Middletown transcript., 1882-01-27

ceased abruptly. But that evening,
when 1 was beginning to solace myself
with little violin practice in the twi-
light, tap, tap, tap, came the janitor's
wife at my door.
"Fourth floors compliments to the
third floor, and will feel obliged if he
will favor her with a little peace and
quietness long enough to write a
letter."
How I hated that woman So we
lived for month, exchanging constant
missiles of warfare. Icould cheerfully
have given up that miserable French
fiat and gone back to boarding, only
unluckily had engaged it for the year.
The fourth floor elocutionized, and had
friends to select private readings, whose
voices were deeper than Hamlet's and
more sonorous than that of Charlotte
Cushman. She was charitable and had
classes of heavy-booUed girls twice a
week to sing hymns and learn to sew.
A single lady, indeed If she had been
quadruple lady she could not have
made more noise, nor enjoyed the max
ing Of it more.
At the close Of the month, however,
an incident happened which turned the
current Of my whole life. went on a
picnic. l don't often go to anything of
that kind but this was an especially
select affair gotten up by my friend
Harold Webster. | went, and there [
met Barbara Willis, and fell straight
way in love with her. She wasn't ex-
actly young, but neither am 1, and to
my taste a full-blown rose is sweeter
than bud, wherever you find it grow
ing. She was dark-eyed, with full
cherry lips, satin-brown hair, and a
complexion as fresh as roses and ivory.
We talked our ideas coincided exactly.
1t seemed as if our souls were two
looking-glasses, to mirror each others.
Miss Willis cried I, : why is it
that we have never met before? l feel
as if we were old, old friends. -
AS l spoke l gently pressed her hand,
and she smiled back unutterable things.
I went to my friend Webster, who was
making up quadrilles on the upper deck.
We were accompanied by an excellent
brass band.
60, Harold p exclaimed [, 81 can
never thank you enough for introducing
me to that angel p
"Do you mean Barbara Willis ?"
said he. Well, | do think she is
rather fine girl"
We grew confidential as we sat to-
gether on the promenade deck and
watched the moonlight ripple over the
surface of the tides.
"a bachelors life is but half life,
Miss Willis" !" said I.
81 can readily imagine that" she
said softly.
II live in a fiat, confessed l.
"Do you" said Barbara (the sweet
old English name was just like herr.
" Why, how strange! So do l ~
''Isn't it dreadful ~ said I.
x Horrid p said she, closing her lips
as though she meant it.
" And there's female dragon occu-
pies the floor above me, and torments
me out Of my life.
"Well, if this isn't remarkable CO.
incidence, " replied Barbara. "There's
a detestable old crab of a bachelor un-
der me, who takes all the pleasure out
of my existence -
"Should two lives be thus blightedP"
said l.
"I-I don't think so,'' replied Bar
bara, looking intently at the bouquet of
pansies she held in her hand.
It was past midnight when the boat
landed. Harold Webster came up.
q promised to see you home, Miss
Willis,'' said he, rubbing his hands
briskly.
"You need not trouble yourself,
Webster" said |. ''I shall be most
happy"
1 called hack, helped the divine
Barbara in, feeling more and more as if
1 were walking in cloudland.
"Where shall I drive to,'' said the
man.
''No. SO Ravenal street, said she,
fourth floor"
"What ~ cried L" not the Fernan-
dine flats ?''
Exactly" " said she.
"Why, that's where live"
care you the third floor, she cried
out, breathless.
g Are you the fourth ?'' l counter
questioned.
"But you're not crab at all !"
"Nor are you a dragon. On the
contrary"
But what matters it what was said.
Things were altered from the very be-
ginning. I took my violin up stairs
the next day, and helped my divine
Barbara out with sonata of Beetho-
ven's. l suggested new education
theory for the hob-nailed classes. 1
listened enchanted to her recitation of
Tennyson's Brook; and at the end of
the quarter we are to be married-Bar
bara and I.
A PREVENTIVE OF DIPHTHERIA.-I
DR.. J. W. M'Lean, of Norwalk, Conn.,,
sends the following to the New York
Tribune: g In view of the increase in
the number of fatal cases of scarletina
4.