Mower County transcript., 1891-04-01

on an errand which he knew would be
executed at snail's pace, and give him
time to think. The boy having depart
ed he spread the handkerchief on the
desk and wondered what earthly use
such a finsy thing could be, while it
mutely bore testimony in bright red
spots, that it had been, and could be, of
| use, as he, if no one else, should know
| 1t had been clean and sweet and was
still a Hflmy piece Of lawn, daintily
embroidered; but now it was as en-
sanguined a rag as Desdemona's should
have been if causes always bore traces
of effects. On looking closely he found
the name s'Elinor Merrill' in one cor
| ner.
$50 that is her name,'' he MUIR
INJURED. He dropped into his customary
musing state, and might have looked
| sentimental had not his nose by this
time resembled large s'peach- blow
potato, and himself a discouraged
pugilist.
His sisters had always said-with the
strict impartiality of that relationship
in summing up his good points, that
his nose was his strong point. This
had been literally proven, for it had
just come out of terrific encounter
unbroken, but with a serious loss of
shape! The most skillful anatomist
would have been unable to decide now
it's class-Greek, pug, aquiline or what.
So much'for him. Now for her:
When she hurried off and left him
standing on the steps half bewildered
she was overwhelmed with regret and
shame. But before she had reached
State street, by transition peculiar to
female feelings, she was giggling hys-
terically until her eyes were a watery
match for Hugh's.
"Good gracious! how funny he
looked! He might have got out of the
way, the big stupid! He seemed more
scared than hurt too. I do not like a
man to show fear at any time, and to
show it for such a trifle is contempti-
ble!' and she called up look of scorn
at his lack of endurance of physical
pain.
Then at the thought Of actual pain
her expression changed to one of COM
passion, and she said:
Il suspect it did hurt him, poor fell
low! It's no small thing to smash ones
nose with a big door like that!' and
then she laughed again at the unpre-
me ditated turn of her sentence,
That day in her round Of duties at
the conservatory where she was a
pupil and teacher she had fits of abstrac-
ton alternated by fits of giggling, but
by evening had nearly forgotten the cir
cumstance.
At the close of her days work her
mother asked her what she had been
doing. Then she related the misad-
venture of the weather-door. Her
mother said. seriously:
'Elinor, if you do not restrain your
impetuosity you will certainly kill
! some one one Of these days"
Elinor was as quick and eager in her
movements, and habits of thought and
speech, as Hugh was slow and deliber-
ate, and fair division of their re-
spective faults would have made them
models of department., at least.
| Time went on, as it has an unimpedi-
BILE way of doing, till it reached that
division marked by man as February.
Hugh still kept his trophy and dis
tinct rememb brance of the encounter
and the girl. Elinor had an intermittent
recollection of the accident, and very
indistinct one of the man. She now,
however, took q look before she went
through weather-door. So did he, for
that matter.
Hugh's sister Mary had formed new
acquaintance and was at that high
pitch of enthusiasm incidental to new
female *'fidus Achates.'' In stronger
gush of admiration than usual she had
gone so far as to say to him:
''Oh, Hugh, you ought to know Nell!
She's just lovely! So full of go and
spirits, she'd stir even you upp'
To this Hugh made no reply other
than grunt and the muttered words:
''She'u hardly have the chance!"
One evening as he was leaving the
house his sister came in, and with her
another girl. He was passing out
without stopping when Mary called him
back, saying:
''Hugh, wait!" then added: "Miss
Merrill, my brother
He knew her in the dim light of the
hallway, but, her eyes being dazzled
by the change from outer darkness to
inward light, failed to recognize him,
which was not so strange, since she
had long ago forgotten him and his
nose.
After that he met her often, but never
once alluded to their first meeting, as
he saw she did not in the least remem-
ber him. He very seldom spoke to her
more than required by common court
esy. She regarded him as rather a
''dry'' young man, not in the least in
teresting, but ''real good, poor soul, :"
which is perhaps the most damnatory
praise woman can bestow on a man.
AS she was impetuous and not analyt-
| ieal her opinion was formed on the in
slant and was unfair to him.
He admired her of course, as she
possessed all the qualities in which he
was most lacking. But he was analyt-
ical, and decided that some of her i'm
pulses needed restraining, and rash
ness Of speech, to which she was given,
toning down. Nor would he have OBJ
jected to the task had it not been for
I y