St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-05

kMWH &NS company with a
ENa ENHWN gen / e man Of
EHN&l1l y doubtful charac-
IH11S ter. There was no
fll HltfkF certainty about
Ulll lWI any of the e
th.noo. People do circulate great
many lies nowadays. But everybody
agreed that the girl had gone aStray in
this great Northwestern city.
The poor girl had no idea that she
had furnished the subject of any such
amount of gossip. She was only twenty
years old, and at that age one believes
only the best about everybody. From
the day she was confirmed she had kept
busy plying the needle day in and day
out. She had come from the country
and had been forced into this unceasing
toll of the city. The years had rolled
by rapidly under all this everlasting
hurry-sewing working days and at
church Sundays. She had been trained
as a Christian at home and had not
dared to break the custom. At the shop
she had great many chums, still none
that cared much for her or that she
cared much for; the others were chang
ing all the time. She alone had held
out. Returning from church Sundays
she would often meet some of them:
but then they would be logged out and
dressed up SO that they would not even
look at her. Returning from her work,
too, she would often meet some of them,
but then they were nearly always ac-
companied by some stylish gentleman.
She would sometimes hear this men
toned at the shop the next day, and the
mention would draw dubious SnubS and
mods from the other SeamStreSSeS, and
now and then she might hear one or
more heave sigh. They did not like
to hear that one of their own class had
gone astray. They knew that sooner or
later they would take that road them
selyeS-it was so hard to escape from it.
She-Anna was her name-had
thought something of the sort herself,
but after different fashion.
She had reached twenty. She had be.
come fully developed, and had COM
menced to experience feeling that she
never had known before. The cramped
position she had to take while working
began to tire her more than formerly.
Often now she would drop her work
and sit and stare absent-mindedIy; OF
She, would suddenly start from her
chair, because the position and her
thoughts became uncomfortable. Nor
would she go to her home as rapidly as
she used to, but would prefer to stroll
about little on the way. She also be-
came forgetful about the church ser
vices.
One evening, as Anna was returning
home from her work, she noticed a
young gentleman following her. She
had seen him very often before, and had
always noticed that he eyed her in a
strange way; but had never thought
anything about it till now. He was well
proportiOned and good looking, but she
thought that he must be very high
toned, because he wore a silk hat and
lavender-colOred gloves.
Would he speak to her il she should
slack up her gait?
She did slack up almost involuntarily
and he was at her side Immediately.
She bluShed crimson and dared not look
aside. But he spoke to her. and she
Overcame her baShfulness quickly, and
even had the courage to take his arm
when he offered it.
They took long walk together that
evening, and when at last she had to go
home she permitted him to kiss Grand
promised to meet him the next evening.
Anna felt really happy, and the next
day she was longing all the day for
evening to come. This continued from
day to day during the spring and sum-
mer. The roses returned to her cheeks,
which had been getting pale from the
tiresOme work. Her figure became
more symmetrical, and joy beamed out
of her eyes. How happy to be young
and in love! And in love as she felt
that she was. How beautiful life can
be made! Why think of the future
when the present is such dance on
bed of roses! No, no; live this life
while it lasts.
But the summer went by and autumn
camel and the roses fed from Annals
cheeks che Her fresh appearance had left
her. The good-loOking young gentle
man with the silk hat and lavender
colored gloves, whom she had met OH
that evening, had also left her, and it
was at the time of his departure that
the roses had left her cheeks.
She had dreamed and thought that
she would always be happy at his side.
She had loved him with all the warmth
and earnestneSs Of first love. She had
surrendered herself completely to him
and he had deceived her.
Now she did not care for anything.
She had quit her work long ago. She
had tried new lovers since he left her,
but it was of no use. She could not love
again as she loved her first lover.
Then she gave up everything.
Poor girl, what else was there left to
her now? The scandal-mongers had
stamped her as one gone astray imme-
diately after her first meeting the hand
some young gentleman with silk hat
and lavender-cOloredg loves-during the
happiest and most innocent days of her
life she met sneering and impudent
looks everywhere, and soon learned that
it was because of the report that she
had gone astray. Good. people had, on
account of the gossip, Stunned her, and
bad people became .impudent to her.
She was barred from the society of
respectable people while she was yet as
pure as the best of them. Can you
wonder that she then surrendered herself
completely to her first lover? Can you
wonder that she, after his deceiving her,
knowing, as she knew, the results of
scandal, can you wonder that she now
actually did 90 astray?
ARNE DYBFEsT.
AT ONE.