Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-04-22

was yet dearer, TO me from the fact tina
Sometimes i saw there n graceful figur'
with n grave, gentle. intellectual face
patiently working and sometimes
quite by accident, Of course-liftinl
starry eyes to mine rs We passed on,
another to consult books Of referencel
And ut last this divine damsei wa!
sitting at the desk next my own, and
could admire the beautiful profile, tn,
classic pose of the head, the soft hal
(''flu2ed' In front), and the neat, quiet
somewhat @sthetic, but by no means
foolish or dowdy dress. One could see
at once that she was conscious that
aesthetic" ideas are really very
beautiful in themselves when not pur'
sued TO far and too foolishly.
However, the clock struck, and was
reminded that / had no time TO lose.
Hastily putting nay papers together, |
pippared To 90 out for half Gil hour TOT
lunch. Sudd, My thought struck me.
Was II sale to leave those precious pa
rers there, exposed? They. might be
tsken, or some one might come ia my
Absence and read them. and 40 steal y
march on ME. Pshawl Who ever
heard OF any one interfering with
anothtr's books or papers or desk IN
the British Museum reading room
Just n much H. every one instinctlveiy
obeys the unwriiten laws which there
obtains, that no one is to speak above
a whisper, so no one ever iuterferes
with another's desk.
So, diminishing the subject from my
mind, I hurried ~ luLch, and was soon
engaged in the pleasanter thought OF
how | could obtain an introduction to
my starry eyed young "8sthete.
Or course, although our desks for the
day were side by side, she might be Ia
the far wild west of America for all that
| could say to her. Between us was the
invisible but very real and powerful
barrier OF conventional propriety; aud
though so near, l yet was farl And
then the tinie-l had no time for think
ing even Of the matter. The work In
hand must be dsne, and quickly, too,
n would be successful, a. L meant TO
be, and it would require al my thought,
Resoluteiy banishing- my fair
"asIhete" from my mind, therefore,
hurriedly finished my lunch and re-
turned to the reading room.
But when / reached my seat, and was
about to resume my occupation, ut
tered an exclamation Of horror, and
stood like one suddenly struck into
stone, for a glance revealed to me my
precious Ms. was gone!
IL.
For one minute / stared before me
Ike one stupetied. l felt as though
had been stunned by q sudden blow.
grasped the back Of the chair for sup
prrt, and | saw it all now, although
could scarcely believe the horrible
truth; all my l4tor was lost; some ont
else had watched me, and would get ou
the book before me. Success Vas taSeI
from me Just as / thought myself as
sured OF 1t. / had tOiled-anothel
would reap. Worse than all my bud
ing T, puration would be gone.
lsuppOse my behavior must have at
trs cted the attention Of the gentleman
sitting next me on the other side, for ht
said kindly:
care you ill.,"
"No,"I replied family; and l re-
member now how the hOllOwnesS Off
tones seemed to contradict the words
and how strangely they sounded. Bu
my anger rose, as L said tiercely
"Some scOundrel has stolen my Ms
and notes while have been at lunch;
they were most important to me;
fear their loss will be An irreparable mis-
fortune. Did you see any one come Il
my desk while / was QUIZ"
mo; i have but recently come" ht
rjOined. =.
"Oh, but ! saw some one" sale
e.. hok
member now how her voice thrilled me
1t was the first time had heard hel
speak aud / could almost forgive the
loss of my Ms. because it had caused
me to hear her voice!
But l replied hastily:
"Who was it,"
"a tall, thin gentleman, with wavy
hair and agray coat. OF course didn't
know but that he was friend OF yours
He came and glanced coolly over the
desk, and then took away the papers. v
SHOULD you know him again if you
saw him." / asked, eagarly.
"Oh, yes! L am sure l should" she
The suggestion Of the gentleman on
the other side was more to the point
II should give information to the
SUPERINTENDENT Of the room and also
ask the attendants at the do pr If they
have noticed any one dressed as de-
scribed 60 out receHtly."
/ did as he suggested, 81 very soon
q notice was fixed to the glass door o
the room, appraising the public OF my
loss, and offering y reward for informa'
ton which would lead to the conviction
Of the offender; meanwhile, / had
questioned the attendant, who remem
bered perfectly the tall man 10 the gray
coat, and said that he had gone out
about q quarter Of an hour since. A
quarter of an hourl Time enough fol
him to have got completely beyond my
power Of search.
That WAS all could discover, and In
great anxiety returned to my seat. As
/ did so, REMEMBER now how the
starry eyes Of my new found friend
glanced shyly and synpsthizlngly al
me.
i must have appeared very detected
for he said presently, in a tone Of deer
sOlicitude: ~ am truly sorry tor you
but could you not make up for lost time
by working quickly"
THAT is Just the difficulty" l re
' pllSO, luis Ll1C. 10 NduING 81 ODNC.
have already been too long over 1t. Il
Is 8 cruel loss to me-"
I To my ardent Imagination was now
as completely ruined as previously hac
thought my fortune made. The reader
will notice that my temperament Il
very mercurisl, and apt to rise very
high OF descend very low az the slight
est provocatiou. But even allowing To-
this extreme view, the situation wa
sufficiently serious, for the loss OF thu
Ms. would seriously initiate against my
success In the immediate future.
J In few words / explained this K
my newly fOurd friend, who at once
saw the difficulty Of my position and
the reason Of my anxiety. But whs
was to be done? Could nothing b;
done to retrieve my loss?
! At that moment sn old gentleman
came up and spoke to the young lady
4 near me, and even now can recall tina
pang Of jealousy shot hrJugh my
heart At the first glance / could SCI
that he was what SOME persons con
temptuously term "a literary hack
but for all that he seemed perfectly