The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-05-20
IN AN ELEVATOR.

MRS. JAMES ALsoP, at home on the
Thursdays of December from two to five
p m. Hotel Kelleran, West Roylston
Street"
1t was the last Thursday of December,
and quite little throng of fashionable
people had assembled at the Hotel Kel-
leran in response to this card. The pre-
ceding Thursdays had been wet and
stormy; this was model winters day,
crisp with frost and sparkling with sun.
Carriages drew up before the door in
long, double rows; a mob waited on the
sidewalk to watch the ladies going in );
the elevator was on the wing continually,
bearing gorgeous danes aloft to the
third story 1t was busy afternoon for
the porter and the elevator boy;" but
as that functionary, a youth of some
forty summers, remarked to his confed-
crates, (" Weddings is weddings, and it
amt every day we have bride in the
house, specially such sumner as this
one. CORY! amt she beauty neither?
I'd like to be a-takin' of her up all day."
Estella Blodgett had always been
called beauty. Why, was not so easy
to say, for, as she herself once candidly
remarked: When you come to look at
me, Pm not so very pretty-in fact, no
pJSbtASl NldLl otuSI PSoplS. Ilo W 40
quite true. Beauty often consists in a
certain nameless charm; brightness, un-
expectedness, tact and sweetness COM
bined, and these Estella had. For the
rest, there were dark hair and eyes, a
clear, brilliant skin, dimple, white,
slender hand; but, as | said, she was no
prettier than American girls are apt to
be, only people persisted in thinking her
So She wore these unmerited laurels
gracefully enough; success did not spoil
her; her lists of friends numbered as
many women as men, which is always a
test to the qualities of a beauty. But
never, people agreed, had Estella Blod-
gett been sweeter, more unattectedly
cordial and fascinating than was Estella
Alsop that afternoon as she glided about
her pretty. new rooms, welcoming, greet
ing, making every one feel at home.
"How happy she looksm observed
Mrs. Dalrymple.
"Well, who soouldn't be happy, with
the loveliest French trousseau that ever
was and such a nice husband as hers?"
asked Constance Ferris.
Two or three people laughed at the
unconscious warmth of Constance's
tone.
:" For my part" put in Alice Ordway,
"I never could quite see that James AL
sop was so charming. He shuts me right
up; don't get on with him at all Estel-
la used to feel so too and | never under
stood how she came to like him at the
last"
"Ah, you never tried him in an ele-
vator," said Mrs. Dalrymple, looking
funny.
In an elevatorl What do you mean?"
ooh, thereby hangs tale"
Who is that lady in gray shat has
just come in." inquired Constance.
'See, Estella is speaking to her now."
How pleased Mrs. Alsop looksr'
Estella was looking more than pleased.
She had kissed the lady in gray twice as
they met and now stood holding her
hands and speaking rapidly.
You brought your bag, Ernest? You
are going to stay? I've set my heart on
having you christen our spare room"
"Yes, the bag is outside. Never
mind it ROW, or me. We shall have time
fer all that, by and by, and you have
your other friends to see to-"
"They are beginning to go. It's al
most five. Run into my bedroom, En-
nest, the one next this, and take off
your bonnet"
"The elevator!-do tell me what you
mean," persisted Alice Ordway, detain-
ing Mrs. Dalrymple.
a Come round for five O'Clock tea to-
morrow and you shall have the full,
true and particular history" promised
that lady. TT is too late for story-tell-
ing now. l must CO."
The last guest departed and Estella
ran back into the drawing-room.
Snow, Ernest, dear old Ernest, have
you to myself at last. Come and get
settled and make believe you have lived
here always See, this is your room. Isn't
it coZy?" t
"It is charming" looking about the
dainty chamber, with Its walls and car
pet of pale gray touched with blue, its
fresh chintzes and gay little fire Il
never saw anything prettier or more
complete. How do you like living on a
fiat, Stellar"
"Oh, very much. / don't know about
flats in general; but this is delightful,
quiet, convenient and we are so high up
that We really have something like a
view. James and ] are very proud of
our view. But we began with pleasant
associations, you know. The Peytons
used to live here. Such nice people
"Ityn
"Yes, our it. Dear old stupid, YOU
know what mean; our engagement; no,
not our engagement-that came later
but our finding each other out; the pre-
liminary emotions, and all that"
Il want to hear about all that,
said Ernestine, as they returned to the
drawing-room and settled themselves be
fore the fire. 81 missed the letter you
wrote at the time of your engagement
you remember, and really / know almost
nothing. except that here you are"
So you did. Wen"-looking at the
clock" there's good hour before din
ner, and James will be late to-day, be
cause he has gone to faculty meeting
You know, of course, that he's a pro-
fessor, and dexclusivelywise and learneds'
"1es; ! know so much
q used TO be dreadfully afraid oi
him, went on Estella, with a little
laugh. He isn't a society man at all
and doesn't know how to get on with
young ladies' He used to talk TO me
sometimes at parties, but was always
stiff and SILENT He made me feel shy
and ignorant and light minded somehow
the only man that ever did, and / quits
thought that disliked him. In fact,
used to say So Several of the girls fell
the same. So
THE Peytons lived in these room.
last winter. Dear me! is it only las
winter 1t seems as if it must have beer