Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-04-05
ONE VOsAN,S FATE.
Little Romance Which Interested
$4,000 Men.

New York Correspondence Cincinnati Enquirer
shall never forget one woman who attracted
the attention Of at least 80 900 people day for
several months in a carpet factory near the ele-
waited road. Business men who came down in
the morning anu were obliged to get off at
Chatham square, so asst connect whit the branch
road TO the city hall. watched the women curl
Ously 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 $4,000 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 toward
the southern window of the building--the one
nearest the station. newcomer had taken
charge of the machine which faced the window.
She was remarkably handsome woman and
she charmed the eyes of the multitude from the
moment she made her appearance. She had a
superb figure. sharey arms. magnificent black
eyes, lots of color and regular features. Occa-
sOnaliy she glanced down at the multitude who
watched her eagerly. but she never smiled at
the dudes nor gave the slightest glance of re-
coGnitiOn at the bankers. brokers and respeCta-
bic merchants who glared at her.
When she first appeared her back hair was
drawn neatly down over her forehead and gath
cred in tight roll at the back of her head She
wore bit of something white about her neck,
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 heat of the air
made the work more and more trying every day.
She began to show traces of fatigue: she grew
heavy her hair which had formerly been
neatly arranged. was allowed to straggle over
her brow, and the neatness which had charac-
terZed her whole appearance disappeared before
the oppression of the heat and the awful amount
~ r1n n6l - 4
Her face grew thinner and thinner, the color
departed from her cheeks and black circles
came under her eyes. The Sc, 600 men stared at
her every day. observed the change and COM
mented upon it.
BY the time the scorching heat of July had
come she had wasted away to mere skeleton.
The pale and wan cheek was heightened by a
hectic flush, and her eyes We're unnaturally
bright. The $4,000 men looked at her and bet
ten to five among themselves that she wouldn't
last until August /. Those who had put up
money on the endurance OF the poor creature
were more interested in her than ever. One
passenger, prominent broker whom knew,
SAID to me one morning.
II look for that face at the window and for
the roof of the produce exchange every morn
ing with the utmost anxiety If that face goes
away before August /. | shall lose S25."
The broker lost his money. Shortly before
August the $1,000 men were shocked or glad
dened. as the case might q, by seeing in the
framed in by the window. a raw-bOned scraw-
ny. and freckled woman. with a face so posi-
lively ugly that it would stop Chinese funeral.
Speculation was rife as to what had become of
the girl One day three of us were going up
town about three O'Clock in the afternoon in
August, talking as usual about the carpet girl,
when somebody proposed that we should go up
into the carpet house and ask about her. For q
moment it seemed a rash and dreadful thing to
do But after a little thought we assembled
the steps and climbed to the second story of the
building. When we got there We were stared
at by several hundred employees, and guyed I'M
mercifully until we found the superintendent
He was little man, with a quick, nervous
manner and Il bald head We stated our GRAND
to him as quickly as possible He SAID:
1t is astonishing how much interest tina girl
created. You are only three of three Thousand
men who have come up to ask about her. Her
history was not remarkable in any respect, and
she is now doing quite we'll"
What has become of herr"
You seem very anxious to know" said the
little man, with very hard twinkle Of his right
eye Us he stared at US
well, what the deuce did become of herr"
She married" said the little man laconically.
There was another dreary pause. Finally
mustered up courage enough to say:
'Who:"
Me, said the little man
Then We left