The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-01-04
WANTED: A SENSATION.

am exactly like one of Howells's heroines:
do nothing but eat and tie my bonnet
strings, varied by buttoning my gloves;
Of course, one must wear gloves"
Miss Blenkinsop was speaking TO
dearest" and "Dearest" was Sophia
Higginbothem. She and Miss Blenkin-
sop were just coming home from the mat
inee one foggy afternoon.
"Dear, il had your bonbons and your
check book and your roses l wouldn't
be sighing for sensation" Sophia an
swered.
"All the same get desperately tired of
it. It's just what mamma did and grand
mamma did, and / shall have to do for
ever and ever / suppose. The heroine in
the play this afternoon had perfect Pile
thora of novelty. or course don't want
ridiculous things to happen, but oh, for
something besides Ansley Beverley's
bouquets, and having to decide what
dress to wear"
The two girls had reached the steps of
the Jacquerie, an uptown family hotel
deservedly popular in San Francisco and
somewhat informal. Here it was that
Miss Blenkinsop had come when she bid
mamma and papa good-by. They had
sailed for the continent with her invalid
tlucF sistCIy anu 81 vic Dlk nOuoS Oh Ndl-
ifornia street was darkened and shut up.
Dearest could not be prevailed upon
to enter, so they stood talking for a mo-
ment. Then Miss Blenkinsop, with her
unfailing regard for the conventional
ties, thinking they ought either to come
in or pass on, stopped and kissed Sophia
ever SO lightly on the cheek with that
graceful, inoffensive and positive hint
hat 40 knaw ~ tp ariu N narfactinu
and turned in at the doorway. Then the
weary look settled down upon her face
and the tired stroll, SO habitusl with her,
took the place of the unusual animation
she had shown a moment before.
In the idiomatic dialect of to- day, Miss
Blenkinsop was thoroughbred"
Miss Blenkinsop never dreamed every
one was envying her her money and her
lot In life. She supposed people had
everything they wanted anyway. II they
hadn't, why didn't they get IL somehow
She was tail, with clean length of limb,
low sweep of bust, long lines to her
back and quiet dignity OF carriage. Her
features had that aristocratically pinched
look which is the envy of the "com-
posite" American girl, and her small,
well-shaped head was set like a racing
flly's. The noiseless fall of her skirts,
the dull old colors that she wore, the
unpretentious yet faultless fit of her
clothes wese all characteristic of her.
Mrs. Morgenstern had called her hand
"clawy," but then Mrs. Morgenstern's
own were pudgy and broad-the trade
hand-and were covered all over with
sparkling rings for breakfast, and Mrs.
Morgenstern dressed In green and yellow,
like an omelet garDished with parsley.
Miss Blenkinsop stopped at the desk in
the lobby of the Jacquerie and asked,
with her inimitable leand slightly drawing
accent: Is there any mail for me, Timo-
thy?" No, ma'am," answered Timothy.
And there was about this brief dialogue
something OF the red-tapiness that there
is about O court presentation.
If any comes for me kindly bring IL to
my ROOM" and Miss Blenkinsop lowered
her tired eyes and passed on. She had
reached her room, when she noticed to
her surprise that her door was partly
open. The key, too, was in the lock, and
Miss Blenkinsop was positive that she
carried the key in her own pocket. 1t
was Just possible that the chambermaid
was there, but the rooms should always
be in order at 10 o'clock or half an hour
after she was dressed and had left them,
and il was late in the afternoon.
Miss Blenkinsop's step was naturally
uoiseless for the pile of the Jacquerie car
pets were deep and soft. She advanced
slowly at frst, without any thought of
cautiousness. Then Miss Blenkinsop
suddenly stood perfectly still upon the
doorsill as her astonished eyes saw a
Chinaman STOPPING over a drawer in her
dressing table. There were the brass
buttons, the loops OF braid, the dark blue
blouse with it's labyrinthine pockets, so
convenient for thief, and the long,
sinuous sweep OF pigtail.
IL did not take Miss Blenkinsop long
to make up her mind. She felt in some
way that there was judgment on her
for having given way to that contraband
thing, a desire for sensation. Bitterly
would she have cursed her folly, except
that she was not a bitter or a cursing
person. She was only aware of a distinct
repulsion for what was in store for her.
She had vague idea il she sprung to
the door and shut IL suddenly, violently,
the thief would get up the chimney or
let himself out OF the window, as the rob-
bers did In plays, and IL she did il at all
she wanted to do IL well. III she called
for help out Of this most disagreeable of
situations he would shoot down the tan
gle OF halls and vanish before she could
be answered, and what was infinitely
worse than all, II she gave the alarm she
might have TO 60 into the police co1rt.
IL was melodramatic and horrid.
All at once Miss Blenkinsop made up
her mind. She had never "orept stealth
ily " before in her life, she had never am
bushed anybody, she bad never done
conspicuous or dreadful things, but she
must do this.
She inwardly thanked heaven that she
still had her gloves on as she reached in
after the queue OF the kneeiing China
man. Then she picked il up deftly,
softly pulled IL out towards her and
slammed--yes, siammed-the door upon
IL, turning the key in the lock, and gave
a little hystericsl laugh and wondered
why her cheeks were so hot.
There was a mufiied, squirming sound
on the other side OF the door. Perhaps
IL would be just as we'll IL you kept still,
said Miss Blenkinsop. "Please don't
say you don't 'sabe' for you do, you
know"