The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1880-04-04

that MIS- WttnefI0n uohB ODlect bo-on bhe
| bill. You understand"
II see, see" he said. "All right. Let me
hack7"
"Oh. no." l cried, hastily. II will take her
In the street ears. They will soon be run
ming, supposew
"Oh, yes. Well, then. a nights lodging
and breakfast. DO you think" (he spoke
iudicially) "that q dollar and half ls too
muehp'
"Not at ALL" answered. "Gve me the bill
and will take IL to her"
| He handed 1t over, and again | made the
five-story ascent, and found her seated at the
door waiting for me.
Here 1t is," handing 1t over Look over
| 1t, and II you are not satisfied ] can have 1t
altered They are very obliging In this
hou6e."
She looked long and uneaslly.
Say whatever you think" urged.
II think it is very, very hlgh,' she an
"Then give it to me-" And again | made
the descent to the office, tiptoeeing carefully
past my wlfe'ss door, although | knew the
heard detecting my footstep among the
many that passed.
There, just where left him, stood the pa
tient, sleepy clerk.
| "She thinks IL too much," whispered.
| "roo much?" with raised eyebrows.
"Yes Take off the dollar, (stlll In 9 whis-
per- "and make it fifty cents. All right you
see. Fix It afterwsrd." | tapped my hand
on my rather empty, pocket and winked. :,
all right. Have 1t as you please" He gave
a broad dash through the one dollar, leaving
the fifty cents charged, and again toiled up
with my diminished bill, and once more put
| 1t In her hand.
| She simply and In good faith handed me a
silver half dollar, and then we went In a car
to the depot. I looked on her relieved, satis-
fled and pretty face and really did not regret
my sleepless night and early ride. AS for the
| inexofable future to be met upon my return,
| simply Ignored 1t. ! 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 eyps.
"You have been more than kind" she said
| "and | hardly know what to say, ] am so
| grateful. | WAS very much alarmed on the
cars, for mother, who lives In Balloon, In
Maine, you know. did not consider that there
might be detention ON the road, and only sent
me money enough TO buy my ticket and leave
me 50 for traveli expenses. | paid fifty
cents TO get TO the duct In Washington, and
you we're kind enough TO have my bill made
out as cheaply as possible at the hotel. This,
too, was the reason that | 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 eontin-
ued, while the clear, lovely color mounted to
the roots of her hair. 'and | shall not want
very small trile; but please, sir, won't you
accept II for your troubleY'
Thunderstfuck speechless, with the bill
lying on my extended hand which | had
offered to say goodbye and where she had
placed 1t. | stood for second, hardly under
standing what she meant when, with "All
hands aboard you'll be carried off, my good
sir" the conductor good-naturedly took me
by the shoulders, and found myself at once
standing on the platiOrm-the cars half
mile distant already.
It was some time before recovered my full
senses, and then turned homeward Half a
dozen times before reached there took that
dollar bill out of my pocket and Incredulously
inspected It, Circumstances certainly forbade
my attaching any very romantic associations
to II, but II yet had kind Of mysterious fas-
einatiou for me- What was her name? just
remembered that never had asked It, but
had told the clerk at the hotel TO leave a
blank and that would inquire, and then
had forgotten to do go. Who was she2
How [ came to confess the whole story ma Y
require few explanations, to unmarried peO-
pie particularly-th hotel clerk was bacne
Ior. II our weekly bill had borne any Item
lied charge, such as washing" or baths,
or district messages" or even "oysters on
the half SHE'LL" 1t would, perhaps have passed
unnoticed, or at least without comment, but |
the thoughtess fellow had fixed up the de-
felt In this way with one fell swoop OF his pen
1s Dec, drinks. 80
nMr Witherton," she cried, suddenly |
awakening me, what has been your object |
In treating bar room loafers to drinksf DO !
YOU Intend TO run for the office of alderman |
of this cityp
| took the bill from her hand and pretended |
to inspect 1t, although | knew but too well
all about It's nature; and, then, what could
do but make clean breast of 1t and confess |
II all And | really felt happy when 1t was
done. MY story was rather hard TO tell. |
You would understand how difficult, II you
knew, Mrs, Witherton personally; but still |
my Maria listened compOsedy, only break
ing the silence once, and that was when !
cam TO the part where had tnsinuated to the |
hotel clerk that was willing to make up any |
deficiency in his charge on the girls bill with !
nv money. Then she said something Uni |
pleasant. condensed into two woals. 1t e
true that have forgiven them, and never
even alluded to them since; but suppose to
complete my story they ought to be re-
corded. ! cannot give her emphasis, though, |
which. after ALL was the most Objectionable
part OF their nature. "Your money! she cried,
with q proongation OF sound, and all the force
was strongly laid on the pbssessive pronOun.
have tried In vain since we parted to learn
something of my travelling companion: but
she lived in Baldou, and the subject, too, be-
ing unpleasant to my wife, have lahored un-
der difficulties impossible to surmount; but
one of my reasons for writing this narrative
is the hope of It's meeting her eye, and as
Jones says, weaving one more link In the
fral chain that binds u.s. ] suppose he
means the dollar bill
Grateful women.
None receive so much benefit and none are
so profoundly grateful and show such an In