Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-03-19

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month into two, he became SO alarm
ed he could work no longer. Vain,yI
he attempted to allay his fears BY as
Stunning that she had gone out OF town
on a visit; he felt that he must see her
and so'satisfy himself that she was
not merely a creature of his imagine
ton. Roaming the streets day after
day he searched for his unknown love,
but found her not; she had vanished
from this life as mysteriously as she
had come into it. I. g..
At length, in despair, he again en-
tered the shop where he had asked her
name. He had seen her there MANY
times since. The same dapper assist
ant was arranging gloves in a box,
and the whole scene was so exactly
the same that Bond paused in bewil-
derment, half inclined to think the
past few months had been q dream.
Advancing to the counter he STAN
mered out:
Have you seen her lately? The
lady? What are you staring at?
You know who Imean."
"Seen her!' exclaimed the assistant,
with a flash Of remembrance. "The
LADY, Oh! ah! that's g. good Joke"
He ended with a. most Objectionable
laugh
"A good joke!" said Bond absently.
II don't understand you"
"Iou read the papers, I suppose,
sir"
Il don't. Speak plainly, man."
"The lady'-he grinned as he spoke
--"has just been tried for obtaining
goods on false pretenses.
"You like, you cur," shouted Bond.
Quick as lightning his clenched fist shot
across the counter and hattened the
astonished youth against the shelves
behind.
\ crowd collected in a moment.
Drunk" said one; ''Alad," said an
other; and those behind began to press
forward; and those in front to Sheer
away. In truth, this gaunt creature
with the flaming eyes looked violent
enough for anything. Amid a general
clamor for the police, the proprietor
OF the shop fortunately appeared up
on the scene. He was not going to
have a, fuss made there, he said; SC
Bond was hustled into the street. He
turned when he got clear OF the crowd.
Tried, poor thing" he shouted
back. "But she was acquitted. I
swear she was acquitted"
"she was guilty, though" cried the
assistant, viciously shaking his fist
from the doorway.
"Pure and sweet and beautiful"
"Gullty, or I'll eat my hat"
.'shut up You IDIOT cried the pro-
prietor. And shaking the youth by
the shoulder, he pushed him back in
to the shop.
Bond scarcely knew how hegot back
to his rooms. His pile OF manuscripts
lay on the table; the cat sat purring
before the fire; erything was precise
ly as he had left it. But oh! how diff
ferent it all seemed! He dropped into
a chair, and the veins stood out in
his pale forehead, and his hands
worked convulsively. Eulalie in a fel-
on's dock Could men be so mad, so
cruel, so unjust? 1t was impossible.
One solitary idea now took posses
sion OF him-to find Eula]ie, though
with what object he did not determine.
BY g. strange chance he met her in
the street next day; met and scarcely
recognized her. Moving swiftly and
stealthily along, as if she feared to be
seen, with her hair in disorder, her face
no longer touched by that art to
which it had largely owed it's beauty,
and her dress old and slovenly, she
was indeed dreadfully changed. Bond
started back when he saw her, his face
deadly white; he pressed his hands to
his heart, it gave such q painful throb;
he could scarcely believe his own eyes.
His earnest gaze sesmed to discom-
pose her, for she dropped faded old
umbrella in the mud, whereupon he
rushed forward, picked it up, and
handed it to her. She took it without
a word of thanks, ascowl being all she
gave him. Then she hurried away,
leaving him in panied bewilderment.,
He could only repeat over and over
again. "Her smile was very sweet"
IA bad un, sir, said a policeman
who had been watching this little
scene. A regular bad un." He wink
ed in the direction Ofthe retreating
woman.
But Bond was already out OF ear.
shot, hurrying after her in obedience
to an irresistible 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
a memory, 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 OBJ
secure street after another, he could
not find her. And at length, murmur.
ing to himself" All, yes, her smile was
very sweet" he YEARLY dragged him.
self back to his lodgings.
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 sud-
denly stopped and stared. Before he
had recovered from his surprise she
stretched out her arms, and cried:
"Oh, my pussie! Nell, Nell, won't
you come to me?"
The cat sprang through the window
and crossed the street in less time than
it takes to write the words. There
could scarcely be doubt about the
ownership. The animal, with arched
back and Strengthened tail, was de-
lightedly rubbing itself against her
shabby dress, and she was bending
down talking to it as if it were her
child. .>E IT,. 800 :.
Bond was not slow to grasp the
situation. He rose hastily to explain
the circumstances under which he had
bought the cat from q lad, whom he
had believed to be the rightful owner.
He was trembling in every limb, for