The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-03-22
Only a Mistake.

I
| 1t was a winter morning, cold and cheer
less, with the clammy dampness of com
ing snow storm in the air. The strips 0
blue sky. upon which even the poores
| beggar of the street may sometimes lool
| with faint glimpse Of the heaven beyond
We're quite hidden by dark masses of cloud
that reflected their own sombre hues ol
the faces OF the hurrying passers by
Ralph Field ran down the steps of hi
boarding-house, and hailed passing car
The down town rush had Just begun, an(
an involuntary shiver of discomfort ran be
meath his wrapplngs, as he saw on step
ping i'll that all the seats were taken
Ding. ding went the conductors bell
and one after another dropped in. till eve,
standing room was limited. Another stop
and this time the new arrival was an elder
ly woman, very thinly clad staggering
under the weight of a huge laundry basket
Her thin features were unnaturally pincheC
with cold and her whole frame trembleG
as she shifted her benumbed hands pain
fully. still holding up the heavy burden
unable to find room Tor it on the floor o
the car.
Such weary, pititul look, in the worn
face, shaded by its thin gray hair-such 3
patient endurance in the eyes meekly cast
down. The comfortably seated gentlemen
shrank closer into their gay scarfs and
mufilers; but if any one thought ''It might
have been n.Y mother the gentle charity
was stltled in its first springing, and there
was no outward sign.
A little rustic of silk, as n lady rose in
one corner. made Ralph look around, and
a voice, clear and sweet as a silver bell.
said: Take this seat. my good woman.
A glance OF quick, grateful surprise shot
up from the woman's eyes, as she muir
INJURED, THANK you, Miss. kindly" and
sunk, with sigh of exhaustion, into the
place lust vacated.
Threeor tour gentlemen sprang up with
a simultaneous offer of their seats, but 4
glow of indignant color flamed into the
lady's checks as she answered with a
slight bow, Il thank you-l viii stand "
And stand she did, her little gloved hand
holding the strap firmly, and her face
turned little aside, so that Ralph dared
study her with his admirng eyes.
''No ordinary girl" His artist sense
would have told him at glance. even
though his heart had not come to aid his
Judgment. with its quick response TO her
generous actions. Ralph Field had too
tender memories of his dead mother and
sisters not to feel kind of proprietorship
in all that is trlest and noblest in woman
And so he fell into a half dream. wax
ing only as the lady signallpd to the CON
dnctor and stepped lightly down Then
he saw, with 4 start, that he was quite be-
yond Flint 4 Chatterton's, and must wall,
up the street again, two squares at least.
llurrying out he caught sight OF y lace
handkerchieflying on the floor, Just where
the lady had stood. He picked it up hasti-
the crowded street A faint perfume float
ed up rs he shook il from the dust, and
there, on one corner was 4 name. "Etta
Stuart"
'Etta Stuart Eta Stuart, said Ralph
to himself, as he walked up the street
drawing his brows together in a puzzled
frown Il have surely heard the name be-
fore"
just then Frank Evans bore down upon
him, with a hearty morning greeting.
"Hallo, Ralph. my boy! What are you
pondering, that you look like a judge, all
but the Wig? You must get oft that face
and come up to the house this evening
Sister Lou is Just home from Springfield.
and cousin Eta Stuart, the peerless, has
come home with her for the winter.
"Ahr
Frank was hardly prepared for the sud
den illumination of Raj ph's face He stared
a minute, and then went on -
"You know told you about Eta before,
and promised you an introduction"
"Yes, yes. remember. Thank you
Frank. I'll come
What an interminably long day it was!
Ralph caught himself once sketching q
pair of dark eyes on the margin of a bus
mess note. "What ails me?" he said to
himself energetically, as he thrust the Of
Tending sheet into the waste e-basket, and
dashed off fresh order.
But if the day was long. the evening
hours We're winged. He found Frank
"Etta the peerless" none other than his
fair companion of the morning. She did
not recognize him how should she, from
among score of fellow passengers ?-but
he would have known her among thou
sand. The dainty 7nouchoir was in his
breast pocket, but before the evening was
half over he had decided upon his first
L
its owner had already exacted more than
u fair equivalent from the finder; but OF
that we can only guess.
That was Ralph Fields never-to- be-for-
gotten winter 1t was the old, old story ;
so we need not linger over it. No matter
what visions Of love and honor came to
him in his bachelor den, others have
dreamed before him in all ages; no mat
ter how fair and stately were the Spanish
castles he built in the dusk and dimness of
the counting has had its own
school of architecture since the world be-
gan,
Did Eta love him He had never asked
her in words; but the heart has more
than one avenue Of expression, and there
is an eloquence Of look and touch that is
sometimes even more than audible Ian
guage. He waited the promised advance
ment that should place him where he need
not be ashamed to ask Eta Stuart's father
for the keeping of his dearest treasure
and, meanwhile, was it not enough that
she read the books and sang the songs he
loved that her cheeks took on q tender
color and her eyes a softer smile at his
coming?
w lllltI Ilttu WolI lIito ~ lie, .i},dIi.
Charley Marks placed his hand in
Ralph's arm. as they left the supper-roon1
together one evening. Somebody was an
nounced to speak in Music Hall-woulda' 7
Ralph 60 down? 1t was still early when
they took their seats, and there were few
people in. Slowly up the aisle came lady
and gentleman. Ralph looked up to see
his Eta; but who was this. with his
hron2ed, handsome face and foreign air
Capt. Tleston, as | live!" said Marks
| didn't know he had arrived you know
him ?"
NO" said Ralph shortly.
"Ah, ] thought you did; but he has
been abroad two years. What beautiful
girl that Miss Stuart is! | haven't seer
her equal in the city this season. She
looks happy to get back her knight errand
| Well, Tieston is lucky dogr'
"What do you mean?" said Ralph, Will
an agitation he could scarcely conceal.
"Why. don't you know They have
been engaged three years. Capt. Tilestol
went with Frank Evans to Springfield an6
met this girl there-Frank's cousin, you