The South western news., 1888-01-18


tainly should not have hired, on the
first of May, 1873, the studio at the ton
OF the building number thirty three
= street, room number tWenty-four.
Firstly, because the room was small.
secondly, because the building was old
and lll-cared for; thirdly, because the
street was by no means a genteel one.
However, l had hired it, and | had
taken thither my small possessions NV
ped, which became lounge by day. nv
table, my three chairs, my striped car
pet, my books, the shelves that held
them, my bachelors cooking apparatus.
and my tools, and had gone to work at
the illustration of the next weeks Pub-
lie Astonlsher-a mysterious figure. clad
IN foldless dressing gown. and some,
thlng, presumably a turban, which, sit
ting IN modern kitchen chair, held IN
Its right hand mechanically. Us thonob
1t were voting, while something that
might have been the ironing board ON
casters, with a veil atop, tumbled in alta
barn door with curtains to it, with both
hands up like those of the figures little
boys draw upon their states for ghosts.
. The Sultan and the Lady Miranda
mutually astonished at each others an.
pearance, said the text, and the Oh.
server mentally added, ''And no Won
der" VII
Twas doing the Lady NIiranda's nose
"a very long Grecian@when hfting IN
my eyes L looked across the well-like
space between my window and that Of
the opposite house, and caught sight of
the prettiest face that had ever met nv
eyes-a face of Cuban darkness With
great velvet eyes, and black hair that
clustered about the smooth forehead in
statuesque waves, and lips rounded and
soft as an infants, and red as reddaet
coral. 1o'O
1t was the face of young woman of
twenty, and she had been LOOKING at
me Nhen she caught my eve she nj
once aVerted her gaze ana left me free
70 look at her; and now saw her mo
HE. Nothing could have been more
regular or sweeter, and the neck and
past seemed perfect. Her dress was
olack, with u scarlet bow in the hair
ana Knot of the same color Mt tbe
breast, and she seemed to be ut work Of
9omethlng which required delicate care
LOOKING closer l saw that She was color.
ing photographs.
The Sultan and the Lady Miranda de
manded attention, of course. but evo,,,
now and then I lifted NV ewes on3 |
leasted them on the beautiful face of NV |
ctS-a-gts' Some people deny that there |
Is such thing as love at first siobt |
Iernaps they are right. But, then
WIlat was 1t that came into nv heart for |
~ loVely unknown neighbour There
10 ITO other name for it. When the eve
nlng shadows fell and hid her from nv
sight ii was q grief to me.
ABOUT midnight / retired. [ had |
watched all the evening III the dark to |
see light in that opposite window, hut
none had appeared, and | had decided |
mat 1t was work room, whence the |
workers departed at oyentide. On fine |
morrow she would be there again. no
doubt. L would hasten the morrow bv |
sleeping as soundly as possible by |
dreaming of her if | could. 7 was fool |
ish enough, l remember. to 90 throuob
certain rhyme which an old Fran9L /
aunt OF mine had declared would aIw5ys
oflng dream OF ones Culture" if re-
l'eaVeu Just at the stroke Of twelve. IL
9ne RETAINED from speaking. taking a
Pi"S CTS
The last stroke of twelve had dronned
1pon the Ri from a clock hard hr, as
ended the foolish lines, and NV eyes
'losed with that odd weight upon them
which has given rise to the nnrserr
ables OF THE Sandman" / felt that I
vas about to slumber. ~ ''''' l
HOW many minutes passed.? do NOT
now but YVES awakened by sbriIi
rream-the cry Of woman's voice
.uch sounds are common enough in tbe
Ity, and at first it gave me merely q
'ellng OF annoyance, in that 1t had dis.