The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-10-02
FOOT q CO.

Montgomery street every morning for the
last six years. My attention had never
been especially attracted by any person in
the throng | met daily until one day last
October. Most of the people on the street
were looking at something in a shop
window. | was in a hurry and could not
stop. AS | passed the crowd | came face
to face with a girl about 20, whom | saw
was very beautiful. She passed me, and |
was tempted to turn my head and look
after her, but politeness forbade. The fol-
lowing day l met the same young girl
again. Her beauty impressed me more
than on the former occasion. Thai day /
could think of nothing but her lovely face.
It seemed TO rise before me every minute.
The third day ! was on the lookout for
her, and was not disappointed. For a
week | met her every morning, by which
time had come to the conclusion that |
must know her, but how such an end was
to be accomplished could not tell. Plan
after plan occurred to me. and finally | de-
cided that | would watch and see if she
did not bow to some of my acquaintance.
Often she bowed to ladies and gentlemen
passing, but never to any one | knew. For
three weeks | followed this plan. Each
morning brought disappointment and at
last in desperation | determined to follow
her and find, if possible, where she lived.
The first morning | had time I carried out
my plan; as soon as she passed me turned
and followed her. She walked very
briskly, and l was obliged to hurry so as
not to lose sight of her in the crowd. She
walked about six blocks toward the resi-
idence streets; then turned from Mont
gomery into a side street; then into Con-
cord avenue, a fashionable quarter of the
city, where she went into No. S75, a large
brown-stone house. The house had a very
homely look, with its green lawn and trees.
I feared, as my unknown beauty entered
the gate, that she did not live there; buG,
greatly to my peace of mind, she took out
a l%atch-key, and | was convinced that this
must be her home. Fortunately, there
was a d~oor-plate, but from the sidewalk it
was almost impossible to distinguish a
letter; and as | did not wish to attract at
%tention by standing still and staring at the
house, | walked slowly from one end of the
block to the other, looking at each house as
l passed. After once passing I managed
to decipher a IT" of the rest l could
make nothing. | had almost given up in
despair for one day, at least, when some
one going into the house opened the door
so that a strong light fell on the plate, and
| read ''Towner." But Towner alone was
not very definite, and without initials |
feared | should again be obliged to give it
up, when it occurred to me that l knew the
name, street and number, and | could
follow down all the Towners in the direc-
tory until l reached the one who lived at
uppermost | walked quickly back to the
last drug store | had passed and asked to
see the directory. The name Towner
seemed very common, although | was not
following down the column | at last found
civilian S. Towner, residence S75 Con-
cord avenue. Business, architectural iron
work; Towner, Foot & CO., 3 Hancock
their acquaintance except through a bust
ness transaction, and what could | find to
buy of an architectural iron dealer. Sud-
denly | thought of two little houses |
owned. They had been left me by a
cousin and had always been a great bur
den, as | am not able to sell them and had
the trouble and worry of hearing COM
plants from tenants continually; but now
I would make use of them. In front of the
houses were small grass-plots which could
be surrounded by iron ratings, and in that
way l would become known to the firm if
not personally to Mr.. Towner.
The next thing was to see my agent and
AVE him measure the number of feet re-
quired. My agent fortunately was in and
| went directly to business. He promised
to send his clerk and measure the ground
that very afternoon, and then inquired if
he might ask of what firm | intended buy
ing the railing. / told him of ''Towner,
Foot & Co." He then asked if l knew
any member of the firm, for if I did not he
would be very glad to introduce me to Mr..
Towner as he had had a good many bust
ness transactions and was well acquainted
with him, Tried to answer in my usual
voice, but felt so bubbling over with joy at
the prospect of obtaining an introduction
to Mr.. Towner that / feared | betrayed
some of it in my voice, and could hardly
collect myself enough to ask him to make
an appointment for us to go together to
the office of Towner, Foot & Co. Ten the
following morning was fixed for the time.
l felt | could go no earlier, as | did not
wish to miss any chance of seeing my UNI
known beauty. All day my spirits were
very high at the thought of really meeting
Mr.. Towner, though how an introduction
merely for business purposes was to be the
foundation of a friendship | did not know.
/ was not a bad-looking fellow, but still
not so attractive as to cause any one to fall
in love with me at first sight; still | was
hopeful. Ten the following morning
found us on our way to 3 Hancock street.