Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-30

lunch together, as you are alone ?"
"Why, of course-why shouldn't we?D
and then she added, look of perplexed
inquiry coming over her brows, II don't
know quite who is going to introduce us to
one another, Mr.-?"
"Neal," said 1 "Ronal Neal, at the
Tressahar-Pauline Tressahar," said
she. Let me give you card"
She fumbled for her card case and for
mine, and standing in the doorway of the
hotel parlor We gravely exchanged cards
and bowed formally to one another.
81 live in Nashville, Tenn" she said,
"and if you ever come there it will give
papa = Colonel Euclid Tressahar
great pleasure if you will come and see us
you will come, won't your"
assured her that | would, and we went
down to lunch The head waiter gave me
menu and check, and / ordered a tiny
meal with some care, during which opera
ton she watched me with a nervous, per-
picked look which perfectly well under
stood, but which for the life of me
couldn't see any way of softening
told the head waiter to give me two
checks and filed up one for her and one
for myself, which would have been foolish
to my English ideas. AS we finished our
microscopic repast, however, she said in
the most matter-of-fact tone to the waiter
"The check, please"
The obsequious Italian brought it to me
naturally and she looked up and said
Sand mine, too, waiter"
"They are both together, madame"
"Oh but-no-I-want" she began.
Really" said |, feeling very uncom-
Portable, cit is such an absolute nothing
that it would be simpler, and would give
me pleasure into the bargain, if you would
allow me to sign this, Miss Tressahar."
Certainly not" she replied, blushing,
though her tone was quite decided "will
you hand it to me for moment"
| did so and she gravely calculated what
her share of our lunch had been, and then
producing her purse she counted out the
exact amount in silver and handed it over
to me with the check.
"Now," said she, if you will sign it it
will be ali right"
| did so without word, fascinated, but
withal feeling little mean,' and then
the child, laying quarter down beside her
plate for the waiter, said:
Now, let's go back to the parlor for a
few minutes and then must go out"
We went up stairs again and sat for half
an hour or so, talking of quite serious mat
tiers, and then we babe one another fare
well, mutually expressing a hope that in
truth it might be not "good-by," but " au
revoir." She was leaving Denver in an
hours time; also was leaving the same
evening.
And thus we parted.
Up stairs in my room had a somewhat
battered copy of my last volume of poems.
put pen through my name on the fly
leaf, and wrote thereon little inscription
in verse expressive of the pleasure l took
in transferring to her the possession of the
volume, and so / sent it down to her by a
servant, and betook myself to my packing.
was thus employed, talking the while to
a friend who had dropped in to say
" good-by," when bell boy brought up a
crimson rose upon salver from the office.
Miss Tressahar has Just left, sir, and
sends this, with her compliments; she has
received the book and is much obliged,
and says she will write to thank you from
Nashville"
l laid the rose reverently between the
leaves of my Bible and put it into my
valise. A week later / was on ranch at
Los Angeles, Cal, and the post brought
me one day letter of four pages in a
pretty Italian handwriting was from
Pauline.
She had received my book just before
she left Denver and hoped l had received
her rose. She had read my verses and
was pleased to say that she liked them
that they touched her. Some of them.
written in a cynical, despairing strain, she
criticised and regretted. She hoped that
some day | should meet some one who
would make me think better of life and
cure me of my love of solitude. She COM
mended my body to happiness and my
soul to God, and remained ever, very sim
cerely my friend, Pauline Tressahar. p.
S.-She hoped l would not forget my
promise and come to Nashville
Yesterday = only yesterday friend
sent me Nashville paper containing an
article concerning myself; almost along
side of the criticism on my poems, in a
column headed Personal Intelligence"
there appeared as an item of local interest
the announcement of the engagement of
I" the beautiful daughter of our esteemed
fellow citizen, Colonel Euclid Tressahar"
to the son of some equally esteemed in
habitant of Nashville, Tenn.
/ cut out the article on myself and my
poems with the paragraph attached to its
side, and folding it up small, opened my
Bible to place it with Pauline's gift. The
leaves Of the book were perfumed by the
sweet dry petals-the soul that still lived
of her crimson rose. And on the page
where it had lain there was little Grim
son stain-I had pressed it upon the verse
of St. Paul's Epistle to the brethren at
Philippi: Whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever
things are pure, whatsoever things are
lovely, whatsoever things are of good re-
port, if there be any virtue, think on these
things" -Edward Heron Allen IN Phladel-
phia Times.