Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-04-16

needed.
I did not dare 10 ring and request
openly that the porter should be notified
10 rouse me at seven O'Clock N, fear
ful that might Oversleep myself, ] lay
awake the whole night, and counted
the hours as they struck. Not even a
fire broke out 10 vary the monot0ny Of
my Yigl, and once, having given incau-
tiOusly q loud sigh, my wife turned, and
sleepily asked what was the matter.
"I have not closed my eyes" tsaid.
Conscience" she muttered, and was
again asleep before the words had left
her lips.
However, at six ] slipped out Of bed
into the dressing-roOm, luckily without
observation, and when accoutred, tOiled
up the five pair Of stairs 10 my des-
tination, Zone Of the five hundred, :"
and knocking at the door, was an
swered by a pleasant voice, which said,
"Thank you; yes-all ready" In a
few moments her door opened, and she
appeared, bonnneted and shaWled, bag
and purse In hand.
own you be 30 kind as to pay my
bill, II you pleaseP" she asked, very
nervously, "and to take out also what
] owe you for car fareP"
" will bring you up your account,
and you can then see IL is all right be-
fore you pay" said. al suppose you
will take some breakfast"
" Yes, think oh-hesitatnply.
Down the five pair Of stairs walked
again TO the office, and there had u
brief confidential talk with the sympa-
tbetic clerk, giving a slight sketch Of
my position at the time.
"You know" said, "that she could
not help herself, for the connection
failed; so persuaded her 10 come 10
this hotel with-with my wife and my
self, although she seemed rather afraid
of incurring too great expense.
Now, do, that's good fellow,
make her bill as small as YOU can.
You know / shall remain at this house
for some time, and you can always
make il up-fix It, you know. Any
thing that Mrs. WithertOn won't object
ton our bill. You understand" ="
" l see, l see,n - he said. GAN right.
Let me see; a nights lodging and
| breakfast-and a hackP"
"Oh, no." 1 cried hastily. "I will
take her in the street-ears. They will
soon be running, l supposeP"
"Oh, yes. Well, then, nights
lodging and a breakfast. Do you
think " Che spoke judicially) "that a
dollar and a half is too muchP'1
" Not at ALL" answered. "Give
me the bill, and l will take it to her,
He handed it over, and again / made
the five-story ascent, and found her
seated at her door waiting for me.
"Here it is" handing it over. Look
over it, and if you are not satisfied, ]
can have it altered. They are very
obliging in this house."
She looked long and uneasily.
"Say whatever you think, - urged.
81 think it is very, very high" she
answered, simply.
" Then give it to me;" and again
1 made the descent TO the office, tiptoe-
ing carefully past my wife's door,
although l knew the utter impossibility
of her hearing, or, if she heard, detect
ing, my footstep among the many that
passed.
There, just where 1 left him, stood
the patient, sleepy clerk.
"She thinks it is too much,n whis-
pered.
"Too muchP" with raised eyebrows.
"Yesl Take off that dollarh (still in
a whisper), "and make it fifty cents.
All right, you see. Gix it afterward. -
1 tapped my hand on my rather empty
pocket, and winked.
"Ohl Ahl Welt" he said. "Tha.
will be all right. Have it just as you
please" He gave broad dash through
the one dollar, leaving the fifty cents
charged; and again toiled up with my
diminished bill, and once more put it in
her hand.
She simply and in good faith handed
me silver half dollar, and then we
went in a car to the depot. looked in
her relieved, satisfied, and pretty face,
and really did not regret my sleepless
night and early ride. As for the mex.
orable future to be met upon
my return, simply ignored
it. put her in the train, and
charged the conductor to see to her
and then came the last page of my only
romance, ready to be closed. She
looked in my face with her open, candid
eyes.
You have been more than kind, ;
she said, "and hardly know what tc
say, am so grateful. was very much
alarmed on the cars, for mother, who
lives in Balloon, Maine, you know, did
not consider that there might be deten.
ton on the road, and only sent me
money enough to buy my ticket and
leave me two dollars for travelling eX.
penses. paid fifty cents to get to the
depot in Washington, and you were
kind enough to have my bill made out
as cheaply as possible at the hotel
This, too, is the reason | asked you To
take me there in the cars; was afraid
that my money would not last if had
to pay hack hire. have Just dollar
left, - she continued, while the clear,
lovely color mounted to the roots of her
hair, "and shall not want any thing
more till reach home. 1t is only q
very small trifle; but please, sir, won't
you accept it for your troubleP"
Thunder struck, speechless, with the
bill lying on my extended hand which
had offered to say good-by, and where
she had placed il, l stood for second
hardly understanding what she meant
when, with, can hands aboard-youl
be carried off, my good sir" the con
ductor good-naturedly took me by the
shoulders, and l found myself at ono,
standing on the platform-the cars hal
a mile distant already.
1t was some time before I recovered
my full senses, and then L turned home
ward. Half dozen times before ]
reached there l took that dollar bill ou
of my pocket and incredulously in
a =
forbade my attaching any very roman
tic associations to it, but it yet had {
kind of mysterious fascination for me
What was her nameP / Just remem
bered that l never had asked it, bu
! IL 4 ~. L L A