The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-01-18

cI6IJ Oh Ill kluuS Qluceu upon tii8
sparkling water. while to the north the
river wound sinuously among the piers
and houses close to its edge, and disap-
peared in a labyrinth of brick. Qsn't
that a beautiful description, Katep I
can't tell you how many sheets of
paper I've wasted in accomplishing it.
/ wish you read it to your uncle, and
if he insists on printing it in his paper
you can let him).
Now comes the romantic part of my
story, Kate. While we were standing
leaning over the bridge, and pa was
pointing out Blackwell's Island. where,
he told us, they were going to put the
statue of Barthoidi, an awfully, awfully
handsome and perfectly swell young
gentleman, with the loveliest mus
tache and eyes and the divinest
hands and feet, who had been standing
near us looking at me, came over to us
and said to pa. in such very polite way
that we couldn't have been offended il
we'd tried:
Il beg a thousand pardons. sir; but
pray allow me to set you right. That
is Governors Island, where General
Hancock's headquarters are situated,
and the statue is to 60 on Bedloe's
Island, little further out"
Of course pa thanked him, and then
he pointed out some more islands and
told us about hem, and was just as
polite and nice As he could be. l could
see that he wanted to talk to me, but
pa never thinks of such things, and so
he kept him all to himself, and they
walked along ahead of us toward Brook
lyn, and what do you think! He turned
out TO be nephew of the cashier Of
pas bank. and he has been in Milwau-
kee and knows the Jones and the
Thompsons and a lot more nice people;
and he said he had heard of me and had
been anxious to meet me for a long
time. He saw me once from the Robin
sons window, you know. His name is
Cecil st. Elmo. Isn't that perfectly
lovely name? And he is broker in
Wall street, and nust be worth heaps
of money, because he invited me to oc-
cupy his box at the Metropolitan Opera
House. said that should like to see
"Faust" ever SO much, and then ma
did make herself ridiculous. She asked
if Irving was playing il Faust" and
Mr.. st. Elmo said no, that Mr.. Irving
was playing in "Uncle TIM Cabin"
don't think he is, though. ( guess he
must have been joking.
Well, we went over to the Cher end
of the bridge to take the cars bacS and
MIR. st. Elmo went with us. That l.cr.
rid little Toby got tired. of course, and
Mr.. st. Elmo wouldn't let pa carry him.
but took him himself. l think it was
awful of pa to let him, but he carried him
clear to the cars. We had to pay flee
cents apiece more to go back on tie
cars. and pa paid for Mr. st. Elmo. Mr..
st. Elmo tried to pay for us all himself,
but pa got his money out first. It's the
funniest thing the way those cars STAT.
You get on the car and little engine
pushes it out past the platform, AID
then the engine goes back. Have you
read about the "gripp" Well, after
the engine goes back the grip tries to
start the car along over the bridge by
rubbing against something on the bot
tom that jars the whole car like sew
ipg-machine running in the same room.
After while the car begins to start,
very slowly at first, and then it moves
of and runs very smoothly and nicely.
1t only takes about four minutes to cross
on the car, and we could see Just Che
same view that 1 described to you sc
beautifully before.
Kate, Mr.. St. Elmo talked to me all
the way over, and he is perfectly cha m.
ing. Pa and ma were both delighted
with him, and he is going to take us
out to the park in his carriage this
afternoon. Now. Kate, you must prem.
Use not TO tell anybody, but l really
think that he is just little gone ovei
me, and | am sure that | never liked
anybody half so well as 1 could him.
He is just perfect. Now, there is an.
other thing l think we had better do.
Don't you think it would be a kind
thing to give Howard Smith hint
about the way feel toward Mr.. st.
Elmo. SO that if anything comes of il
the shock will not be too sudden tc
him? should feel very badly if How.
ard should commit suicide, but know
now that he and l can never be any.
thing mrre than friends to each other
oh, Kate, if you could only see Mr.. st.
Elmo! l wonder if he is engaged tc
anybody here. He as much as intimat
ed to me that he was not when we were
talking about marriage coming over or
the car.
didn't tell You, did 1, that after we
got back over the bridge we came Ill
rectly over here to the Aston House!
Well, we did, and Mr.. St. Elmo prom
ised to introduce pa to bank he has
business with, and pa has gone with
him now. He is going to take dinner
with us when they come back.
But l must hurry and close, because
ma wants me to help unpack the trunks
to get out some things for us to wear il
the park this afternoon, and perhaps we
shall 90 with Mr.. st. Elmo to the opera
this evening. Ma says that as he is
relative of an intimate friend of pas,
there will be no Improperly in accept
ing two invitations in one day. But
must stop writing at once, or l shall GO
on forever.
Goodbye, dear Kate, for the present
I will write again tomorrow about oul
drive and Mr. st. Elmo.
Your most intimate and dearest
friend. FANNIE.
P. S.-This is strictly private and
of course, about Mr.. st.
Elmo. F.
P. S.-MY DEAREST KATE have
unsealed this letter to tell you that
awful has happened. Pa has
just come in aud told us to pack up and
get ready to start home tom ght.
never saw him in such frightful rage.
He absolutely swore SO awfully that ma
aud it was about MIR. st. FL
mo, too. He says that he is a :. bunco-
steerer," W atever that is, and that
he'll kill him if he ever sees him again: