The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-02-03
ONE W0MAN'S FATE.
t"Durandaln In Cincinnati Enquirer


tracted the attention Of at least so 1000 people
q day for several months in a carpet factory
near the Elevated road. The factory In ques
ton is situated directly opposite and within
twenty feet Of the Third avenue Elevated sta
ton at Chatham square. From the station
could be seen several hundred women sewing
carpets on changing or Gathering machines all
day long. Business men who came down
In the morning and were obliged to get off at
Chatham square, so as TO connect with the
branch road to the city hall, watched the
women curiousy as they waited for their
trains. At night when they waited In the
same place they watched them again until
their train came along. More than $1,000
men did this every day in the year.
One morning in the early part Of May last
year the eyes of every man were attracted to
ward the southern window Of the building
the one nearest the station A newcomer
had taken charge of the machine which faced
the window. She was remarkably hand
some woman, and she charmed the
eyes Of the multitude from the mo.
ment she made her appearance. She
had superb figure, shapely arms, mag.
niticent black eyes, lots Of color and regular
features. Occasionally she glanced down at
the multitude who watched her eagerly, but
she never smiled at the dudes, nor gave the
slightest glance Of recognition to the bankers,
brokers and respectable merchants who
glared at her 50 amorously. She was sub
ject of conversation every morning for a long
time after she made her appearance. The
men looked for her as regularly as they
looked at the city hall clock
When she first appeared her back hair was
drawn neatly down over her forehead and
gathered in tight roll at the back Of her
head. She wore a bit Of something white
about her neck, and locked refreshing and
pretty This was just before the hot weather
began. Gradually the woman began to fade;
the heavy carpet which she was compelled to
stitch became dusty, and the glare from the
street and the heat Of the air made the work
more and more trying every day. She be-
gan to show traces of fatigue; she grew
heavy-eyed her hair, which had formerly
been neatly arranged, was allowed to stpag
gle over her brow, and the neatness which
had characterized her whole APPEARANCE dis
appeared before the oppression Of the heat
and the awful amount Of work which she was
obliged to do every day. Her face grew
thinner and thinner, the color departed from
her cheeks and black circles came under her
eyes. The $4,000 men stared at her every
day. observed the change and commented
upon 1t,
By the time the scorching heat Of July had
come she had wasted away to a mere skele-
ton The pale and wan cheek was heightened
by hectic flush, and her eyes we're un-
naturally bright The 90, 900 men looked at
her and bet ten to five among themselves
that she wouldn't last until August l. Those
who had put up money on the endurance Of
the poor creature were more interested In
her than ever. One passenger, prominent
Ing:
~ look FOR that face at the window and for
the roof Of the produce exchange every
norning with the utmost anxiety. II that
face goes away before August I, shall
lose cas- If find flag on the roof Of the
produce exchange I will know chat some Of
the members are dead, and that will cost me
go more can never draw long breath
unit, have seen both lotteries and am safely
housed In my Office"
The broker lost his money. Shortly be
fore August the $4,000 men were shocked
or gladdened, as the case might be, by see
ing in the place of the beautiful girl, who
had so long sat framed In by the window q
raw-boned, soFawny and freekled woman
with face so positively ugly that it would
stop a Chinese funeral Speculation was
rife as to what had become Of the girl One
day three of US were going up town about
o'clock in the afternoon in August, talking
as usual about the carpet girl, when some
body proposed that We should 90 up into tn
carpet house and ask about her. For mo
ment it seemed rash and dreadful thing Il
do. But after little thought we descende,
the steps and climbed to the second story o
the building. When we got there we wer
stared at by several hundred employees, an
guyed numerically until we found tn
superintendent He was little man, with
quick, nervous manner, and bald head
We stated our errand to him ss quickly a
possible. He said:
ut Is astonishing how much interest tina
girl created. You are only three of 500
men who have come up to ask about her
Her history was not remarkable In any re
speot, and she is now doing quite WE'LL"
"What became Of herp
"You seem very anxious to know, said tn
little man with very hard twinkle of hi
right eye as he stared at Us.
yves, we have come all the way up here t
ses II we couldn't find out what had becom
OF her. We have no base and sinister me
tives. We are moved simply by curiosity
No doubt" said the little man with tn
same hard glitter in his eye. There was
painful pause. We stood and stared at eac
other while the operatives kept on with thei
guying, and the little man kept on with hi
staring. Finally, after long wait, some on
Of our party said:
swell, what the deuce did become Of heri
"She married, said the little man lacon
ioally There was another dreary pause
Finally, mustered up courage enough b
say: .
"Whoa
Me-" said the little man.
| Then we left