St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-07-26
AN ARCHER'S ARTIFIOE.

AN ARUHhRS ARIIFlUE.
l happened to be in Chicago at the time
of the burning of the hotel Langham on
Wabash avenue some years ago. I saw
the frightened guests climb down the fire
escapes. saw the walls cave in and two
brave firemen buried beneath the mass of
brick and mortar. The next day | was
around looking at the ruins and watching
the men working to remove the debris from
the bodies of those who had lost their lives
in the fire. While thus engaged CHANGED
to stub my toe ON piece of mortar, and
looking down discovered several pages of
closely written paper. The paper con-
tanned the picture of the Hotel Langham
and was in fact the ordinary hotel letter
paper. The writing was evidently that of
a guest of the Inflated hotel. 1t was a
story, or leaf from his life's history and
was as follows.
1t was in the summer. Immediately fol-
lowing my graduation from college, that
found myself at my home in one of the
very oldest and deadest little cities on the
eastern bank of the Mississippi river. l
fully expected, on my arrival, to be invited
to take editorial charge of one of the two
daily papers published there. No such in
yltatlOn came, however, and I found some
difficulty in securing a position as city edi-
tor, which meant reporter and everything
else. was not carried away with my new
duties as, the city being under $1,000, the
news was rare and not of very sensa-
tional or engrossing character. The time
had not come when society began to lose its
charms, and as result | was the gayest of
the gay. No party got away without me
and. without sickness prevented, I never
stayed away from any social gathering to
which | was invited.
1t CHANGED that during that summer the
young women of the place formed an arch
cry club, and | was asked to become
member. We met at different places once
week and went through the form of shoot
ing at target. The chief amusement,
however, consisted in the german, which
was danced after the lawn supper. No
member OF the club ever made any remark
able record. Very few targets were
Aimless Archery club.
Among the visitors spending the summer
there with relatives was very pretty
Creole from New Orleans, a Miss Jenone
POselwaite. She was very bright, dressed
beautifully, sang, played on the guitar, and
rumor had it that her parents were very
wealthy. l was favOrably impressed with
her the first time [ met her, and as [ grew
to know her better l began to feel that she
was my affinity. l attempted to be her
most devoted admirer, but she declined to
commit herself in the least. While | knew,
as any man who has been the least Observ-
ing can know, that my marked attentions
were not diSpleaSing to her, still I had no
reason TO believe that she regarded them
more than the outward, visible signs of an
inward transient Irritation. We danced
together, sang and attended lawn parties,
but for the life of me I could not tell
whether she reciprocated my affection or
not l was too proud to declare myself
until, in manner, assured that [ would
not be rejected. No man of pride cares to
risk being told by the girl that she will al
ways regard him as friend, but never as
lover. He is not looking after friend.
She was not a fiirt and did not show any
partiality for any other young man in town.
And 1 also learned by diplomatic question
ing of her relatives that she was not en-
gagged and, SO far as they knew, was heart
whole and fancy free.
The summer was pretty well advanced
and the young visitor was talking of going
back to New Orleans. My suit was not
progressing as happily as [ could wish, and
it become evident that she would return
home without giving me the necessary as
surances to warrant me in proposing. 1
succeeded, however, in delaying her de-
parture until late in September on the
grounds that it would be dangerous to her
health to think of returning to the South
before that time.
The last week of September came, and
the day of her departure was near at hand
Her cousin had arranged to give the fare
well meeting at the Archery club. 1t
came off the night before Miss Poselwaite
left | was there. While standing near
the arrow rack. for we were still going
through the form of shooting at the target,
handed the pretty guest an arrow, it be-
ing her turn to shoot. Her thin arrow sped
along through thy air and failed to hit the
target.
l made fun of her craftsmanship, and in
timated that would not be afraid to stand
up and let her shoot at me.
''You are afraid to hold my fan and let
me shoot at it," she said.
l took the dare. and standing respectable
distance away, held out at arms length her
pretty little fan. She raised the bow, ad-
justed the arrow and shot. / heard a whiz.
and the next thing l knew was unable to
see anything.
MY God, Pm shot," 1 exclaimed as I
raised raised my hands to my right eve.
La an instant Miss POselwaite was at nv
side, leading me to the house. In that
brief walk l made the discovery that the
arrow had not gone into my eye but had
nl- at0,, ir-l~4l
from the eye, and the blood from the wound
had spurted over my eye and temporarily
blinded me. [ was taken up stairs, and
cold cloths put on my eye. A physician
was sent for, and while awaiting his COM
ing Miss Poselwate was my nurse. l no.
ticed that every once in while she put
handkerchief up to her own eyes as if to
dry tears. She naturally felt badly, and l
was so much in love that was glad of
it, for by that time I was pretty
sure that the eye was not injured in the
least, fact which the PHYSICIANS exami-
nation subsequently confirmed. l felt that
now was my time and determined to make
the best of it.
l complained of pain, of feeling dizzy
and of how hard it would be to go through
life with my sight impaired. She cried, and
1 kept right on until. fearing that the doc
tor would come, determined to reach
climax right off, So L said something about
wishing she had killed me instead of MAX
ing me blind.
Can you ever forgive me?" she sobbed.
for my lamentation had been too much for
her.
l grasped her pretty hand as she started
to change the application on my eye, and
holding it, said. in most Claude Melnotte
style of defamation:
''Do you really feel sorry?"
She sobbed.
1 continued: do you feel sorry enough
for me to share my dark, dark life?"
She made no attempt to release her hand,
how dearly loved her. She accepted me.
The doctor interrupted very pleasant love
scene, and for once was most unwelcome
YiSitnr