The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-04-01

Pile by his sidey small at first, daily grew
In magnitude, and the book upon which
80 much depended was nearly finished.
But about this time dreadful uneasi
ness seized upon him. He had no. seen
Eulalie for fortnight. When the fort
night grew into : month, and the month
into two, he became 90 alarmed he could
work no longer. Vainly he attempted to
allsy his fears by aasuming that she had
gone out OF town on visit he felt that
he must see her, and 80 satisfy himself
that she was not merely creature of his
imagination. Roaming the streets day
after day, he searched for his unknown
love, but found her not she had vanished
from his life as mysteriously as she had
come into it.
At length, in despair, he again entered
the shop where he had asked her name. He
had seen her there many times since. The
same dapper assistant was arranging
gloves in box, and the whole scene was
so exactly the same that Bond paused
IN hsWilderment. halEinclined TO thiak
the past few months had been dream.
Advancing to the counter, he stammered
out:
Have you seen her lately? The
lady? What are you staring at? You
know who Imean."
Seen her?" exclaimed the assistant,
with fash of remembrance. "The lady T?
Oh All that's good joke" He ended
with most Objectionable laugh
"a good joke ?" said Bond absently.
81 don't understand YOU"
You read the papers, suppose, sir. :"
81 don't. Speak plainly, man.
The lady"-he grlnned as he spoke
has just been tried for obtaining goods
on false pretenses"
You lie, you cur" shouted Bond
Quick as lightning his clinched fist shot
across the counter and fiattened the as
tonished youth against the shelves be-
hind.
A crowd collected in a moment.
Drunk" said one. Mad" said anoth-
er, and those behind began to press for
ward and those in front to sheer away
In truth this guant creature with the
flaming eyes looked violent enough for
anything. Amid general clamor for
the police the proprietor of the shop for
tunately appeared upon the scene. He
was not going to have a fuss made there,
he said; so Bond was hustled into the
street. He turned when he got clear of
the crowd
t" Tried, poor thing - he shouted back.
But she was acquitted. Iswear she was
acquitted"
"She was guilty, though !'' cried the
assistant, viciously shaking his fist from
the doorway.
Pure and sweet and beautiful-'
"Guilty, or I'll eat my hat''
"Shut up you ldiot!'' cried the propri-
etor. And shaking the youth by the
shoulders he pushed him back into the
shop.
Bond scarcely knew how he got to his
rooms. His pile of manuscripts Law on
the table; the cat sat purring before the
fre; everything was precisely as he had
left 1t. But oh! how different it all
seemed He dropped into a chair, and
the veins stood ont in his pale forehead
and his hands worked convulsively. Eu-
lalie in felon's dock. Could men be so
mad, so cruel, so unjust! 1t was impos-
sible
One solitary idea now took possession
of him-tO find Eulalie, though with what
object he did not determine. By strange
chance he met her in the street next day
met and scarcely recognized her. Nov
ing swiftly and stealthly along, as if she
feared to be seen, with her hair in disor-
der, her face no longer touched by that
art to which it had largely owed its beauty
and her dress old and slovenly, she was,
indeed, dreadfully changed Bond start
ed back when he saw her, his face deadly
white; he pressed his hands to his heart,
1T gave such a painful throb, he could
scarcely believe his own eyes.
His earnest gaze seemed to discompose
her, for she dropped faded old umbrella
in the mud, whereupon he rushed for
ward, picked it up, and handed it to her.
She look it without word of thanks, a
scowl being all she gave him. Then she
hurried away, leaving him in panied be-
wilderment. He could only repeat over
and over again: "Her smile was very
sweet"
"A bad un, SIR" said policeman who
had been watching this little scene.'' &C A
regular bad un." He winked in the d.
rection of the retreating woman.
But Bond was already out of earshot
hurrying aftt r her i'm obedience to an ir-
resistible impulse to offer her all he had,
yearning to tell his love and acquire the
right to protect her. Though his ideal
was little more than menoy, the woman
remained, and, in his eyes, she was still
beautiful With her by his side he cared
not what the world said. Never had his
love been stronger than it was at this mo-
ment.
But though he dived down one obscure
street after another, he could not find her.
And at length, murmuring to himself:
All, yes, her smile was very sweet" he
wearily dragged himself back to his lodg-
ings.
Once again, and, for the last time. he
saw her. 1t was on the following after
noon. He was sitting at the open win
dow, absently cAressing the cat upon his
lap, when she happened to pass by on the
opposite side of the street. Looking up
at the window, she suddenly stopped and
stared. Before he had recovered from
his surprise she stretched out her arms
and cried:
"Oh, my pussiel Nell, Nell, won't you
come to me?"
The cat sprang through the window
and crossed the street in less time than il
takes to write the words. There could
scarcely be doubt about the ownership.
The animal. with aTched back and straight.
ened tail, was delightedly rubbing itself
L. II -