Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-12-26
Gossins viii circulate i'm 8 boarding-

Gossips will circulate in boarding
house se-mysteriously, to be sure, but
still it goes. And one day while she
was in her little room-his room was al
the opposite end of the hall-she over
heard two of the servants discussing
certain photographs She learned they
were in his room. She also learned
that they were photographs of ladies.
Now, the dominant characteristic of the
feminine mind is curiosity. Sorry to
say so, but it is true. Some will go to
almost any length to appease it. And
many woman has brought trouble on
herself and friends to crafty it. And
our little heroine was plentifully su =
piled with this valuable article.
Can he have another girl?" she asked
herself; then quickly answered it: ''Of
course he has. But perhaps he is en-
gagged! Think of it-engaged! Is su- b
a thing possible?"
And fully impressed with the horror
of the thought, she flung her door open.
There was no one in the hall; the door
of his room was open, for it was the day
after Christmas and he was out of town
gone to see that other perhaps. Her
mother was out-no chance of detection
from that quarter. She remembered
that the occupants of the other room
were also away for Christmas-nO one to
discover her there. Surely the coast was
clear. Yes, she saw it, and with rapid
step walked boldly into his room. All.
how she flushed at her own pretty face
in his mirrOr-a dainty hand-painted
the gift of that ether
But what other? She looked around and
saw, not one feminine face, as she ex-
pected, but many. But there was one
which seemed to have the most promi-
nence. This stood on the bureau, and
she bent over to examine it closely.
The upper drawer of the bureau was
open a little way-all else was in good
order. She had been studying the pho
perhaps a minute, raptly and
when she was Mortified by
hearing the front door in the hall below
open and shut heavily and a rapid step
come hurrying up the stairs. She turned
pale with fright, for she recognized his
quick step, and never had it seemed so
quick-never had she ex-
1ismay. Not pausing longer, she turned
abruptly t. hazard a run into her own
room, for he had climbed but one flight
Of stairs-there was yet time.
At her bosom she wore dainty glove
Duttoner of oxidized silver-a pretty
thing, the gift of dear friend. 1t had
become dislOdged from its resting-place
IS she sat reading in her own room,
md when the thought of those photo
yraphs came to her she rose so sud
lenly that she still further loosened it;
While bending over the picture on his
bureau it hung by just the slightest
hread, and when she turned quickly
o fly it fell into the partly-open drawer.
'he heard the noise as it fell, but could
lot pause to find it at so critical a mo-
nent.
When she entered the room-his
oom-she easily lodged around chair,
which was placed little awkwardly in
he center of the room; but in her
agerneSs to escape she thought not of
hat obstruction, but rushed into it,
verturned the chair, which fell with |
rash, and, humbled most piteously, she |
prawled full length upon the floor, a |
Oxen hair-pins flying in all directions.
las! for her lordly dignity!
Just at this juncture he, a little |
realized with the climb, reached the |
pper hall and swiftly approached his
pom. 1t would be utterly false to say
nat he was not surprised. 1t would be
qually false to say that he was liter
lily thunder-struIk. He paused alb