The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-11-05
ALL AN ACCIDENT.

ALL AN ACCIDENT.
It was at the opera. An opera-pIass
had fallen from one of the upper boxes
on the head of q gentleman sitting in
the stalls.
Now had seen the glass fall had
seen n round, white, braceleted arm and
gloved hand stretched out to arrest
as 1t seemed to me, its descent. It was
all done in a moment.
The gentlemen upon whose head the
glass had descended had been carried
into the lobby. An ugly wound had
been inflicted.
He was not killed, but gradually re.
vived, and turned his head toward me
l knew him-.it was Stericker.
Then he moved a tremulous hand in
my direction. He knew me, it seemed.
He tried to speak but it was some
time before he could utter any intelli-
gent sound. At last we discovered his
meaning. He had lost something which
he desired us, meaning myself and by
standers, to search for.
Search was instituted accordingly.
After awhile, very near to the stall he
had occupied, there was picked up-a
glass eye
He was gratifed at the recovery of
his glass eye, but something else was
missing and that was so N found-a
curious-looking stud; it was not pearl
exactly. It was of an oblong shape,
milky white, and semi-transparent, in
n handsome setting of brilliants.
Stericker expressed great satisfaction,
in rather incoherent way, that the
stud had been found. He clearly priced
it highly.
% It was a nasty shock to a fellow" "
said Stericker, not long after this, as we
talked the matter over.
I quite agreed that it must have been
a very nasty shock-a most unfortunate
accident. at this he laughed rather
wildly.
Whatever you call it, don't call it
that" he said.
"You mean that it was not an acci-
dent?"
1t appears that he did mean that.
But I saw the glass fall" >" said
You mean that you saw her throw it
down !"
saw? Who ?" demanded, uncon-
scio"sly adopting the interrogatives of
Hamlet.
"Arabella !"
Thought him wandering in his mind.
I knew nothing of Arabella. I could
not remember that had ever encount-
cred, ont of works of fiction, any woman
of that name. And thence 1 came to
ask myself what, after all, did I really
know of Stericker himself? In truth,
it was very little.
I" 1t was Arabella's doing, of course.
he continued. "I know that very well.
I know tho opera-glass, for the matter
e I.A A.. -, ho,-
Where I had first met Stericker 1 am
by no means clear. I am almost GER
tain that I was never formally intro
duced TO him. But had seen him at
various places upon numberless occa-
sions, until 1 seemed to have acquired
quite habit of seeing him. So at last
the thing was becoming quite absurd
there was no help for it but to recognize
him as au acquaintance, at any rate.
Finding each other so frequently face to
face in the same place, beneath the came
roof, and even at the same table, what
could we do, eventually, but laugh and
nod, and say, "What you here p
And then we shook hands.
Still protest that l knew little OF
him beyond what he told me.
And now had occurred this accident at
the opera house, confirming as it were
my acquaintance with Stericker, and
governing it almost into a friendship.
He expressed great gratitude for the
assistance had rendered him, although,
IN truth, il had been little enough. But
again and again lie thanked me, and
presently. his wounded head having
been skillfully dealt with and relieved
bg the application of strips of plaster,
/ found myself at his lodgings in Half
moon street, sitting in an easy chair,
smoking a cigar and drinking temper
auce mixture of brandy and water.
Until then / had never really known
where Stericker lived.
And you saw her throw down the
opera glass ?" he said, returning TO the
subject of tho accident. I corrected
him. I had seen no such thing. But
he did not pay much attention to what
1 said.
And how did she look? Hand
some, of course. She was always that
though she certainly is not now nearly
so young as when first met her-and
loved her. For what could 1 do then
but love her?
"There can be no mistake about an
attack of love any more than about nj
of the gout. 1 have suffered from ooth
affections. In my time l have loved a
good deal, and have, in return oeen
loved very much indeed. 1 say 1t WITH
out vanity.
"I have loved and been loved he
repeated, "and, 1 don't mind owning
I have in my time Tilted and been
ijlted." He said this with morbid
Don Giovanni air, that l thought par
ticularlv Objectionable. "Arabella luted
me-" he resumed, "and has never for
given herself for it, nor me either.
How fair she was in those days she
fair still, for that matter, though she
uses more pearl powder now than she
did. Fair, but false. Women are often
that, you know. Shall 1 say always
I deprecated such an assertion. Ac-
cording to nv experience 1t was lar TOO
sweeping. He conceded that 1 was
right possibly. Yet it seemed TO me
that he despised me for my moderation
You remarked this stud p de pro
duced the stud we had searched tor at
his REQUEST. and found in the lobby OF
the opera house. cit would nave
panied me very much if had lost 1t.
regard it as a precious relic. 1t De-
longed to Arabella, once. In iact-
why should I disguise the truth from
you-that stud is formed out OF one oi
Arabella's front teeth !,
His smile as he said this was not
pleasant to contemplate. HIS COMES
sion had certainly startled me; There
was something dreadful about 1t, and
he had the air of an Indian brave e9 e1-
hibiting n scalp. He gloried IN I the
possession OF Arabella's front tooth
How had no obtained it? l ventnTeo
TO demand. Was it n pledge OF aiiec-
hon? Could they possibly have eA-
changed teeth as ordinary lovers eG'
change locks of hair? 1 hardly kne"
what I was Saying, or of what ] was