The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-27

was soft and plant, while the face was
a triflc hard.
She wore little brown velvet hat,
with small curled-up feather. and a
t closely fitting brown gown of lighter
shade than her hat.
She puts me in mind" said one OF
the clerks, hurrying home to his tea,
''of bunch of ripe hazelnuts in an
autumn hedge. Who is she? Anyway,
/ she's deuced handsome.
/ 'She's odd, can't make her out" said
another; shes straight enough, though
she don't look it; what does she come
spying about here for?''
| For two days, needless of any remark
that might be passed on her, Flossy
had come at the same hour, and had
stared coldly, almost haughtily, at the
clerks as they left the bank. She
never looked directly at one of them,
so that no one had an excuse for speak
ing to her, but Abe waited till the last
man had come out.
She lived alone with her mother, who
was too infirm to go out, and too proud
of having known better days to visit
with those who would have liked to
London till year ago, and no one
knew anything about her except that
she was not well off, and that she had
handsome daughter. Flossy found
home-life dull, and made her own
friends. When she left her watch at
the bank she called on one of these
friends, Miss Julia Smith. young
music teacher. Miss Smith was at her
gate, shaking hands with tall, fair
man, fashionably dressed.
Introduce me-" whispered Flossy,
she guessed that this must be the Mr..
Hartopp she wanted to know. Julia
Smith had told her SO much about him
that she felt able to recognize him.
Their eyes met as he returned her bow,
and she saw that he admired her She
said to her friend as Mr.. Hartopp passed
on:
why did you tell me he was in Dow.
sets bank? He could not be one OF
those ordinary looking clerks"
81 said he was staying with Mr.. Dow
setts: he's Londoner, he writes for the
papers, bat he'll make some stay here,
I'm told; he's got something to do with
the Loan exhibition. that's to open next
spring"
Her friend had suddenly become dull
to Flossy Barden.
Had Mr.. Hartopp been calling on
you?" she said, sharply, though she had
a soft, pleasant voice.
only to give me the name of piece
of music I wanted" Miss Barden
gaped, locked about her, and soon rose
to go.
Aren't you afraid Of going alone.
Flossy? It's getting dark"
''Oh, no; it's not very far, you know"
Flossy went down the next street,
which was narrow, and she found It
darker than she had expected, but she
was fearless, and she rather enjoyed
the idea of risk Looking on, she saw
few people at the further end Of the
street, and she fancied that one of
them was Mr. Hartopp. While she
stared after him, d drunken man came
up the turning she had reached. and
lurched mp against her. She cried out
in sudden terror, and only saved her
self from falling by clinging 10 the
lamp-post at the corner Of the street
In a moment some one came to her
rescue, the drunken man wa flung
against the wall, and there was Mr.
Hartopp asking if ne might not see her
home.
For the first time in her life Flossy
felt ashamed of her vagrant habits.
Her mothers seedlings had never
touched her so closely a. Mr. Hartopp's
evident concern that she should have
been exposed to this annoyance
She AZ once recovered her self-posses-
sion. and chatted pleasantly I'll they
reached her mothers door.
Il dom, know how TO thank you
enough" she repeated Wont you
come IN and let mother thank Tou her
self. or will you come tomorrow she. J
added, hastily, as a vision ot her
mothers probably soilea cap and shah
BY gown, and the general untidiness at
the room presented itself TO her reeol-
lection: '-yeS tha; viii be best" She
gare him winning smile, and. raising
her shining black dark eyes 70 his. she
held cut her hand Tomorrow, thea: ]
al reEcir''
When Louis Eartopp had thanked J
her anc taken his leave, he sale 10 him j
self:
..SAA hA~ ta-nnxrnEl I sh.rnii isaka