The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1888-05-10
A BRIDGE ROMANCE.
Ny BlundeT and Apology, and
What They Led To

When l come TO think IL all over l
hardly know where it began myself
Naturally. ] am a very observing man.
and have "a nose for news" other
wise should long ago have been
looked upon as unreliable. and would
have received notices in various shapes
that lowing to circumstances. etc,
etc. :" but such has been nv fate but
once. and that was the beginning Of
my romance.
notwithstanding my observative
habit ] must confess that there are
moments when ] lapse into periods
Of what might be termed thinking
back" and then / do not conserve
more than half Of what | notice. 1t
was in one of these moods that left
my home. and. to this dag ! can not
recall how ! reached the Brooklyn
bridge. on nv way to New York; but
I suddenly awoke from the reverie
was in. and saw standing in front Of
me female figure My gentlemanly
instincts awOke at once. and Isprang
from the seat / had occupied. and
with a touch of my hat. said: BEG
pardon-take my seat
The lady, for she was a lady, any
one could see it in a moment as she
wore hat that you could look over
the top Of, and you could pass around
her without disturbing her rearward
drIpery. looked ut me in H half-sad,
half-quisical manner. and "a at the
same moment the shadow Of the New
York terminus came over the cars. and
I realized that we had reached our
journeys end, / am satisfied that
blushed. and said AZ ,in: '' beg your
pardon. was preoccupied. " She
bowed to me and smiled In sad way,
as much as To say she did not doubt
me, and we went our several WAYS.
was not so distract when went down
.he stairs leading to Park Row as not
70 observe that she crossed the foot
bridge leading To the park.
In the confused moment that had
% look at her. my usual observative
habit came into play. and | noted that
she wore a gray stuff dress. not at all
new, but we'll cared for and neat. aud
not so tight in the arms as to pull out
in the back. and while she had on the
usual brown kid gloves, the backs
could be plainly seen through the
stitching. and the finger ends were
neatly darned and showed long and
constant wear. As ! descended the
stairs. and she kept on the even foot
way could not help but notice her
foot. Il befitted her height and must
have been liberal three at the least.
but il did not run back ut the heel or
slope over on the outside. and had no
pinched look about the toes. while the
heel itself Was low and broad When |
reached the street ] paused COR mo-
ment for another glimpse Of her. but
failed 10 get il, rs she was lost in the
crowd or took the uptown elevated
road.
went through nv duties that day
in an entirely mechanical manner. and
was somewhat surprised when the city
editor said: What the dickens is this
you have beer writing about a gray
dress?' ] fastened to his desk. and
looking over nv copy. said: &" | meant
it for great distress, and with a
grim lOok he said: why didn't yuu
write il SOP and | went away sore at
heart, for am rather proud Of my
"eOpY" and know that the typos like
TO set il, as il is 50 clear.
! did not know that I had been
thinking Of a gray dress. but Il seems
that had. and as ! crossed the b. ilge
that night-it was nearly midnight
looked in \ vague way for a gray
dress, which did not appear. and l let
myself in my home with = feeling
that ! had missed something. After
that night seemed TO live in q gray
atmosphere The haEy days Of In
dian summer had come. to be followed
by the misty ones Of the close-follow-
ing winter. II grew to be a habit Of
mine to time my bridge trip as nearly
As ! could to the time when first I saw
her. / scanned the faces on the plat
form before ! entered the cars. / in
variably secured a seat in the hope
that l might give Il up to her. At
length had my reward. Il was over
= month since ! had seen her. but
hnally she entered full ear where /
was seated. ] at once arose and said:
''Please accept my seat before We get
over. this time" She smiled. bowel
and blushed As though she also re-
membered our first meeting. and not
word was said until we reached The
New York side. when. IS we left the
car said to her: Il do not wish you
70 think me rude. but I have been
looking for you for over = month 70
apologize tO you for my seemingly
rude conduct 80 ron the first time
met Jon Do you remember its" She
said, with = smile: .. Very well in
dssd I did not 81 the time, think
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