Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-07-28
SLIGHTLY ELEVATED.

glanced at MIN, as ne stepped lnUO the
elevator, and then, seeing lady, took
off his hat and stood with it in his hand
while others filed in and seated them
selves. / wondered if he had seen me.
| hoped in heaven he had not. 1t was
not very bright III the place, and [ cast
my eyes down with truly ostrich-like
sagacity, forgetting | could be seen if |
did not see; forgetting too the mirrors
lining the box if one happened to look
in them. However, at the second floor
he left, and | went on, thankful [ had
not been obliged to make the stir Of
moving ont before he did
| would not have gone down to din
ner that day if could have helped it,
| said to myself-not although mamma
had asked the Coverings to dine, and
home. But mamma would have made
such song over it that one thing
would be as bad as the other.
| was hardly inside my room when |
locked the door, and fell on the bed SO
faint that | should have died if at last
/ had not been able to cry-a good long
refreshing cry that lasted till | grew so
angry with myself that it dried my
tears And then Amy came to the
door, but | told her she must go along
into mammals room; she couldn't
come in there And she went away
declaring it was 2 fine time of day, and
other things Of the sort, till bethOught
me that it 1UdS a fine time of dav if |
tainted away and cried myself i'll, and
locked my sister out of her room, all
because [ happened to meet Loring
Richards on the elevator five years af-
ter our boy and girl engagement was
broken.
| call it a boy and girl engagement;
but it had been lite of my life, and it
had almost torn my heart out In COM
ing to an end. And what had he cared
the great dark, handsome creature,
standing there without a line upon his
face that told of any trouble it had
been to him, who had left me to suffer
all | had to suffer alone? | would go if
| went up in a chariot of fire directly
afterWard. sprang up and bathed my
face and powdered it till it was cool, and
unlocked the door and called Amy, and
sat bent over a novel and thoroughly
absorbed in it, my hair streaming over
my face and shoulders, till she was
dressed, having to hurry little for
some caller in our DarlOr. Then / blew
off my powder, took a hot bath, called
Davis, and had her brush my hair till
II tingled, and put on the garnet velvet
with its creamy duchesse lace and the
yellow pearls-every body dresses so at
that hotel. | came near breaking down
when Davis, not being able to find a
jewel | wanted, I tumbled over the
case myself, and little old miniature
that nobody knew | had kept, tumbled
from its hiding place, and showed me
for half an instant that proud grave
face. But | recovered presently, and
| looked III the glass and detied him to
tell that | cared a straw, even if he saw
me III that vast caravansary of the
splendid hotel dining room, with it's
chandeliers, It's mirrors, its frescoes. and
its throngs. Anybody would have been
justified in making such remarks as
were convenient concerning my vanity
who could have known the Second
thought that flashed through me as /
looked in that glass, and saw the olive
oval with its rich flush, the dark and
glowing eye, the dewey lip, the clear,
soft outlines. If | thought it was a
picture LOring Richards or another
might be glad to see, how could help
the thought?
The Coverings were waiting when |
went into the parlor, mamma and Amy
who had become used to my caprices
in five years, talking as if tnev were
not worried half to death for fear | was
not going to dine at all-mamma's
soul being deeply concerned in doing
the Coverings honor; for she meant
that Amy should marry the doctor if
obliged to give up hope of my accept
ing Mr.. Coverings bonds and stocks
with himself. Poor Mamma had come
to make a fetch to herself of bonds
and stocks. And it was a cOndescen-
sion, IN manner, for them to dine
with us anyway at hotel-the aristo-
Gratis of the avenue in general despising
the cuisine and the herd of the vulgar
who get their two or three days yearly
splendor at an inn, and these being
arlstocrats In particular, and cruelty
conservative In practice and principle.
So we went down. And mamma sailed
IN with Mr.. Lowering and Amy with
the Doctor, and | followed with Julia
Lowering, whose little soul curled all
up at contact with the crowd, like a sea-
anemone when you touch it; and Just
Mt the door my train caught on a car
pet hook, and couple of servants
made haste to loosen it, but not before
a gentleman had stopped and set it
free, and bowed without looking ND,
and passed on; and twas Loring Rich
ards, and he had not known me again.
So near me, and had not known mel
Once, the air my garment brushed
would have thrilled him through and
through! And you can imagine if |
knew whether [ were eating gumbo
souo DIR Blue Point oysters, or what
not, after that! What was Loring Rich
ards doing there? Who was that lady
he joined in the hall? Had he married?
Was he here, possibly, on his wedding
journey? Had he, then, forgotten me?
If it had not been for mammals clar-
ct, which she quietly pushed toward
me, in a minute | should have fallen
off my chair; but that brought the
blood back. Forgotten me! Well, why
should | be the only one to remember?
Let me forget. Alas! had l not been
trying to forget for five years? But l
leaned over my plate to ask Mr.. Lover
ing question. the length of who's re-
ply l knew would be like spool silk,
warranted three hundred yards; and l