The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-02-24
II.


They had, indeed, parted forever"
Those who part themselves forever,
though, have q more or less awkward
habit of meeting, sooner or later
usually the former. The world is small
when We would, or think we would, es-
cape any one human being. 1t is only
when we say "Good night-I'll see you
Tomorrow" "Good-bye--we'll meet
next week." that tomorrow never
comes-that next week is swallowed up
in eternity.
Why these two had parted forever"
as she said and believed, is quite an
other matter. Perhaps the gentleman
in No. AZ could have explained if he
would. But have nothing now to do
with causes. Effects are about as large
. contract as the majority of us in this
life are able to concern ourselves with.
But to glance once more at the three
rooms in the Down East Hotel in which
we are at this moment interested:
In No. AZ was an honest, whole
sOuled-but far from whole-hearted-
young fellow, who could not sleep. He
had not yet comprised the frozen and
pitiless philosophy that sit is better to
have loved and lost than never to have
loved at ALL"
In No. 48 was q treacherous wretch
who was rapidly replacing the quart
bottle as congenial receptacle for its
fiery contents. 8
In No. 81 was the pall-like shadow of
the figure that still fingered at the win
dow's side, half lost in the caressing
outline of the curtain. while apale face
was upturned to the cold moonlight,
with sleepless eyes that seemed half
closed in prayer.
A prayer that good old St. Valentine
heard, il it went no higher or farther.
For the morrow was st. Valentines
day, and already was the spell of his
enchantment abroad in the world.
They don't ring midnight bells in the
metropolis of Maine to honor the ad-
vent Of any saints day, but the clerk
on duty at his principal hotel might
have been pardOned for thinking that
Prof. Widdows--who in 1876 made
himself noisily known to Centennial
visitors-or some other artist in
chimes, had suddenly materialized, by
the perturbed condition of the an
nunciator. The performer certainly
succeeded in making music for all con-
cerned by his impartial and bewilder-
ing persistency, as he scandalized the
hour and the proprieties by ringing all
the changes on the nine ''electric
calls" In rapid succession he gave
- times for towels" 20 times f)r hot
water" SO times for BATH and ~
times for fire." then he displayed an
ardent fancy for ''three of a kind" by
demanding the contemporaneous APP
pearance of the ''press l time" bell
boy, ''press 8 times" chamhermaid,
and "press 6 times" porter; without
pause he conveyed with resonant dis.
tinctness peremptory wish for "2
times" ice water and moment later 8
reiteration of previous hint by press.
ing ~ times" that more fire was es.
sential to his comfort.
Whereupon at this stage of the pro
gramme the bald-headed night clerk
armed with the remains of half-eater
sandwich and righteous indignation
rushed angrily to No. 4S parlor foo
TO see if by his personal presence h
might happily quell the riot, which b,
this time involved in a common ruin o
awkward adjectives, elaborate and or
nate eNpletiyes-and notice that the
would throw up their job in the morn
ing-every last employee who had beel
, on duty since ten o'clock.
i When the clerk. holding his wrath il
check as best he could, sought to ex
: postulate with the incendiary occupan
: of the department for ordering anoth
er fire for his CRATE, which was alread