The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-04-02

on tho other side OF the direct M
Eulalie-a queenly woman. tan an
stately. charmingiy dressed, with
fringe Of dainty htt1e brown cnrls ON he
forehead. and . face like an angels
People turned to look at her ~ she wen
by; had they bowed down before he
Bond would scarcely have felt surprised
She was attended by couple of hand
some men-one differential the 0the
more observant Of the sights around
Her brothers, commented Bond, VIII,
had squeezed himself into q doorway
and peeped timidly at her over the bon
nets Of two elderly ladies. As eacl
passing cab momentarily shut her on
1rom his sight his breath came fast an,
thick; he almost feared lest he shoul'
never behold her again. He saw he
enter shop, and presently come on
again. Quite unconscious of the exis
tence of her shabby admirer, she pro
ceeded on her way, and soon disap
peared in the crowd.
Then with the desperate courage
which is perhaps most common in tint,
men, Bond plunged into the shop ant
asked the assistant her name.
"You mean the lady who was lOOkin.
at the gloves?" inquired the dappe
youth, pausing in his task of returning
them to the box in order to stare will
evident amusement at his questioner.
1.-The LADY," repeated Bond, absently
There was but one i'm the whole worll
for him. eyes. yes. of course"
81 don't know her name. Sir"
Bond looked disappointed. But see
ing pair Of gloves which dust beer
tried on he pounced upon them eagerly
What was this strange thrill that went
through and through him? The touch
of a vanished hand? Sympathy:
Surely he was travelling the road o.
knowledge.
Il want pair of gloves" he said
these will do nicely"
They are ladies, Sir, suggested the
assistant.
.'Oh. they'll do. NY hands are no,
large" He blushed as he spoke, fol
they were huge.
''Shafl put them in paper, Sir?"
paper! Yes. wrap them up care.
fully. Gloves are apt to be sOiled in the
pocket"
1t was not very rational act he had
Just committed, and yet he contrived to
cover it neatly with little pretenses and
so disguise its real purport. Was not
he student of human nature? and was
not the glove an index to the hand?
Here. then, he was starting ut the be-
ginning of things, as became a sound
philosopher. So. for the purpose of his
study, he laid the gloves on the table
before him and riveted his gaze upon
them. He even pressed them passion
ately to his lips. an act that made him
blush rs deeply as if Eulalie herself had
witnessed it. Had not she touched
them? and an! what sweet smile she
had! Logic could not fathOm that. but
he recognized its truth nevertheless.
During the ensuing fortnight Bond
went out every morning in the hope of
getting a brief glimpse of the charming
Eulalic. and when successful returned
brimful of happiness. The rest of the
day he invariably spent in building cas-
ties. constructing new settings for his
gem. 1t was delightful occupation,
this continual intercourse with his
divinity. Though she knew him not,
probably had never even seen him,
they two lived an ideal life together.
Wherever she went this shabby book
worm whom it may be she would not
have deigned to notice, accompanied
her in fancy; he dined, walked, talked
and laughed with her; he invested her
with every virtue, set her in a perfect
home and provided her with every COM
fort, content himself to be her devoted
slave and minister to her wants.
In accordance with this theory Bond
attributed to Eulalic qualities the very
opposite Of his own, or rather, what he
supposed to be his own. for he set very
humble value upon himself. He maize
her out to be all that is pure and lovely.
''She is generous" he said; Ibid she
not give sixpence to a crossing sweeper?
l never gave siNpence to a crossing
sweeper in my life. MY temper is vile,
hers is sweetness itself. Did not see
her smile? She is the most beautiful
woman in the world. l am the incar-
nation of ugliness." He looked in the
glass and saw it was true. And SO he
had no difficulty in constructing his gOl-
den image. before which he, vile
creature Of clay, mcekly bowed his head
and did obeisance.
There was astrange pathos in the
love of this solitary student for an un.
known woman, whose influence, un.
consciously cxerted, had gone far be.
yond the limits of her personal acquaint.
ance. Had it done nothing else il
would have raised him above the dreary
level which he had SO long occupied,
but it presently took a more practical
turn. When he beheld his cherries
room, the cat the only homely thing in
it, and thought of that perfect home OF
his fancy, there flashed into his mind
the question: Where is the money to
come from? and what am l, to aspire
to such as she, even if had the money?
This thought fell upon him like thun-
derclap; it threw him into stupor, out
of which he emerged trembling.
Awakened to the reality of his dream.
the strong man girded up his loins, and
put forth the strength which had hither-
to lain dormant. Though he could not
forego the pleasure of seeing Eulalie
every day if possible, the afternoons
and evenings were henceforth devoted
to work. Many years before he had
begun to write a book, which he had
not had the energy to finish; he now
took it up again, and worked at it day and
night. Fame and fortune opened out
before him; useless before, they had
now become priceless. for did they not
lead to-how the blood cOursed in his
veins at the thought-Eulalie!
Dissatisfied with the condition of his