Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-08-08
Gales ano Skftfk.s
N An ELEuroR
CONTINUED from Yesterday. J


driving Chicago be knew scarcely dozen
people by name, while many faces we're
familiar to him. All these faces had his |
tories filed in his Imagination. and as far as !
Johns reasoning powers were concerned, !
as firmly fixed as though based on facts.
Many people bowed to him, and John
bowed mechanically in return, but this did
not increase his range of acquaintance nor /
his opportunity for acquiring society news |
This man, shrinking from contact with ,
people, was yet interested in people, and j
Interested in observing and studying them. {
The exposition of 1873 was delight to ,
him in that it afforded the hest opportn-
mites to observe people in varying moods. |
The dreamer awoke to new realIzations. |
People, real people. now that he dared to
look them in the face were great curiosi- /
ties. His Imagination was severely taxed IN .
assigning them all TO ready-made histories !
Among the thousands Of women he knew
not one, and yet be liked the faces. and
among so many he acknowledged long !
ing for the companiOnship of some one.
During the exposition an hotel elevator /
carried people from the first floor to the !
dome above and galleries extending from
it. The lake view always took John to |
the dome, where his love for the pictur- /
esque was satisfied. and his disposition to
dream given opportunity for indulgence.
One day as John threw himself lounging- !
ly OH the cushioned seat OF the elevator, |
and the upward movement had commenced
he saw face in the crowd in front that
startled him aud brought him face to face
with the experience OF his boyhoOd. En-
gagged in the pain-giving fort to place
the face on the right shoulders, John was
carried relentlessly upward, realizing that
it would be hardly possible to find the
face and person again IN the great crowd.
This realization caused queer back-action
mental movement, and he knew that Grace
Bartlett. the most demonstrative and the
boldest of his girl schoOlmates. dashing
little beauty, always fighting his battles for
him, was below. and woman. He re.
membered how selfreliant she had been as
a 5-vear-old, and how he had trusted her
as a 1O-year-old little beauty. This girl
had been with him in all his dreams.
Was the real Grace Bartlett like his ideal
Grace. He must know He wentthrough
the great building with impatient strides,
but nowhere could he find a face like that
which looked up to him for an instant
from the crowd. Would the woman be
there the next day? Reason said not. but
John was on duty early as an eager watch
er, and she was there. He cauYh hit but a
glimpse OF her face through the spray of
the central fountain. Standing in the
midst OF graceful surroundings she was
grace herself. He was near enough to
see plainly every feature of the expressive
face. He could not be mistaken. This
was Grace Bartlett and he must speak to
her. Entertaining for moment the i'm
pulse to dash through the water. he started
toward the woman with the notion of
ignoring the crowd. But he was carried
| this way and that, was pushed aside by
persons intent on special objects, was
| compelled TO turn from his course. and
| when he reached the place the person he
sought was not there, and he could find
| no trace of her.
In the days that followed John was in a
strange mood. He was in fury because
| he could not find Grace Bartlett, and he
| had grown strangely bold in looking into
women's face. There was another change
that he did not comprehend until after
ward. He was at the exposition one eve
ming. more in business way than in the
way of pleasure, and with mind intent on
| business he had left Grace Bartlett in the
background OF his visions, which always
stood so near the realities OF his observs-
| ton as to seem tangible. AS he entered
the art gallery he saw standiag in the full
| light. Grace Bartlett. The scene was
| like tableau. The woman stood with
| face turned 10 take an over-the shoulder
| glance at picture. As she was drawn
Oway by a gentleman, Johns impulse
| was to go to her with outstretched hand.
but as he bowed with boyish eagerness
| illuminating his face. he saw the well-de-
| fined eyebrows of the lady lifted in a
queer phase of surprise, and saw her lips
| trembling in a curious smile. John felt a
| rigid spot on each cheek, as though the
rushing blood had been frozen in its
course. and his old sensitive difiidence
overwhelmed him.
He shrank not only from contact with
this woman, but from contact with anv
person. His stunned senses entertained
but one proposition. Grace Bartlett had
been drawn away by a gentleman, and
she had given him the look of woman
declining to recognize some one claim
ing recognition. Perhaps this man
was her husband. She lived III the
city undoubtedly. or she would not be at
the exposition at night. And why should
Grace Bartlett live IN the city unless she
had been brought here by husband. As
she was married, John shrank now from
an acquaintance that he had been so anx-
ious about five minutes before. He re-
called with sickly disgust the oft quoted
assertion that only the man of much as
surance (be he bad or good) wins the res
gard and love of woman, and John
Pringle became melancholy under the
conviction that he was not made for this
world.
In revulsion of feeling he went to the
exposition to see curiosities. interested no
longer in faces. Standing one day where
he could watch the strange contortions of
a whiteiaced monkey, he stopped to raise
chatty little three -year-old girl, who
stoutly held to the theory that the monkey
had the stomach ache. Something in her
eyes recalled Grace Bartlett of the long
ago, and while in the daze of new sur
prise he saw gloved hand touch his arm
the very timidily OF the touch thrilling
him. and heard voice say, MIR.
Priugle. isn't it a' and turning. John. be-
held the half expectant. half doubling,
wholly bright face of--Grace Bartlett.
He was delighted at his own conduct. He