Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-06-06
Ely SPiRITCELLE "SPOT-
TER"

One, two, three-yes, was sure that
l had traced a family resemblance in
three very different faces, during the
same day. and that these faces had re-
peated themselves at intervals during a
period of several days.
It happened in this wise. was con-
valescent - recovering from nervous
fever, which had rendered my magma
tive powers morbid, and so shattered
my nervous system that twas necessary
to recover it by the mildest means and
the slowest stages. [ burst not walk
out, so I was recommended to ride.
Much reading, even Of the lightest char
acter, was declared one of the worst
things possible for me; so my young
friends got up private theatricals for my
benefit, and, though I was forbidden as
yet to take public part in them, it gave
me infinite amusement to aid them in
their preparations. By degrees [ be-
came quite an artist in the necessities
of a successful makeup )" could de-
eide, at glance, whether the eyebrows
required encouragement, or whether the
eyes were of a shade to stand narrow
but severe touch of rouge Immediately
beneath them. I could tell at single
look whether the whiteness of a false
complexion was due to fake-white bis
muth, or alternate layers Of camphor-ice
and powder; and probably no one ever
answered more repeatedly the question,
FHave too much on tonight ?" That
I became the criterion in such matters
was one Of the piquant recompenses I
had for not being IN position just then
to take part in the public performances.
I have said that Twas interdicted from
much walking. This drove me to the
city passenger-cars, for [ could not af-
ford the daily luxury of carriage.
1t is one OF my idiosyncrasies
call it weakness, if you will
that, having once got into a track.
it is hard to drive me out of it.
Consequently [ acquired the habit of
riding up and down the same city pass
enger track-which one is not necessary
to Northumberland times a dav.
Upon one of these occasions I found
myself occupying a corner of the car
diagonal to one that was in possession
of a lovely, spirituelle blonde.
A very fair, pure blonde! And what
more exquisite sight is there on earth
than that Of a white-rose-skinned. yio-
let-eyed girl, with face framed in with
rustic entanglements of light-golden
hair? This was the style of beauty
that encountered me in that passenger
car, and whispered to me that my des-
tiny was at hand.
1t was about 9 o'clock in the morning.
and we were alone in the car. She took
no notice of me at all, nor indeed Of
anything but the school book she held
open III her lap. I noticed that the con-
ductor looked at her from time to time,
with an expression which might have
meant a good deal hadI in the least sus-
pected the truth, OF met a case resent
bling It before. The young lady stopped
the car IL the neighborhood of large
red-bricll building, which [ took to he a
young ladies' seminary, and got cut
without betraying a consciousness of
my existence, from which opined that
she was afraid of being late for school
and didn't know her lesson.
At about o'clock in the afternoon
found myself riding uptown in the
same car. The lack of other means Of
amusement had rendered me close OBJ
server, and consequently when the cal
stopped and a woman's-rights-l looking
woman got in, apparently spinster o.
uncertain age, my looks were riveted
upon her, and, in spite of the difference
IN age, attire, manner and every thing
which constitutes personality, 1 ex-
claimed to myself:
Heavens what strange family re-
semblance l could swear this woman
rights-looking woman was the maiden
aunt of my spirituelle blonde. Those
eyes, that nose, that chin and there
upon sank off into retrospective rev.
erie which lasted until [ found I had
been driven six blocks past the paternaI
residence, and reflected that the Dime,
had by that time probably grown IN
palatably lukewarm.
The mystery was not at an end vet
That same evening at about I took an
other ride, which was to last ME unit
next morning. Being again the sole oc
cupant Of the car. I was about to solve