Middletown transcript., 1893-09-16


on The curbstone, balancing the coin
on my glove tip.
$50 you want penny, little one?"
'.Yes, sir"
'.Where do you live?"
Nowhere. y
Where Is your mother?"
Haven't got any,"
''Nnr fatherp"
She shook her head. still eyeing the
penny covetously, as if fearful that IL
would vanish shortly ont Of sight.
| tossed it toward her-she snapped
it up as hur cry dog might seize a
bone, and, depositing it somewhere
among her rags, ran after a poor old
gentleman, who was picking his way
across the muddy stones.
passed on to the clubhouse. glanced
over The newspapers. and all the time
those bright-gold cLrls, and the large
wondering brown eyes of the little
street-sweeper kept coming and going
like the changing tints of dream
Kaleidoscope before my minds eye.
What an impression that face had
left on my mem0ry!
Had the tiny waif been ten years
older, l should unhesitatingly have
pronounced it an affair of lovs at first
sight-as it Was, Gull not explain
away the mystery at ALL
That great central chandelier in Mr..
Wyndham's dning-room glowed with
scir y If tiny jets of fame. The sill
yer epergne in the middle crowned with
buqnet of rare flowers, seemed like
bank Of perfume, and the flash of Grim
son wines aud delicate liquors that
surrounded me stimulated the sense
to their utmost capacities of enjoy
men,.
Virginia Wyndham sat directly or-
posite me-a handsome, dashing ri |
hitherto my especial admiration.
She Was little piQued tonight at
my evident abstraction, and firted
most desperately with her next neigh
Dor. a rising young lawyer. I looked
on, most philosopically.
Twenty four hours previous should
have been frantic with jealousy-now
didn't care snapl
Old Wyndham whisked away in dis
gust at my languid apathy, and took
my hat and bade the fair Virginia good
evening. I had a sort Of secret con-
viclion that the whole affair had been
gotten up to give me nice chance for
proposing.
Ny room was illumined only with
the low, rnddy gleam of the fire as !
entered it. 1t seemed very lonely,
with the vacant chair beside the
round table, whose books and papers
and piles of engrayings were all in con-
fusion.
l sat down and began to ponder vari'
Gus things.
had never met any girl whom l
fancied sufficiently to invite her to
share my wealth. Perhapse l was
over. .fastidious. Be that as it might.
a new fancy had taken possession OF
my brain. should adopt the little
friendless damsel of the street cross
ings.
would educate her as my wife
ought to be educated; would teach
her to love me, and then
/ involuntarily sprang to my feet al
l pictured forth mentally the glorious
loveliness into which her childish
beauty would expandl 1t was settled
thing-I would adopt herl
And / adopted Winny-the only
name 20 which the half savage young
elf would own.
"And now, Winny,'' said 1, tbt
evening before my pretty little protegt
was to be placed under the care o.
Madam Delarue, to be thoroughly re
modelled, "you know you are to be my
little wife in about eight years"
Winny sat on the edge of th'
tenders, kicking her little feet on th'
carpet, as she devoured the cream
candy and sugar plums wherewith
had won her heart. As / finished
speaking she fixed her large eyes sol
emnly on my face.
.Liltle wife? What does tina
n mean2''
why said / rather embarrassed
.it means that / shall love you yer.
much, and buy You new dresses ant