Daily Republican., 1883-07-09
THAT SMOkING.CAP.
BY BERTHA BEETON.

"Weil, Nora >" Constance Gresham
said, interrogatively, asa dlnihutiVt
maid of Erin entered the room.
"Yes'm, delivered it to the gentle.
man, ali ght an he axed me was |
sure it was fer him. an se.t indade
il was, an the young Teddy that nIde
it tOwld me to deliver it TO himself
without fail. ThiE he turned it round
and round on his head ; an if ye'd only
been there, Miss Constance, to see how
PLACED he looked -
"Why, Nora, how could he go to the
glass; You know he is lame.
"He walked aiquil tC mesilf.' the
girl answered, as she left the room land
thinking her old friend must be much
better, Constance Gresham dismissed
the subiecr, for the time, an'l sat down
to the piano.
Constance Gresham lived in the city
of W, and in one of the lovellest
of little cottages on Kendall street.
She was single, and don't be shocked
when tell you that she was twenty five
on her last birthday. Ones heroines
cannot all be sweet sixteen, and indeed
the maturer charms of twenty-five some
times prove quite rs fascinating.
Constance Gresham was sweet,
graceful girl, refined and agreeable.
Her parents were dead, and the snug
little cottage and lot was her portion.
1t had been home while they wereiving,
why should it not still be- And so she
stald there, though her friends advised
her to sell the place.
She kept one maid, little Nora, who
was kind-hearted and well meaning,
but one of the most invet rate blnnder-
ers that could possibly be found
The cottage was nicely furnished, and
the skillful fingers of the mistress made
many dainty ornaments for h'r rooms.
She had passion for needle work, and
she embroidered quaint and tanciful de
signs for tides and slippers, and vari-
ous articles that were marvels OF beauty
in their way.
She had just been embrodering a
smoking-cap for an elderly gentleman
who had been very dear friend of her
father. Old Mr.. Murray was afflicted
with rheumatism much of the time he
was unable to take step, and Nora $
assertion that he had walked to the
glass to get view of his new cap sur
prised Miss Gresham, though she was
truly thankful for his sudden recovery
and she resolved to walk round to his
house some pleasant day to offer her
congratulations and see if the cap was
satisfactory.
On another street stood house more
pretensious than that Of Mr.. Murray
more modern in yleand appointments,
and numbering among its inmates a
gentleman much younger than Con
stance Gresham 5 old friend,
The two houses claimed the same
number 200. in unmistakable charac-
ters, was plainly defined on the front
door of each house the slight difference
ID tritle to mention, yet fraught with
III ore mOmentOus results in effect, was
that old Mr.. Murray's house stood on
Give street, at the east side Of the city,
VIII lie tine more modern structure, III
which lived the young man, was
located at the west side, and upon
Clyde street.
Not much similarity in the names OF
the streets, but n N)ra's Hibernian cal
had detected "A slight approach in sound
and when Constance Gresham gave hel
the box with a strict charge to deliver
1t to Mr.. Murray, at 200 Give street
she went straight to the west side, anc
to 200 Clyde street.
Constance might have been more ex
plicit, but she tho ught that Nora knew
the precise place, and not even mark
ing the directions on the box, she mere
ly laid under the fanciful article, he
own card, scribbling on its back:
"Please accept with compliments. y
At 200 Clyde street, Ernest Mowr.
was lounaing on the sofa and beguilinl
the morning hours with one of Howell
fascinating stories, when the bell rang
sharply.
A moment later Mary opened tn
door, and behind her followed mite o
a girl, with exceedingly red hair AM
Intensely blue eyes while in her hand
was box.
eff ye plase," said she, 81 was t.
deliver this into yer own hands,
Ernest Mowry took the box and turn
ed it upside down ard around, but n
mark was there to throw light on tn
subject. Then he cut the string, an
raising the c,ver, stared down at tn
beautifully wrought cap. He raised
from the box and brought the card t
view, which increased instead of sOlv
ing the mystery.
Nola stood long enough to see tn
lgentleman perch the article upon NJ
head and walk to the glass, then, AZ h
turned and asked if there was anythin
to pay, she shook her head and darte'
|out, remembering call that she wish
ed to make for her own especial pleas
IRE on the way home.
| An unknown admirer Ernest Mowr
smiled with just the least bit of tina
|curiOsity in his masculine nature whic
is attributed wholly to womankind; h
wondered if the donor was young o
! old, handsome or homely; and / sha
not tell you how many times in tn
course of the day the foolish fello,
raised the cover Of that box, nor how
when night came and 1t grew too lat
lfor callers, he retired to his own room
and placing the new cap jauntily upo
his head, dedicated it to its design b
! an extra Havana while If Constanc
, , Gresham gave it thought that nigh
III was WIN thS lAS"p""O t"''S'''"'a'SN
y. of having contributed to the pleasure {
: her fathers dear, old friend.
Several weeks passed after Nora Nj
) Flynn carried the box to Clyde stree
:, and one pleasant afternoon Constanc
ltook it into her head to call on old MI
Murray ; 50 taking basket of earl
straw berries for heinvalid, she went t
Give street to find the old ,gentlema
more helpless with his rheumatisl
Than she had ever seen him.
His face was knotted with pain
though CLEAN of sunshine fitted owe
lit as he welcomed Constance.
"Why, Mr.. Murray, | thought yo'
were almost well?" she said. after |:
quiring kindly regarding his healtl
"Nora said you did not walk lame.
"Nora has not seen me, he answe
cd, testify. -
"Why, yes, Mr.. Murray don't 70
remember And how did you like tt
smoking cap?" But when Constant