The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-06-17

l
spite of my old blue, the German in
cluded Such kind, pleasant boy tool
me in to supper, and l spoiled my glove
by getting ice-cream on the thumb. Alic,
has put on benzine, but they won't eve
look SO nice again. However, l neve
expect to go to any more parties, so, ex
cept for their being dear Toms present
it doesn't matter.
"Why, what baby this is" solilo
quized Singleton, at this point. I"
didn't know that there were any suci
| girls left"
"Nou. 10--Studied, read, practiced
made gems for tea, Papa called then
capital.
"Nou. 15-Ditto, ditto.
"CAristnsas Day The owl for all hi
feathers is a-cold.' Just come from
church. We decided not to give any
presents to each other this yaar, bu
spend the tiny bit we could spare OF
Mrs. Malcney and the chicks. Tom pre-
sented me with his india-rubber pencil
Mr.. Squires having given him a new one
." May blow long it is since l wrote
anything in my diary! All our time has
gone to papa He is better now; bu
how frightened we have been! 1t makes
me shiver to recollect it. What coulG
we do without papa? Now summer is
near and he will grow strong. Alice anG
! have lost so much sleep that we are
drowsy as owls.
| June Papa is better, but Alice is
all tired out. How hard it is to be pool
when anybody is sick! don't mind il
IN well times.
"Aug. 10.-Papa feels little weaker,
but the doctor says it may be only the
heat. 1 was thinking just now of tie
sea, the long, cool roll of the breakers
and the swash, the gulls diving and
plunging, the crunching Of the sand un
der-foot, hard, yet soft. How delicious
it would be to feel it all again! Perhaps
| shall dream about it tonight.
"Aug 11-No; dreamed instead that
we were frying doughnuts in hot kitch
en-. What a midsummer's dream! l am
afraid ! have vulgar mind!
| "Oct. 4-How little 1 guessed when
wrote such foolish words what was go
ing to happen! Papa is dead. 1t was
the 18th of September. l can't write
about it yet. Oh, papa!
christmas again. Such sad day
| We three have been sitting over the
register all the afternoon, and making
our plans. Papa's life-insurance is all
we have to live on now. Tom must give
up being doctor and take clerks
place Mr.. Squires has found one fol
HIM He is very brave, and does not say
one word to show how disappointed he
is; but we all know. | have written tC
ask Mrs. Morris to find me a place tc
teach children. Alice says l am toe
young, but feel old, and if the children
are not very big l think can manage
| Anything is better than letting Alice
work so hard. If no place opens az
teacher shall try for something else, fol
do something must.
Jan. 17.-Nothing yet, and dear
dear Alice has been i'll for three weeks
She is a little better, or don't know
what l should do.
March I'll have heard of a place
in shop"
Here the writing broke off abruptly
John hastily turned over the remaining
pages. Not another word, except il
pencil near the end: "Black ribbon, 81
cents; boy at crossing, 8 cents; orange:
for Alice, 6 cents" and underneath q
single line: "Patience isn't always
pleasant, but she leads to pleasan
| things"
Here's a pretty business" he solilo
quized, slowing the little book in hi:
breast-pocket GAS well search for {
needle in a hay stack as for this girl ou
of all New York city. Why can't womer
write their names and addresses in full
while they are about it?"
He took up newspaper, but the let
tiers danced before his eyes, and before
long he had pulled the green book ou
again and was rereading the journal. Al
odd excitement stirred his pulses. Fo
a good many years-in fact, since thu
age of nineteen, when his first love jiltet
him-he had counted himself a deter
mined old bachelor, and, having NJ
mother or sister, had drifted out of tn,
way of womankind and their interests
"Flossy's" simple record seemed t.
bring him back to this forgotten world
1t was as If girl had sat down by hi
side and whispered her secrets in his eal
Visions of sweet, tired face behind
counter, of appealing blue eyes Che wa
certain they must be blue, of a veil Of
soft light hair chair to match the eyes
swept over him, and all his knighthoot
was aroused. Find her he must, ant
help her: but how? Never did searcl
seem more unpromisingly' devoid o
clew. ..,.
To advertise was, of course, his frs
thought Found, small green pocket
book" appeared next day among tn
:" Personals" in the Herald, and was reit
Grated so many times thereafter as to be
come, as it were, permanent feature o
the paper A singular rage for shoppin!
seized upon John. Every afternoon
leaving his Office early, he betook him
self to this amusement, choosing alway
those shops where women were employed
No bride elect, with trousseau t.
buy, ever went into the business NOR
determinateiy. Long stairs daunted hin
not; he penetrated to third stories, t.
fourth, even to those mysterious top
most regions where ladies outftting
is attended to. Everywhere he ques
toned, "Have you among your employe
a young lady named Florence? l hav
accidentally come into possession of al
article belonging to her which l an
anxious to return"
But no one answered the advertise
ment; and, though more than one Flol
ence turned up in the shops, they wer
not the one, they had no connection wit
the little green pocket-book.
So May passed, and June and July, an
when August drew on, and the city be
came great focus Of baking walls an
evil savors, our friend, tough and activ
as he was, began to feel the need Q
change. Flossy's" words haunted him
"The long, cool roll and the saoash, tn
gulls diving and plunging in the spray
they filled him with longing for the sea
| He resolved on vacation: and on
sultry evening, after an hours bumpin
on the railway and farther jolt in
| nnnntru Manon ha found himSAlf q