The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-07-14

her when came to her assistance. When
we had issued from the alley into de-
Gently lighted street, I scrutiniZed her
features. I was thunderstruck. The
woman was a delicate girl of nineteen
summers. Her figure was petite and
graceful, almost fragile. She had hazel
hair and dark brown, saucy, laug hing
eyes that would set your brain in a
whirl, and the softest, silvery voice l
ever listened to. She was my ideal ex-
actly. You should have seen her, old
fellow and lie gave me such hearty
slap on the back that I moved out of
reach least another outburst of enthusi-
assn should be followed by another dem
onstration. "Now, candidly, Bob Cor
don. don't you think she was beautiful"
81 could tell better if had seen her,
Jack" replied, gazing UP at the ceiling
and wondering if he had forgotten the
miniature on the floor.
AFTER going some distance" he con.
tinued, I'VE entered neat, unpretend-
ing little street, in which it seems she
lived. l asked her if I might call.
After some hesitation she said yes, any
afternoon; she never received any one in
the evening; and taking card from her
pocket she hastily wrote her name and
address ON it, and handing it to me,
again thanked me for my kindness, and
babe me goodnight. On the card was
written "Aimee Lorette, Is Rue st.
Severin." With q great deal of diff
Guilty 1 managed to find my way home,
arriving rather early in the morning, as
no doubt you remember. I waited i'm
1xv k-v.> 1o,,<r 4 or1 than oo11oI
Aimee received me very cordially in q
cosy little sitting room and we had
pleasant chat together. Her parents
were both dead, and she lived, would
you believe it :? entirely alone, with the
exception of faithful old negress, a
servant who had been long in the SER
vice of her family. After my first call 1
went to see Aimee very frequently,
nearly every afternoon; we became first.
rate friends, and to be candid, Bob,
fell deeply in love with her. Yesterday
l asked her to become my wife and go TO
America with me, or anywhere to the
four corners Of the globe, for that mat
ter. She fatty refused me, saying she
liked me as friend, but had never yet
seen man she could love and never ex-
pected to-; and furthar, forbade me ever
to mention the subject again; and I left
in huff"
"That is quite a romance, jack" I
laughing exclaimed.
but what under heaven am to do ?"
Forget all about her."
"But can't do that, he groaned.
l simply smiled.
"If you had ever been in love, Bob,
yov wouldn't sit and grin"
'You are right, Jack; I have never
been in love. and never expect to be.
1t is a foolish scrape to get into, and if
you propose to fall in love with girls Of
uncertain character, why"
But Jack was at my throat in flash,
his eyes blazing with anger, and his face
pale with passion.
"Take that back!' he said hoarsely.
"Well, we'll! She may be countess
in disguise for ought I know" said
practically; "but since she does not love
you, 1 cannot perceive that there is any
thing to be DONE"
"But something must be DONE" per-
sisted Jack.
Pack up and leave Paris" I sug-
gesteh.
81 can't leave Aimee" be groaned.
I pointed out to him the absurdity of
forming such an attachment for girl
of whose character, family and position
he knew absolutely nothing. l expostu-
lated, pleaded, entreated, beseeched, but
words were useless; Jack could not and
would not leave Paris. Finally we made
an agreement to the effect that should
go with him to see Aimee, and when
had fully made her acquaintance was
to intercede for him; should this fail, he
promised to bear the disappointment
with fortitude and leave Paris.
1 saw Aimee. Making some allow.
ance for Jacks exuberant fancy, his de-
scription had been tolerably correct.
Aimee Lorettte was certainly an attrac-
tive looking girl, and there was some
thing in her dark brown laughing eyes
that interested even SO phlegmatic On
Englishman as myself. The huency
with which she spoke English, together
with the fact of her keeping colored
servant, and several antique Virginian
pictures hanging against the wall in her
sitting room, led me to suspect that her
home had not always been in Ia belle
France; but / said nothing.
In time Aimee and 1 became quite con
fidential friends, though toward Jack,
ever since his declaration, she always APP
peared little reserved. / found her
we'll educated, intelligent and refined,
and above all decidedly original. Finally