The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-05-09
APANE OF BLUE GLASS.

A PANE OF BLUE GLASS.
Gordon Gray, junior partner in the
firm Of Gray, Greene & Gray, owners
and managers of the great Pontoosac
Mills, was on his way home from the Of
fee one bright April afternoon, when, by
some dim process which could hardly be
called observation, he became aware that
a change had taken place in an old house
which for years he had passed twice a
day without ever particularly noticing it.
1t was a large, rather shabby house, set
in I. walled garden, but with narrow
gable end abutting directly on the street.
In this gable end were two Windows
one above, small, with lattice; one be-
low, larger, with an ordinary sash divided
into six panes. The three lower panes Of
this sash had been removed, and in their
stead a large oblong of dark blue glass
inserted. This was the change which had
attracted Gordon's eye with that newt
able certainty which belongs to all
change, even in an Indifferent or unob-
served object.
The blue-glass theory was still in it's
cradle at that time. No hint of it had
crept into the newspapers, and the azure
pane in the old sash was puzzling enough
to make Gordon pause and stare. On the
other side was something which he could
not make out-a shimmering, glinting
something, which swayed little, like a
shining flower bending from its stalk.
Was it flower? He gazed and won
dered, and, almost unconsciously, had
drawn nearer, till his eyes were within a
foot of the glass, when suddenly the sash
was raised, and the mysterious object re-
vealed itself as a girls head-fair, pen
sive, and framed in loosely hanging
cloud of light brown hair. Her cheeks
flushed little as their eyes met, and she
inquired, in asweet, surprised voice, "Did
you want anything, Sir?"
Gordon Gray, in his own opinion at
least, was man of the world, but he felt
himself turn scarlet as he stammered out !:
Excuse me. III had no intentions of
being so Impairment It was the oddness
of the glass, I could not see that any one
was inside. Pray excuse me-" his brown
eyes seconding the appeal with better
eloquencc than his confused speech was
capable of.
The young lady smiled little, in a
dim, shy way, as of one who had forgot
ten the trick Of smiling, and answered:
Certainly. don't wonder you were sur
prised. The blue glass does look very
odd" Then she raised her hand, as if
about to draw the sash down again.
zone moment" cried Gordon, whose
presence of mind rarely failed him long
Zone moment. Would you mind tell
ing me if this glass is used for scienti-
fic experiment, Or"
"a medical experiment, 1 believe was
the answer. my uncle read somewhere
that it was good thing for delicate peo-
pie to sit in sunshine filtered through
blue glass. So he had this pane inserted,
and wishes me to try the experiment"
"Was it you, then, who was sitting in
side? I thought it a rose-tree, or some
Towering plant or other"
"No, it was l." with another shy
mile.
II hope the experiment may prove a
success raising his hat.
"Thank you," Then the sash was
pulled down, gently but decidedly, and
Gordon resumed his walk
COMPOUNDED ASST was his mental
comment, addressed to himself. "She
must have thought me irregular 'Peeping
Tom What a pretty little thing she is
Howdid it happen that I never heard Of
her before7 Such blue eyes are not seen
every day. Let me see. Who does own
that house? I wonder l never thought
to inquire.''
But inquiry brought little satisfaction.
Mr.. Lang lived in the house-always
had lived there. Did any body know
him? Bless you, no. He was a queer old
chap, full Of theories, always trying ex-
pcriments, and coming to grief with them.
Blew his roof off once with Illuminating
powder, and all but burned down, summer
before last, testing a new system Of light
ningrods. Never went out any where
except to the post-office, and never asked
any one inside his door. Had he fam.
lily? No. Lived all alone with an old
servant, or-stay! did somebody say that
niece or cousin came to live with him
in the autumn2 Probably mistake, or
if not, she must be some cracked creature
like himself, who never showed out doors.
Had Mr.. Gray noticed the blue pane in
that end window? Droll. wasn't it,
just like old Lang and his crotchcts.
With such scanty statements Gordon
was forced to satisfy himself. No one
seemed to know more than this of Mr..
Lang, and though he passed the house
daily, he caught no farther glimpse of the
pretty face which had once blessed his
eyes. Only the nebulous shadow behind
the blue pane told of her existence, and
toward this shadow Gordon raised his hat
punctiliously every afternoon. A slight
answering movement was sometimes Wis