The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-04-27


the front of the car to speak to the driver,
and, as he was returning, the lady in
gray said to him, in iov voice, every
word perfectly audible to me, and as
chilling as an iceberg, Conductor, the
gentleman opposite me is losing his dia-
mond."
flushed to the roots of my hair, felt
for the stone. and discovered that it was
hanging by the spiral screw, and 80 mar
ly out that quick movement would have
sent it down into the meshes of the car
mat. replaced it securely, bending
back the wire for greater safety, and then
cast an imploring look of apology, graf
itude and humiliation upon the kind
1 stranger. Her face remained placid but
| after moment demure smile stole in.
to the corner Of her mouth, and I don't
think it was provoked by what she saw
in the book, or that she was reading very
attentively.
She left the car at Fourteenth Street,
and l gazed eagerly after her as she turn
ed up to Broadway, and then I must
bese sighed. Perhaps because I feared
] should never see her again. What was
more natural than for me to desire to
know her? It was so kind and so sensi-
BILE of her to prevent my losing my dia-
mond. She was such gentle-looking
creature. though she had spirit, as I saw
once in the gleam of her eyes; and those
| eyes were SO expressive of intellectually,
and her perfect nose was only less beau
tiful than her perfect carnation mouth.
But, pshawl need I apologize now for
my interest tben2 It does not take any
of Us very long to discover that Love
never asks the question-why? As the
old song says: She had gone from my
gaze like beautiful dream. If could
only meet her again! Perhaps she was
married. She was girlish, in spite of her
| dignity. One thing I discovered-that
there was name on the fy-leaf of her
book, the first of which was "Maud. %
| Perhaps the book was not hers, and if il
was, could hope to find in great city
like New York lady, only knowing that
her name was Maud? When I had arriv.
ed at this stage of common-sense I had
reached my place of business, and after
attending to the first duty of the day,
reading my mail, my thoughts flew back
to my lady in gray.
eff the thing were within the bounds
of possibility, would like to find out
who she is, just to thank her for her
kindness to me"
How like jackass I must have ap-
peared to her. When I remembered my
impertinence in smiling, l would have
been glad to have found some obliging
friend to kick me down stairs for my
idocy. I bowed to the inevitable, and
dismissed the affair with a sigh, but I
did not forget her face.
One rainy afternoon, about month
after, met her in Broadway stage. I
recognized her in moment, and took a
seat, the only one vacant, by her side. /
looked into her face, and I knew she re-
| membered me, but she did not exhibit
the faintest gleam of consciousness of my
existence. 1t was worse than Tantalus
| and the torments. Before she left the
stage the rain fell in torrents. hoped
that she was not provided with an um
brella, that I might offer her the protec-
ton of mine, but a glance showed me
that she held one in her right hand. My
unfortunate luck again! I looked down
at my diamond; it sparkled like the sun
beams and as joyously, but its dazzle
| conveyed no intelligence to me, only it
gave me CLEAN of hope. She was SO
near that I could very easily have played
trick, like that friend of mine once
played-slip card into her cloak pocket.
| Nothing of that kind would answer with
this queenly creature, I perfectly well
knew.
/ was forced to watch her again leave
mo and turn down the street, holding her
dress so dexterously that it quite escaped
the pavement and disclosed two neat
| fitting boots.
Perhaps I should have said before that
my name is Eldridge; that I am law
yer, and Judge Clifton's. junior partner.
In the next Office to ours there are two
| young fellows just started in law, who
receive more calls from their lady friends
than retaining fees from clients. One
day. as I was leaving my Office, I saw
my lady in gray going into theirs.
/ must confess to feeling sort of chill,
and then disappointment. L did not
like to know that my dignified unknown
went around visiting gentlemen's offices,
even though the gentlemen were her &C
quaintances. Occasionally lady friend
would call upon me, not upon business,
and, although was always polite, new
er encouraged that sort of thing, and, as
q practice, heartily disapprove of it.
My second thought was more charita
bic. One of the fellows might be her
brother. So much the better. I would
make his acquaintance and cultivate him.
did this after some weeks delay and
considerable circumlocution on my part,
and learned that the elder of the two
men, Mr.. Allyn, had sister named
Maud, and that she was engaged to his
friend and partner. just think of my
dismay. Actually engaged to the other
fellow! 1t was sad enough to know she
was bound, but I ragged thinking her the
wife OF fellow who had little ambition