St. Paul daily globe., 1888-06-24
A BRIDGE ROMANCE.
Or, a Poor Reporters Career From $40 Week to
$4,000 Month.

and have ''a nose for news" otherwise ]
should long ago have been looked upon
as unreliable, and would have received
to circumstances" etc., ,etc. but such has
been my 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 ''observe more than half of what
notice." 1t was in one of these moods
that L left my home, and to this day ]
cannot recall how reached the Brook,
lyn bridge on my way to New York. but
suddenly awoke from the reverie !
was in and saw standing in front of me
female figure. My gentlemanly i'll
stincts awoke at once and l sprang from
the seat | had occupied and with a
touch of my hat said: BEG pardon
take my seat"
The lady, for she was lady, any one
could see it in a moment, as she wore a
hat that you could look over the top of,
and you could pass around her without
disturbing her rearward drapery, looked
at me i'll half-sad, half-quiZZical man
ner, and as at the same moment the
shadow of the New York terminus came
over the car, and l realized that we had
reached our journeys end, L am salts
fed that | bluShed and said again: Il
beg your pardon. [ was preoc cupied."
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 the stairs leading to Park row, as
not to observe that she crossed the
foOt-bridge leading to the park.
In the confused moment that | had to
look at her my usual observative habit
came into play, and l noticed that she
wore gray stuff dress, not at all new,
but well cared for and neat, and 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 lOngsand constant wear.
AS L descended the stairs and she
kept on the even footway, could not
help but notice her foot. 1T befitted
her height, and must have been lib
eral three at the least, but it did not run
back at the heel or slope over on the
outside, and mad no pinched look about
the toes, while the heel itself was low
and broad. When | reached the street
l paused for a moment for another
glimpse of her, but failed to get it, as
she was lost in the crowd or took the
uptown elevated road.
L went through my duties that day in
an entirely mechanical manner, and
was somewhat surprised when the city
editor said:
''What the ID is this you have been
writing about gray dress?"
[ hastened to his desk and looking
over my copy, said:
81 meant it for great distress,''' and
with grim look he said:
'Why didn't you write it SOP" and ]
went away sore at heart, for am rather
proud of my copy" and know that the
typos like to set it, as it is SO clear.
L did not know that had been think
ing of gray dress, but it seems that
had. and as | crossed the bridge that
night-it was nearly midnight looked
in vague way for a gray dress, which
did not appear, and ] let myself in my
home with feeling that had missed
something. After that night l seemed
to live in a gray atmosphere. The hazy
days OF Indian summer had come, to be
followed by the misty ones of the close
following winter
1t grew to be habit of mine to time
my bridge trip as nearly as could to
the time when first | saw her. |
scanned the faces on the platform be-
fore l entered the cars. / invariably
secured seat in the hope that [ might
give it up to her. At length l had my
reward. 1t was over month since |
had seen her, but finally she entered a
full car where was seated. l at once
arose and said:
T.
over, this time.p She smiled, bowed
and blushed, as though she also remem-
bered our first meeting, and not word
was said until we reached the New York
side, when, as we left the car, said to
her:
81 do not wish you to think me rude,
but L have been looking for you for over
month to apologize to you for my
seemingly rude conduct to you the first
time met you. Do you remember it?''
She said with smile:
Every well indeed. did not at the
time think you intended any rudeness
but imagined you were thinking of
something and had only walked up to
the fact that you were ON the bridge
when you were nearly over it,"
| said that l had often thought of the
day, and had hoped the day would come
when could see her and tell her that
only intended to act as a gentleman
and not to call attention to her, as she
might have thought, and as had seen
others do, who kindly offer theil
seats to ladies' after finishing theiI
own journey in the street cars.
She said, 81 did not look at it at all in
that light, for really do not believe
you knew where you were when you
SkOke to me-"
''How long ago it seems" l said
''Have you any idea when it waS?'
''Oh, yes, perfectly. 1t was on the
25th of October. wrote it in my dairy
and beside it was my birthday
All this while had been walking be-
side her, and then | said: "Will you be
offended if | walk with you as far as
you are going?"
mot at ALL" she said. 81 am only
going on the next block, where work
in bOokbindery."
She looked at me with honest eyes
and they were gray, too, like the dress
she wore, the first one / saw her in, and
when we reached the door of the tall
factory | tore sheet from my memo
randum book and wrote my name upon
1t with my address. l asked her if she
would feel offended if / waited to see
her OH the other side of the river the
next morning and she told me: Mo-
at ALL" Then | said:
''Whom will 1 meet?'
She gave me another of her wholly
sweet and half-sad smiles and handed
me a neatly written card. evidently
done by her own hand, which read:
e.