The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1889-10-10
4 ROMANCE OF THE "SWAMP, i"

H ilUlYiHliUL UT lliL 0WHHlf,
| Ireveled in a dream of paradise. l
thought sweet thoughts and cherished
exquisite hopes. Not the young prince
of the Arabian Nights was so stepped
to the lips in bliss / could have
vowed that the odors of Araby were
in the air, and that / heard angelic
music.
Yet my surroundings were to say the
least, prOsaic. / sat at a desk in an of
flee in that domain of leather-dealers
which New Workers have christened the
Swamp-at all times a place of any
thing but dainty perfumes-and this
was midsummer at its hottest, and in a
neiehboring alley a disconsolate old or
ganist was droning forth the tune
ycleped John Browns Body" to a
group of dirty, barefoot children.
Ii | had looked about me | would
have seen the close shayen, mOuse-col-
ored heads of three young fellow-clerks
and the polished bald pates of two old
ones, who were scratching away for
dear life. | was the only one who was
neglecting his work, but | was think
ing of her-of the loveliest, diyinest,
most adorable she. My body was in
the Swamp but my soul was in the vii
la on the Hudson, where she dwelt and
thought, no doubt, of me, and whence
she had sent me little pink, perfumed
billet:
Mr. Prince, Mr. Vondervitch would
like to have you step into the office"
With these words voice interrupted
l1i-Zf,,1 ,.n,-n,.in bat Of llil,hC ho
messenger.
'.At once" replied.
l sprung to my feet, touched myself
up with a pocket-comb at the little
mirror in my desk, aud fastened to
obey the summons.
Mr.. Vondervitch was by birth Rus
sian. He was tierce-looking old gen
tleman, with curiously projecting light
blue eyes and an immense head of hair
which looked like what is called by
those upon the stage a fright wig
His mustache rivaled his wig, and his
mouth looked like that of the wolf who
ate Red Riding Hood.
On the present occasion he was ac-
tuallv alarming. He sat at a desk
making cigarettes, which he smoked as
fast as he made them, and during all
his conversation he continued this oc-
cupation.
He began thus:
so, Mr.. Prince, | am glad to see
you. | have been very anxious to do
so all day"
Thank YOU very much, sir" said l.
You can spare your acknowledge
ments,n he replied. 1T is as curl
osity that l take pleasure in looking at
you. | wanted to gaze upon an au-
dacious, impertinent, presuming, and
absurd clerk ut SO a week, who has
dared to address these to my daugh-
ter"
As he spoke he threw toward me a
packet of letters, which | stopped as
they few by me in a manner which
would have won me honors on base
ball field.
They were my own, addressed to
Miss Theodora Nondervitch. / knew
them at q glance.
MY second wife found them in The
odOra's chiffonier this morning." said
Mr.. Nondervitch, land placed them in
my hands. How did you dare write
them?'
| murmured words to the effect that
Theodora'S fascinating personality was
my excuse.
''She is so lovely" I explained, that
to know her is to adore her"
But You don't know her. said Mr..
Eonderyiteh.n
'Oh. | beg pardon, sir; we were in
troduced at a little party" said !.
introduced or not you don't know
her Numbered Mr.. Vondcryitch. One
of my clerks cannot possibly know my
daughter. Why, the bare idea is pre-
poSterous."
/ could only look at him.
If we were in Russia I'd send YOU
to Siberia for this indecorous and
and reasonable conduct" continued
Mr.. Nonderyitch. ''As it is, l dismiss
You without any recommendation from
this firm. Cor
That go" rang in my ears like the
knell of doom. 1t meant not only 90
from this place and this salary-which
was much-but 90 fovever from the
idol of my soul-the girl | loved, and
who loved me.
If it would have served me in the
least TO 90 down on my knees and kiss
the SHOtS pl 4 AiltOtOld 1dliltI anu pray
his mercy | would have done so, but it
would have been worse than useless.
May say one word, sir?" ven-
tured.
You may not, replied Mr.. Wonder
witch.
As he spoke the nostrils of his mighty
nose distended, and he puffed forth
through them in one great volume the
smoke of all the cigarettes he had made
and consumed during the interview.
Where he had stored it | do not know,
but it surrounded him and blotted him
from my sight as | bowed myself out
backward.
| went to my desk and took my hat.
The three young shaven heads and the
two old bald ones lifted themselves as l
did so, and five astonished voices in
quired:
What's the matter?"
did not explain, but simply said
''Good-by," and vanished from their
sight, as | supposed. forever.
When | reached the room | occupied
in my boarding-house | recognized the
| truth of the adage: ''Misfortunes never
come singly."
My pocket-book,c containing months
wages, which had been paid the night
before, was gone. | had either dropped
it or some piekpocket, noting my alb
Il