The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-01-01
THE BRIDGE OF A MOMENT.
BY MARGARET CAVENDIsH,

THE BRIDGE OF A MOMENT.
, BY MARGARET CAvENDIsH.
It was on Il ferry boat that he fell in
love with her. It was love at first sight:
as the phrase goes; one often quoted con-
temptuously, though it furnishes US many
instances of conjugal happiness.
Well, to whom do this masculine and
this feminine pronoun relatey you in
quire. To which I answer: Steady go
ing, retiring, plain-looking John Moore,
who had crossed on this ferry-boat for
years without ever seeing woman's face
or form which he cared to meet the Sec
ond time. Not that he was one Of those
women dissecters who continually turn
the most natural movement or unstudied
smile into an deliberately preconcerted
scheme to capture unwa1Y bachelors. TO
be courteous and kind to all, more espec-
tally women, was one Of the rules of his
life; so, when Helen Ives drove up to
the ferry-house in that much degraded,
though very useful, conveyance known as
hack, and throwing aside her heavy
Grape veil, proceeded to open the door,
proceeding much retarded by her veil,
for some reason Immediately falling over
her face again-John Moore came for
ward, bowed, opened the door and assist
ed her to alight.
She thanked him quietly; and then he
lost sight Of her until she stepped on
board the boat. A moment and she was
seated and in the act of securely fast
ening back her veil. That moment was
the supreme one of John's life. He never
forgot it through all time.
Was this object he was looking at a
woman? One Of those creatures with
| wEom he had occasionally danced and
laughed?
Surely there must be something differ
ent about her, or why this sudden inter-
est? He felt as though he knew her
history and that he was born to be of
some use and help to her: that he would
believe implicitly anything she might
tell him--or wish him to believe. Not
that his thoughts or impressions came in
such an orderly and distant manner as
that. He was only conscious of strange
delight and unacccuntable rhrobbing of
his heart.
No doubt by all this you think she
was some beautiful ethereal young being,
all charms and graces. But let me I'M
deceive you at once. She was only a
moderately handsome woman of about
twenty live; graceful, certainly, but with
no voluminous drapery or other intrica-
cies Of hounce, plait or fold. Her fair
hair, guiltless Of crimp or puff, was put
plainly back from a full, white forehead,
while beneath it gray modest eyes kept
their watch. A mouth somewhat larger
than the rosebud style, but still sweet
and resolute. These were the attributes
or secondary considerations, for over all
was such an air of calmness, sincerity and
womanliness that you felt rather than
saw the attraction.
Perhaps not another man on the boat
locked upon her with such reverence as
the glamorcd eyes of John Moore. Il
others noticed her at all it was with the
reflection that she was undeniably lady
| But as Cupid had been long n-editatine
an attack, and not wishing to lose his
well earned and long maintained reputa
ton as a marksman, he choose this mo
ment when his victim was all unsuspe Ct
ing CT the golden tipped, yet singing
arrow aimed at bis heart.
Therefore it was she appeared to Johr
loveller than other women.
) The arrow had pierced the mark, anC
love had transformed her.
AS the boat neared the slip NEST of tn,
passengers left the cabins to crowd abou
the chains, among them John Moore, TO
; he and they were now as impatient t
, disembark as they were to embark.
r | m Ho on1 hI1cinoc
l awaited them but still you know the
? characteristic New Yorker.
When Helen Ives found herself alon
i in the cabin she took from small sache
r card. By its size and shape one woul'
) suppose it to be a photograph, also b
, the tender fondness which came over he
8 face as she looked at it; she even smile
: at it. Then, as if suddenly rememberin
t where she was, she bit her lips and CON
posed her face; and had you examined
now you would have detected an adde
bitterness and resolution. Placing tn
e thumb and foletinger of each han
3 together on its edge, she tore it partly i
:. two, but no sooner did the destroyin
$ members do their work than they sougl
!; to hide it by holding the severed par
a closely united. Again second though
t condemned it, and she walked to the dec]
# tearing as she went, flung the pieces int
d the water, turned and entered the cabi
as though she wished to avoid seem
e them lost like snow flakes in the sea-
d Now, John Moore had noted this lit
: by-play, and when one of the scraps flu
q tered back and settled at his feet, +
/ stopped and picked it up. Had it bee
y note paper of any kind he would not hay
o done so, but thinking it was nothing b.
Q bit OF common card, and wishing earl
r estly to hold something which her hant
q had touched, he had bent for the discar'
n ed trihe. And, 10! when he turned