Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-04-11
One of the Incidents which Lead on 70
Tragedies.

below the surface Of life here # one learns
/ ANYTHING. Little romancs, which often grow
I into big ruins. are tu hr seen here auv day,
| and almost every hour. Indeed. ON" can I
I help but Se, them, they arr ~ Enthusiastically
/ under ones nose \ few weeks ago was
walking with a friend on n much thrOng~l
| street just the great shops closed. An
army Of >al"~mrn, sal,SwOmen "hunlIrr~,
cash girl, and boys and other helpers poured
out Of the great d,-rr~ OF two or rhrr large
/ houses and hurried of toward th"'r homes
Among the pedestrians that met this NOV
ing throng was a da>hmg Young swell, who
singled out a Young girl walking alone,
and approaching her in the most deterentlal
manner and the heartiest delight greeted her
with thu rurhaitv Of warm friend. The
little thug Cu"rd with pleasure and pride,
and her Agreeable face fairly >home with de
light a. tn" dashing youth turned and walked
10y her side
DO Won Se.n that said nv friend That
dude is not of that girls sphere in life. He
has waited for her and Is dazzling her humble
little head with his attentions and hattery.'
He had stated the case correctly. The girl
was a mere child Her skirts were still
somewhat abuve her >hoe-tOps, and were
very thin and we'll worn. though her entire
costume. poor As il was, carried an atmo~-
pherp Of stve that many a Fifth avenue belle
l. not born To. Her shoulders were protected
bv a iaunty hut thin little cape made from a
last winters cloak and her neat shoes
though shining with liquid backing, We're
nearer the end than the beginning of their
career He was clad in warm. rich clothing
She and the young man might well have
been used a. mu,iels for picture Of Indus
trious Poverty and Idle Opuleuce walking
arm in arm
How pleased she was Her ewes Sparkled
as she proudly stepped along and her tongue
was lon~ened a. hv magic. She chartered
with pleasure smiled at every word her com
panlon uttered literally walked on air.
Even the tiny lunch basket that swung
lightly on her arm seemed To partake of her
pleasure and jn>tled itself back and forth IN
er.stacv After a dav of toll in the shop she
had suddenly entered paradise. Her selftsS-
teen and VANITY. her heart. perhaps, were
all touched hv the loverlike Difference of the
elegant creature 10y her side.
They walked on just ahead of us across the
CITY TO Broadway. turned up that great
thoroughfare and walked several squares.
Then the Young man stopped. excused him
self ON the plea of an urgent engagement. vet
fingered and made the sweet pain of parting
as long As possible At last. with many a
regretful word and meaning glance, he left
her and walked down Broadway. and she
tripped lightly away, poor, foolish thing, ~
happy that the world held in that momen:
nothing dISaGr'ea hle
That's the beginning, said my wise friend,
looking after her with sigh. The end for
her. perhaps. will he hospital, or
the river, or long, long days of
doom and degradation. Yet nothing
can I've done to save her Tis cruel, too. that
what appears comforting and attractive
to her should be the means of destroying her
II Is natural for her to he pleased with the
good looking scamps attentions She can't
know that be l. a scamp Doubtless ne SEEMS
a goi to her; the very man of whom she has
read in the story books. and Of whom she has
dreamed i'll her rosy day dreams She loves
refinement. good EannrrS and beauty. and
finds them not in the men with whom she is
daily thrown in her humble station
This Young swell has bought something
from her i'll the store. most likely, and hrlng
well up in reading the signs of the affections
has seen that he has made an impression on
the Cuniding unsophIStcated little thing,
and Is following It up He met her purp"~ely
this evening. of course. He is fiattered. too,
bv the eNtravagant admiration she gives
him He may have nothing but good will III
his heart for her Who Knows If it were
not for the tongues of what l. known "a 50
cietv. perhaps this little romance would not
turn out tragedy. But it will, it will,
There l. 4 hrarthreak in it for the girl, poor
thing And tor the youth loss of something
he would be wise I" keep, whether he will bo
conscious of the loss or not"
NV friend continued: A girl like that has
no chance IN life. anyway. She has human
feeling>-the same lungings and loves are
common to ali humanlty-and if her heart
goes where her tastes do. ten to one it gu--S to
its own undoing. The hard worked people of
the CITY have no society. They toll all day
and ar. too scattered and too fatigued TO have
any pleasure together in the evening-yts,
and too poor Every place of entertainment
costs. Even trip - the home of a friend
,'OStS street car fare, and that Is an item to
those whose labor brings them in merely
enough 10 keep themselves sheltered, fed and
clothed
have seen these Unmatched lovers several
times since GA the street together at the same
hour. The acquaintance has progressed rap
iGv. The youth has taken on all air Of own
erehip toward the girl, and she seems very
happy Ia be owned by such a dazzling Crea
ture. Of course. he never visits her at her
home, which is some respectable but over
crowded tenement house, or some cheap
boarding house with the odOr of fish and
onions permanently IN the dingy little parlor
and gloomy hall No. indeed She couldn't
invite him there, for many reasons He
wouldn't 20 if She did 1t wouldn't be 10 his
taste. No. he will continue To meet her as
She goes from work until he has gained her
confidence. and then be will suggest other
and will continue to entertain her
in ways that appear prinrely to her, and the
end thereof will be misery. MAX ELTON