Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-25
A Hallmark ROMANCE.

A Hallmark ROMANCE.
Philip Northam, coming hastily out OF the
Exchange building one morning In anuar
ahmed on some ice at the top OF the marble
steps andslid rapidly to the bottom. On his
way. however, he encountered a gentle
man who was leisurely descending he
fore him. whipped him briskly from
his feet and brought him down by
his side to the pavement below. This un'
expected~ introduction was accompanied by q
nrompt removal of their respective hats.
Philips rolled down to the curbstone, and the
strangers whirled along the pavement to be
stopped and returned by an opportune boot
black. Fortunately nc bodily damage was
done to either of the embarrassed young men,
who instantly picked themselves up, with
mutually unnecessary apologies. Philip, per-
haps. had some raison d'etre, as he had been
the aggressive party; but the same haste to
catch q train that had occasioned the tender
ing OF the apology made it naturally very
brief. He barely took time to assure himself
that his fellow voyager to the sidewalk was
not hurt, then clapped his hat on his head
and rushed onward with the same speed that
defeated itself a few seconds previous.
We state that Philip clapped his hat on his
head. but the truth is, he clapped on a hat in
every way resembling it, yet as unlike it as a
hat that we have never worn is unlike the
hat of our everyday YEAR. Philip had not
gone a block when he realized that he had
made a mistake, and exchanged hats with the
stranger, whom he had otherwise incommoded
bv hurting him downstairs. It would seem
that destiny had been gratuitously unkind
through Philips unmeant agency to this inof-
fcnsive wayfarer, and for no apparent reason
but her own willful fancy. However, it
would probably be useless to return to the
scene of their rencontre, even if Philip had
had time. So he contented himself with ex-
amining the hat as he sped up by the elevated
to his train at Forty-second street, and was
glad to find in it a hat mark, the initials w.
W. c., neatly embroidered on a band of dark
garnet silk and ornamented with sprays of
floss silk vine. No one had ever embroidered
a hat mark for Philip, and the rightful owner
of the Incorporated head covering became
at once invested with a sort of romance in
Philips mind. The hat Of itself was any
thing but romantic, being one OF those hard,
stiff derbys, that seem to have been invented
for no other purpose than to counterfeit any
possible good looks or the part of the owner.
@W. w. G." Philip pondered not a little over
these cabalistic signs of feminine care and in
terest: he examined them SO closely, indeed,
that. after the manner of ardent explorers, he
made an unlocked for discovery. Under the
little silken band was tucked firmly a slip Of
folded paper. Thinking it might contain per-
haps the full complement Of the initials.
Philip opened and read it. A great flush
passed over his face, and his heart quickened
with sympathy. On the paper were written
these words, in a delicately feminine hand:
WILL: If you care to preserve this little souve-
mir you will some time know that I love you; too
late, perhaps, for happiness, but not too late for
truth. God grant that you may safely cross the
ocean and cross back again to me.
That was all. Philips ardent soul thrilled
with tenderness as he r~everently replaced the
little scrap of paper in its hiding place and
continued to look down at it like one in a
dream. How could he put it on again with
this sad secret lowering above his brain? It
seemed a sacrilege that he, a stranger, should
be crowned even temporarily with this
"burden of an honor into which be was not
born" Of course, necessity compelled him to
wear it until he could procure one of his own,
but the pathos of those few yearning words
gave him no peace. Even when he. had ceased
to be conscious of their actual proximity to
his curly dark locks and was again his own
man, at least to the extent of a new derby,
he was not rid of their haunting spell. The
advertisements he paid for in behalf of "W.
w. c." would have purchased half a dozen
hats, but they brought him no sign nor token
from the missing owner, and as time wore on
the strange hat with its pathetic secret lay
hidden in a box in Philips wardrobe and be-
came thing of the past.
Meanwhile Fate, spinning her web of many
tissues, spun for Philip among other things, a
hat mark of his own. 1t was very, very pretty,
and very, very precious, and Philip felt like a
king who is for the first time crowned with
bis royal Inheritance when he knew that he
adjudged worthy to wear the favor Of
slender lily fingers WHOSE ightest touch had
him like a concentration of electric
batteries. Fatets name, on this occasion, was
Myra Browne. She was fair and light-haired,
with pretty gray eyes and a soft Independence
Of mind and name Philip had fallen in
love with her at first sight, but she had only
by slow degrees from Indifference to
interest, from interest to friendship, from
friendship towel, the next step is scarcely
.perceptible, but her progress eventually re-
suited in a glorious attainment for Philip.
He could scarcely trust himself to the contem
of his own bliss when he realized that
The happiness of this strong yet delicate and
soul was given into bis keeping.
II bring you the first real love of nv
~ ~ che cold 1ooI.n~ h;~, %l,~o,.-I -
with her clear, sincere gray eyes.
always remember this, Philippine first real
owe Of my heart"
Philip stood abashed before the purity of
her gaze, remembering how he had written
to this girl and that, and pressed pretty
hands with a fervor that now rose I'D to &C.
use him.
He sighed deeply, having in reality nothing
% sigh about, but a wholly unnecessary ac-
ivity of conscience, which is often worse
han it's proportionate degree of languor.
Philip had been W years in possession OF
he mysterious, s~ecret-laden derby and five
months married before these circumstances
ound any relation to each other. He was
through his wardrobe one day, and
anne out to Myra with the hat in his hand
md, sitting down, began to tell her its 70
mantle history. Myra listened with her
suspended and her lips apart, her face
and flushing with warm womanly
ympathy. Her pretty eyes filed with tears
IS she read the little written scrap Philip
in her hand. She went over it silently
wo or three times, with a very sad, compass
ionate glance; then, to Philips amazement,
ore the paper into shreds and threw them
ronl her out of the window. The wind lost
70 time in carrying them away.
"Myra" he looked almost wildly after the
lying pieces. "What in the world induced
'ou to do that"
ut was the right thing to do, dear" she an
wered, with quivering lips. "No woman
hould betray her heart in that way. If I
yer could be tempted to forget pride and
ignity SO foolishly I would be obliged to
one who would destroy, the evidence of
ny folly"
"But supposing I should find the owner
he person to whom that paper was adj
!
"That isn't likely now, Philip; of course,
you do lind him You could tell him. But,
'hilip," looking earnestly at her husband, "if
were you l would never tell any one else.
mol, fhinonc e,o,, ,.,&A,x - 81. I