dingl went the conductors bell and
one after another dropped in, till even
standing-room was limited. Another stop;
and this time the new arrival was an elder
ly woman, very poorly and thinly clad, stag
gering under the weight of a huge laundry
basket. Her thin features were unnatural
ly pinched with cold, and her whole frame
trembled as she shifted her benumbed
hands painfully still holding up the heavy
burden, unable to find room for it on the
floor of the car.
Such a weary, pitiful look, in the worn
face, shaded by its thin grey hair-such a
patent endurance in the eyes, meekly cast
down. The comfortably seated gentlemen
shrank closer into their gay scarfs and muf-
flers; but if any one thought, 1T might
have besn my mother" the gentle charity
was stifled in It's first up-springing. and
there was no outward sign.
little rustic of silk, as lady rose in
one corner, made Ralph look around, and
voice, clear and sweet as a silver bell,
said, Take this seat, my good woman. -
glance of quick, grateful surprise shot
up from the woman's eyes, as she murmur-
ed, Thank you, Miss, kindly" andsunk,
with a sigh of exhaustion, into the place
just vacated
Three or four gentlemen sprang up with
simultaneous offer of their seats, but
glow of indignant color famed into the
lady's cheeks, as she answered, with a
slight bow. II thank you'll will stand.
And stand she did, her little gloved hand
holding the strap firmly. and her face turn
ed little aside, SO that Ralph dared study
her with his admiring eyes.
''No ordinary girl" His artist sense
would have told him that at glance, even
though his heart had not come in to aid
his Judgment, with his quick response to
her generous action. Ralph Field had too
tender memories of his dead mother and
sisters, not to feel n kind of proprietorship
in all that is noblest and truest in woman.
And so he tell into half dream, waking
only as the lady signaled to the conductor
and stepped lightly down. Then he saw,
with start, that he was quite beyond Flint
x Chatterton's, and must walk up the street
again, two squares at least. Hurrying out,
he caught sight of lace handkerchief, ly-
ing on the floor, just where the lady had
stood. He picked it up hastily, but its fair
owner had disappeared in the crowded
street. A faint perfume foated mp as he
shook it from the Gust. and there. on one |
corner, was a name, ''Etta Stuart"
'Etta Stuart, Eta Stuart" said Ralph |
to himself, as he walked up the street, |
drawing his brows together in puzzled |
frown; 81 have surely heard the name be-
FORE"
Just then, Frank Evans bore down upon
him, with hearty morning greeting.
''Hallo, Ralph, my boyi What are you
POI dering, that you look like judge, all
but the wig? You must get off that face, |
and come up to the house this evening"
Sister Lou is just home from Springfield, |
and cousin Eta, the peerless, has come |
home with her for the winter"
"Ahl''
Frank Evans was hardly prepared for
the sudden illumi ination of Ralph Fields |
face. He stared minute, and then went |
on:
''You know 1 tod you about Eta Stuart !
before, and promised You an introduc- |
tion."
'.Yes. yes, remember. Thank you,
Frank I'll come"
What an interminably long day it wasl
Ralph caught himself once sketching pair
of dark eyes on the margin of business
note. What ails me2' he said to himself |
energetically, as he thrust the offending |
sheet into the waste-basket, and dashed off |
q fresh order.
But, if the day was long, the evening |
hours were winged. He found in Franks |
..Etta, the peerless" none other than his /
fair companion of the morning. She did |
not recognize him-how should she, from |
among a score of fellow-passengers?- but |
he would have known her from among a |
thousand. The dainty Baoucioir was in his |
breast pocket, but before the evening was
half over he had decided upon his first theft |
he would not give it back. Perhaps its |
owner had already exacted more than fair
equivalent from the finder; but of that we |
can only guess.
That was Ralph Fields never-to-be-for- |
gotten winter. 1t was the old, old story; so |
We need not linger over it. No matter |
what visions OF love and honor came % |
him, in his bachelor den, others have |
dreamed before him, in all ages; no matter |
how fair and stately were the Spanish cas- |
ties he built in the dusk and dimness of
the counting has had its own |
school of architecture since the world be- !
gan.
Did Eta love him? He had never asked |
her In words; but the heart has moro than |
one avenue of expression, and there is an |
eloquence of look and touch that is some /
times even nore than audible language-l
He waited the promised advancement that |
should place him where he need not be |
ashamed to ask Eta Stuart's father for the |
keeping of his dearest treasure; and, mean
while, was it not enough that she read the
books and sang the songs he loved; that
her cheeks took tenderer color and her /
eyes softer smile at his coming?
Winter had worn into spring again.
Charley Marks placed his hand in Mr. |
Fields arm, as they left the supper-room |
together one evening. Somebody was an
nounced to speak N Music Hall-wouldn't |
Ralph Field 60 down? 1t was still early |
when they took their seats, and there were |
few people in. Slowly up the aisle came .
lady and gentleman. Ralph Field looked
up to see his Eta; but who was this, with |
his bronzed. handsome face and foreign
air?
capt Tileston, as / livel" said Marks. |
l didn't know he had arrived-you know
him?'
NO." said Ralph, shortly.
''Ah, 1 thought you did; but he has been |
abroad two years. What a beautiful girl |
that Miss Stuart is! / haven't seen her |
equal in the city this season. She looks |
happy to get back her knight-errant Well, |
Tileston is lucky dogT
"WLat do you mean?" said Ralph Field,
with an sgitation he could scarcely con-
ceaL
why, don't you know? They have been
engaged three years. Capt. Tileston went
with Frank Evans to Springfield. and met
this girl there-Frank's cousin, you know.
1t was all up with him from the first time |
he saw her. The day was fixed for their
wedding. but Tleston had severe hemor-
rhage of the lungs. and the doctors said
nothing would save him but travel He |
looks well enough now."
sYou know all this, Charley? It's no
mere rumor?" Ralphs hand was on his |