Omaha daily bee., 1882-12-02
"BASHFUL FIF E

Yes, that was her age when 1 first
met her, seven years ago. She Is Q
famous actress now, and exactly TWEEN.
ty-five.
Having passed three pleasant years
at Cambridge, and become a bachelo,
of arts by the least irksome process
permitted by university statutes,
found myself at twenty-one years Of
age a student at the Upper Temple,
and the monthly tenant of o couple OF
roema on the first floor in Guildford
sire ct, Russell square. As I knew
few people in London, and was not
ever q member of one of the univer.
sity clubs, there was no special reason
for idleness, and I may proudly Jon.
fess that for the first three months OF
my residence in town my jealous mis-
tress, the law, knew no rival.
But even the stirring period Of
"Joshua Williams on Real Property
and the sportive righteousness of 'tMr,
Byles on Bills" r apt to become
monotonous, and I was on the point
of Joining a small bohemian club liz
the Strand, when fate brought me
distraction from my studies in a more
witching and material shape. This
shape was an ankle.
Of course it was feminine; equally
of course it was trim and dainty. The
first time I saw it o crimson stocking
added to it's allurements; ON the sec
ond occasion it was clad in black
And, oddly enough, this was the only
evidence I had of the propinquity o.
a young and attractive neighbor, fol-
the ankle was always helping it's own
er upstairs at a rapid rate when
ever I caught q glimpse of thai
ravishing joint and the futter of the
dress which accompanied it.
At length, after sundry stray Gimp
SEES, my curiosity was fairly aroused,
and I inquired of my landlady regard
ing the occupants of the rooms above
me. "Yes, sir, the second floor
sir, which it's 2 young woman and hel
grandmar, and we'll behaved and quit
respectable, though she is a play &C
tress, sir"
"a play actressl" I exclaimed
(which, the young woman or thu
grandmother"
ooh, the young woman, sir, which
she is that devoted to her grandmar
and quite haffable, as n may say
They have been here ten days, ant
they've conducted themselves quit
proper"
l must confess that the fact of tn,
owner of the ankle beingan actress a
famed my interest In it to an inordin
ate degree. I amnatLrally gregariou
and 1 am fond of my species, and dur
ing the last three months the onl,
women I had spoken to were the wor
thy Mrs. Jones, my landlady, and. tn
much begrimed domestic who attend
ed to the requirements of the dodgers
Then, like many young men of simila
age, / had an affection for the dram
and the stage, an affection, 1 may add
which, though whetted by curiosity
was still tempered with respect. o
course I could not force an acquain
lance with the ''second floor" and
was far too inexperienced in the Gus
toms of tie metropolis to introduc
myself in ar apparently natural UMPIRE
meditated manner.
One Sunday morning after brrak
fast ! was stretched on nay uncom
Portable sofa, and reading one of tn
lat. lamented MI. Smiths "leadin,
cases." / was doing my best to fec
Interested in the details when I wa
conscious of q commotion up stairs
A minute or 90 erward q rap cam
ON my door.
"Come in!" I cried, and Mrs. Jone
appeared. She was sorry to disturb
@e, but the old lady up stairs wa
"took" suddenly i'll; no restorative
were at hand, and, according to Law
none were ~procurable at that time O
the Sabbath. Would l, therefore, b
kind enough to lend her a wine glas
fullg
The application was evidently genu
inc, but, on Mrs. Jones part, hast
and i'll. considered, revealing as it di
an intimate knowledge of the resour
ces OF my cupboard. Still, what I ha'
was, of course, at the service of tn
second floor.
Pulling open the door still wider t
allow my landlady to depart / per
csiyed or the stairs in front of me tn
figure of a young and beautiful girl
She was standing expectant, one ham
resting on the banister, and when sh
met my sdmiring eyes she iushe'
slightly. She was tall and well-made
her slight, girlish figure giving indica
tlons Of future robustness. A mas
of nut-browu hair, most heterodoxi
caliy picturesque, fell round and abou
her shapely head, and a pair of ful
gray eyes sparkled somewhat d~efantl,
from under the corresponding numbe
of light eyebrows.
nIts ali right, miss" quoth tn