Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-04-14
ONLY A MISTAKE.

blue sky, upon which even the poorest Deg
gar of the street may sometimes look with
a faint glimpse of the heaven beyond, were
unite 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, and hailed passing car.
The downtown rush had, just begun, and
An involuntary SILVER of discomfort ran be-
meath his wrappings, az 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
lv woman, very poorly and thlnly clad, stag
oerinp under the weight of a huge laundry
basket. Her thin features were unnatural
lv 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 1t on the
floor OF the car
Such weary, pitiful look, in the worn
face, shaded by lis thin grey halr-such
patent endurance In the eyes, meekly cast
down. The comfortably seated gentlemen
shrank closer into their gay scarts and NUT
Aers; but if any one thought, at might
have been my mother" the gentle charity
was stihed in it's first up-springing, and
there was no outward sign.
| little rustic of silk, as a lady rose in
one corner, made Ralph look around, and
n voice. clear and sweet as silver bell,
said, Take this seat, my good woman. -
A dance of quick, grateful surprise shot
IN from the woman's eyes, as she murmur-
ed, "Thank you, Miss, kindly and sunk,
with sigh of exhaustion, into the pla.e
Just vacated.
Three or four gentlemen sprang up with
a simultaneous offer of their seats, but q
GLOW of indignant color famed into the
lady's cheeks as she answered. with q
SLIGHT bow, II thank you-I will stand. y
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 30 he tell into half dream, waking
only MS the lady signaed to the conductor
and stepped lightly down. Then he saw,
with start that he was quite beyond Flint
Il Chatterton's, and must walk up the street
again, two squares Mt 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 hoated up MS he
shook ii from the dus.. and there on one
corner, was name, Eta Stuart.
"l,ttA Stuart, Eta Stuart said Ralph
to himself, us he walked up the street,
driving his brows together in puzzled
iruwu; al 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
30 dering, that you look like u judge, all
but the wig2 You must get off that face,
and come up to the house this evening, Pc
Sister Lou is Just home from Springfield,
and cousin Eta, the peerless, has come
home with her for the winter.
"Ahw
Frank Evans was hardly prepared tol
the sudden illumination OF Ralph Field.
face. He stared minute, and then went
on.
"You know told You about Eta Stuart
before, and promised you an introduc'
ton"
Eyes. yes | remember. Thank you
Frank III come
What an interminably long day it was
Ralph caught himself once sketching pal
OF dark eyes on the margin of business
note. "What ails me?' he said TO himself
theoretically, as he thrust the offending
sheet into the waste-6asket d dashed of
fresh order,
But. if the day was long, the evening
hours were winged lie found in Frank
"Eta, the peerless" none other than hi,
tair companion of the morning. She die
not recognize him-how should she. from
among n score OF tellow-passengers2 -bu
lac would have known her from among
thousand. The dainty moucb0ir was in hi
breast pocket, but before the evening was
halfover he had decided upon his first thief
he would not give 1t back. Perhaps it'
owner had already eXacted more than n iai
equivalent from the finder; bnt of that ",
can only guess.
That WAS Ralph Fields never-to.be-for
gotten winter 1t was the old, old story; Sc
we need not linger over IT, No matte
what visions OF love and honor came e
him, in his bachelor den, others havt
dreamed before him, In all ages; ma matte1
how fair and stately were the Spanish cas-
Ties ne built in the dusk and dimuess o
the counsiug.room Love has had it's owl
school of architecture since the world be
gan.
Did Eta love him2 III had never oske,
her in words but the heart bus more than
one avenue Of expression, and there Is NJ