The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1885-12-24
"TEiA'T .NIITT."

IA ~
Eugene Sylvcstrc, tall, well propor-
toned, blonde, and mustachod, stood
with watchiul, albeit rather sleepy
looking, eyes near Il crowded corner
OF State street in our busy, bustling,
wcll-bcpraised city. IIe was leaning.
with Ianguid grace, peculiar to his
Kind, against one Of those aesthetic
posts impressed of late years into tho
postal service of our country, and as
Lo leaned thero he softly hummed q
verse of which tho only audible words
were good night, ladies"
The young and talented gentlomdn
here introduced waS gentleman.
courteous, brave. and kind, and one of
fortunes fnvorte sons. He was also
the city editor of The Morning >cooD-
en!1l'. most brilliant and influential of
our city journals. and he Was in that
particular place ut this particular time
in patient search after that thing which
his soul loved-an item.
The sun was shining with almost
southern intensity, and Sylvestre, who,
should have told you, was of south
ern birth, had only TO close his eyes a
little more than usual and stand near
one OF ltalia's palatial pomolopical
'emporiumS TO be transported, Aladdin
like, to his childhood's home, had he
so willcd it.
In the throng Of pedestrians and the
ihurrying OF vehicles this cynical Young
man SAW nothing that to his intclli.
gout eye was more than an oft-told
tale. tie continued his observations
t-om force Of habit. or, rather, from
that instinct born with tho rightful
membcrof the fourth estate. lie stood
'as one who slept and dreamed; all
things 10 him unreal seemed" when,
10! one Of those fortunes that favor tho
brave. A rusiiiny OF silks, n tapping
oi tiny Ioot-hce!S, gay but subducd
chime OF charming laughter, bewil-
dcrlnS glimpse OF scarlet lips and eyes
that suggested black velvet and black
diamonds. all those dislracting things
in fact TINT have disturbed tho peace
of mon since Lilith, first beloved.
dawncd> on Adam. 1t was but mo-
,Smcnt, and the vision had passed him
before our hero had fairly opened his
eyes. HIS mind was for once rippled,
and like some ''inspired idiot" it
feeble intermlxed girls and houris and
&other NEUROLOGICAL absurditics. Had
lahc, tho ubiquitous reporter for long,
ISlong days and weeks, who had worn
Iout innumcrablo pairs of shoes tramp
ling tho city from end to end until his
Iiprcsent dignity was fairly won could
EIhe havo dwclt within knowledge of
titliat thing Of lovclnoss and failed to
lnnako her his by right of discovery
bOut with the thought Sho must be-
Slrangor, perhaps Peri from the gate
EotEden wandering disconsolato.
I'm fact, the pnssers-by were two very
ood-ooking Chicago girls (they
,kwould have been raro beauties else
hss sherc), but, by tho bow of Cupid, one
Shad he scon, and only ono and she
Shad fired his southern soul. He
Started forward in timo to catch tho
8last glimmcr of silk rs shc passed into
8the dry-goods palace on the corner,
Ythen with sigh was sinking back into
ghis old, restful position (Sylvestro was
born tircd). whom, OH rapture! there
ut his feet lar II dainty kid mtteu!
! "Sdeathn CSdoath, oh, uninitiated
into tho mysteries of newspaperdom,
is tho customary cjaculatory uttorance
?. of the well-formed newspaper man Of
the nineteenth contury.)
"Sdcath!" he calculated. 1t was
hers Instinct told him that. He
scizod it with even more avidity than
If it had boon an Item, and, with heart
exultingly beating, hp hastily followed
the ladies into the bGsv hive, where
people were packed "iiko pickles in a
jar" Upstairs and in tho bas sOmont,
gloTcring at tho cash-boys and .'orget-
Ting to smio on the lady clerks. from
aisle to aisle, he pursued his frritless
search, forgctful of the fact that it was
/. II corner store with doors oa two
streets. Exhausted with su0n labors
and the heat of the day, he muttcred
nr--Yocabulary word and reluctantly
abandoned the search, pocketed hiN
precious "lind," and betook himself to
his Office, here to sock forgotfulness in
i his accustomed way.
The next morning, the columns of tho
paper whose staff lie so brilliantly
ornamented, appeared conspicuously
tihSiS iegend: .
WANTED The lady who yesterday lost
4 oM State stree, near ----, q, a,red-Sttched, fur
TRIMMED, fleece-inod kid nltt, will confer
q aflyorGn tl' finder by sendhg the other
one,to x 63 Dattu Scoope,r.ttr.lS
y ~
Pretty Miss Alice RinghamN in her
own especial room next morning, sit
ting bolt upright with a stare dt as.
tonishment read Che above modestNre