The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-05-26
Only a Mistake.

.CuePIlfSS, Will buG CtdIluly udLu ilucaS ~
a coming snow-storm in the air The
strips of blue sky, upon which even the
poorest beggar of The street may some
times look with faint glimpse of the
heaven beyond, were quite hidden by
dark masses ofcloud, that reflected Their
own sombre hues on the faces of the
hurrying passers by.
Ralph Field ran down the steps of mis-
boarding house, and hailed passing car
The downtown rush had just begun, and
an involuntary shiver Of discomfort ran
beneath his wrappings, as he saw on step
ping in, that all the seats were taken.
Ding Ding went the conductors bell,
and one after another dropped in until
even standing room was limited. Another
stop; and this time the new arrival was
an elderly woman, very poorly and thinly
clad, staggering under the weight of a
huge laundry basket, Her thin features
were unraturally pinched with cold, and
her whole frame tremb led as she shifted
her benumbed hands painfully, still hold
ing up the heavy burden, unable to find
room for it on the floor of the car.
Such weary, pitiful look, in the worn
face, shaded by its thin grey hair--such
IA patient endurance in the eyes meekly
cast down. The comfortably seated gen
tlemen shrank closer into their gay
scarfs and muffiers; but if any one
thought, at might have been my mother, >
the gentle charity was stifled in its first
up-springing, and there was no outward
sign.
A little rustic of silk, as lady rose in
Dal, 1ACl n
voice clear and sweet as . silver bell,
said, Take this seat, my good woman
A glance of quick, grateful surprise shot
up from the woman's eyes as she murmur
ed, 'Thank you, Miss, kindly" and sunk,
with sigh of exhaustion, into the place
just vacated
Three or four gentlemen sprang up
with simultaneous offer of their seats,
bpt4a glow of indignant color famed
into the lady's checks, as she answered
with slight bow, thank you-I will
stand And stand she did, her little
gIoved hand holding the strap firmly,
and her face turned little aside, Sc that
Ralph dared study her with his admiring
eyes
No ordinary girl" His artist sense
would have told him that at a 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
andsisters, not to feel a kind of proprietor
ship in all that is noblest and truest in
woman.
And so he fell into a half dream,
waking only as the lady signalled to
the conductor and STEPPED lightly down.
Then he saw with start, that he was
quite beyond Flint 81 Chatterton's, and
must walk up the street again, two
squares at least. Hurrying out, he
caught sight of lace handkerchief,
lying 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
up as he shook it from the dust, and
there, on one corner, was name, Eta
Stuart"
"Ecta Stuart, Eta Stuart" said Ralph
to himself, as he walked up the street,
drawing his brows together in Il puzzled
frown /" have surely heard the name
before"
Just then, Frank Evans bore down
upon him, with hearty morning greet
ing.
Halo, Ralph, my boy! What are you
bordering, that you look like u judge,
all but the wig? You mus! get off that
face and come up to the house this even
irg. Sister Lou is just home from
Springfield, and cousin Eta Stuart, the
peerless, has come home with her for the
winter"
"Ah!"
Frank was hardly prepared for the
sudden illumination of Ralph's face. He
stared minute, and then went on:
you know l told you about Eta
before, and promised you an introduc
ton
Yes, yes, | remember. Thank you,
Frank, I'll come" -
What sn intermidably long day it was
Ralph caught himself once sketching a
pair of dark eyes on the margin of a
business note. "What ails me?" he said
to himself, energetically, as be thrust
the offending sheet into the waste basket,
and dashed off fresh order. s fa
But, if the day was long. the evening
hours were winged. He found in Franks
Eta, the peerless, none other than his
fair companion of the morning. She did
not recognize him-how should she,
from score OF fellow passengers but
he would have hrown her among
thousand The dainty mouchoir 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 its equivalent from the finder
but of that we can only guess.
That was Ralph Fields never-to be-
forgotten winter. 1t was the old, old
story SO we need not finger over it. No
matter what visions Of love and honor
came to him, in his bachelor den, Others
ha IN Il REQ med hafnra him :. LII a 90. :.