Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-04-28

the thing Tor the gentleman 10 seat
his lady in the dress circle and then
retire to the parquette."
why, how queer"
ut does seem odd, but it is quite
conventional
Much to his relief he was not called
upon to answer any more embarrass-
ing questions, and when he left he de-
termined to den, himself the pleas
ure of another visit until the night
for which he had tickets.
On that evening they were a little
late in getting away from the house,
so that by the time he had escorted
his lady to her seat and had been dis
missed 10y her with smile and a
Now you can return to the parquette
with your mutilated souvenir the
first act was on, and he was prevented
from claiming his seat.
Out in the vestibule he meditated
upon the remark of his lady, and a
strong feeling of uneasiness, that she
had ventilated his subteffuges, op-
pressed him. "She has probably
given the whole thing away to the
old man." he gloomily conjectured
land I'll get the fire too quick" The
reader must remember that news
paper writer when conversing with
himself will sometimes, in extreme
cases, cut loose from the elegance of
diction which flows SO gracefully and
easily from his pen. ''At any rate"
thought he, "they shan't guy me
about being locked out this act. I'll
keep my head shut on that subject"
At the conclusion of the act he re-
joined the lady, bent upon interview
ing her with a view to ascertaining
upon what footing he stood in her es-
timation, but the probing process was
crowded out to make room for new
and more interesting matter.
She greeted him with:
wasn't that act just splendidP
Under ordinary circumstances he
would at once have indicated his
profession by filing strong bill of
exceptions, but he was anxious to clear
up his harrassing doubts, SO he re-
piled, Perfect"
"Do you know" she continued, 81
was afraid you was losing it all.
Every time looked in your direction
you were looking up at mo and
smiling"
He was somewhat puzzled to under
stand this remarkable feat of her
visual organs, but he CALAMITY re-
sponded:
"How could / help it?"
"At first" she resumed, II was
afraid you had not succeeded in
reaching your seat for 1 didn't see
you for ever so long. You remember
when you shook your handkerchief at
me and l returned the signals"
"Yes," he said, and trying to re-
member if she had ever confessed to
nearsightedness.
"Well, that was the first glimpse l
caught of you, but after that l glanced
at you often and you were always
looking up at me-"
"But you don't blame me so much
for that?" he asked, tenderly, now
more than ever determined not to &C
knowledge his absense from the hall.
II can't very well, for you know l
smiled every time; but l couldn't
help that, it seemed so ridiculous"
Then he came near hurting out
that it was id ridiculous, but he
checked himself
'Do you know the lady and gentle
man just behind mes" she asked.
"Oh, yes, that's Mr.. and wife,
one of our richest retired merchants"
he whispered.
isn't it funny that he is up here
with his wife? He ought to know the
latest style"
"Oh, mol They're rich but they're
not tom"
"But isn't that Judge So and So
with his wife right below us?"
"Yes, but the judge likes to appear
eccentric"
II heard that gentleman back of me
say that Spectator had offered him
good reserved seats for tonight at
the regular price. That's strange
isn't it?"
"Some of them haven't got any
nerve"
Then he went away.
At the next intermission she opened
fire with:
81 was telling pa about that editor
of yours being robbed. He said it
looked as if there was lie out some
where for he loaned that same man
two dollars that very afternoon"
If our young man had felt uneasy
before, he was completely demoralized
now and had not a word to say, ex-
cusing himself almost Immediately
upon the commonplace pretext of
wanting ''to see man." and he did
not return until the close of the per-
formance.
On the way home he tried in vain
to divert the conversation from the
spectators, the robbery, and the un-
pleasant topics founded upon his re-
markable lies, but she persisted in
asking him all manner of awkward
questions upon these subjects. When
she babe him goodnight at the door
she dismissed him with, sit does seem
hard that after so much symmetrical
lying you should fail to see the first
opera"
And then he knew that she had
been drawing him out, and he has
not been to see her since.-Cin. Sat.
Night.
HE'D SCOOP A LITTLE.