Morris tribune., 1883-06-30
INNOCENT FILTRATION.

| The only good stories are true ones.
"Do You mean to say that all the glorious
| tictions that have unclaimed and thrilled
the world are true2" l asked. little tn
umphahtly.
mot true in all their details and COM
binations, of course" said he; but when
| ever YOU find any incident really affecting
you may be sure that it actually happened:
| Now in this story, which have read ss
| YOUR recommendation, there is no such IN
| cident. The characters are not alive, and
the events never occurred; at least, WNnin
| tie writer's knowledge. l can tell yon
| dozer tAsl trus stories that would beat it
all hollow"
What will you bet?"
| who to decide2"
| You shall decide yourself. Come, III
| tell yen one to begin with; and. If you don't
say it is better than this namby- palnby affair
| have been reading, III pay for the supper"
So set myself to listen. -
Il took the night train at Columbus,
said Harry, settling himself back to spin
his yarn more comfortably.
| Then you are the hero of your own story
said I.
| Don't interrupt me. Who sad was
| hero? You will see. The cars were full;
but found 8, at behind lady and gen.
| tleman, who had appropriated couple to
themselves, and were wrapped up in shaWIs,
| sle y iny ~ comfortably.
| Il he light from the car lamp fell on their
faces. The gentleman, who seemed
| foreigner, and who seemed to be Mexican
| of some distinction, was of middle age--a
dark, fine looking, sombte, quiet man.
| But the LADY, Young enough to be his
| daughter, was of dazzling beauty. pale
complexion, flushing with the slightest tint
! of rose; an oval face; features regular as
| those OF Grecian statue-wasn't she beau
tiful?"
| Il suppose she was" saiG :, wishing to
be amnble, when thus appealed to.
Il don't want your opinion on that point.
had been among rough people. had
seen few that could be called refined, or
beautiful, for long time; but, making al
| lowances for all that, she was certainly one
| of the levliest women I ever beheld. When
she opened her eyes in the pale morning
| light, they were of that tinge OF violet grey,
| shaded by long, dark lashes, so rare and SO
| exquisite. Her little hand, with its long,
tapering, white fingers, tippec Nth rose,
her slender, delicate feet; her forI sE1d
movements of perfect grace, all held me
| in a kind of enchantment.
/
| the Little Miami, and we were nearing Gin
| cirnati, when heard her speak. 1t was
| some tlifing question. Ithad the petit, ance
| of spoiled child and spoiled beauty; but
there could tie no mistakiAg the pure, high
| breeding of her articulation. By the time
| it was bread daylight had Studded her
| we'll, looking over rcSnewspaper We rode
| up town from the depot in the same omni-
| bus, and sat opposite, and 80 quite rear
| her.
AS looked, what I presumed must be
my last lock at her, and must have ex-
pressed in that look all the admiration and
| interest feIt-sayihg; with my eyes: Who
can you be, beautiful oneP She appeared
to see me for the first time. Something
must have told her what I was thinking.
A flush came over her face-very slight, IN
deed, but still percePtible. 1t was a little
surprise, and something which was not in
dignation.
Il had given my checks for the Burnet
house; it was with pang that saw my
new acquaintances prepare to alight at the
Spencer. But while the general, as heard
HIM called afterward, was picking up a
shawl that lad been dropped, sprang out
into the snow, and with a look-I doubt
not of mingled respect, and admiration, and
grief-24ve my hand to the lady. She
thrilled me with the ightest and quickest
touch possible, as if she did not want to
offend q stranger by declining what he
meant a civilty; but did not say thank
you.' The husband touched his hat to me
with cold, proud look which shall never
forget.
Il re.entered the omnibus, went to the
Burnet house, took good bath and break
fast, and then went and heard some fine
music at the beautiful cathedral. My rail-
road vision 1 laid away, with sigh or two,
in the store house of memory.
at 9 o'clock in the evening, left in the
cars for Cairo. The Ohio was frozen. AS
entered the car~my heart beat as | caught
sight of la Signora. The only vacant seat
was near them. / received no salutation,
and made none. knew that she saw me;
but she did not raise her eyes. The gen.
tleman looked at me, as he might at any
other traveller, but without sign Ia recog-
nilion, or any motion, unless there was
very slight darkening Of the brows. L
could net See we'll by the lamplight. They
made their arrangements like practlced
travellers, and slept or seemed to sleep. l
sat still and thought. Did you ever feel
superhuman beauty sinking into YOUR
heart, deeper and deeper, with every mo-
ments presence2"
well"
"No matter. Don't answer now. must
tell my story. In the morning, and all day,
we were still onthe cars. l did not lntrude
even by look. Two or three times I had
an opportunity to give them some slight at
tentions. I had the latest New York papers
which / loaned them. I brought glass OF
water, when there was none in the cars.
was lucky enough to have some nice oran-
ges, and the lady was thirsty. As the day
went on the General grew neighborly. He
spoke very little English. His lovely wife
would talk nothing else. He changed from
Spanish to French, but she refused to speak
more than word or two of either, and kept
him to his English, which it was evident
she was determined he should learn.
She was English by birth. l knew it
from many indications. A high bred, well
bred English lady, of the most refined and
delicate type-more Celtic than Saxon, and
more American than English, according to
common notions, in her appearance.
eat SandoVal, the junction OF the st.
Louis road and the Illinois central. they
left the train, as did, and we waited to- /,
gether for the Chicago train for Cairo.
There was crowd waiting, little room, and
no supper. I managed to procure some
oysters and bottle of clarret wine,
which begged my fellow voyagers to
share.
I'm few hours we were on magnificent
New Orleans steamer. How splendid and
how comfortable, she seemed to us after
our days and nights Of the rough, noisy
railroad, I need not tell. The long, bright
saloon-the luxurious furniture of the
adde's cabin--the home look Of the piano
forte and center tables. with vases Of fow-
ers and pretty children the rich tables set
for parties of eight or ten, with each pas
senger's card on his plate, and clean, active
colored waiters-all this comfort, going I'M
der full head Of steam down the mighty
Mississippi while the banks grew greener
and the air grew warmer, day by day, as
we approached the tropics, was something
enjoyable after the frosts, and snow, and
hard travelling of the north.
"By some good fortune, as then thought
it, found myself ticketed at the side of La
Signora at the table. By an attraction did
not attempt to resist, was near her very
often. She sang, as if all the beauty of her
fnrya ho1 foupd oxnraSsinn in