St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-26
CUPID'S SPY.

London Tit-Bits Prize story.
At forty found myself an old bach
elor. l know that when | say l was an
old bachelor at forty the ladies will I'M
mediately pat away this paper in dis
gust. But as l desire the ladies to read
it particularly, hasten to state that
am married now. Also that the reason
why was not married at forty was not
my want of admiration for the ladies',
but the fact that | admired them too
well. | respected them so much that l
was afraid to address them.
Once or twice was in love; but what
was the use? | had not the courage to
declare it. At forty was bachelor,
and as | was tired of boarding houses
and disguised with hotels, l hired flat
and went to housekeeping with a single
servant-a black boy.
1t was rather lonely work, and some
times | was obliged to pretend that
was a married man and that my wife
had gone on visit to her mother TO
keep myself from getting the b ues.
My imaginary wife was always a
plump little woman, with black eyes ana
nice little hands with dimples IN them.
l could sometimes believe that She
would really come in and sit down al
table and pour out the tea, had formed
such a perfect picture of her. had
taken the upper floor of small house.
not because | was poor. for L was not,
but because | was DESTROYS of retire
ment and did not want any one clunp-
ing up stairs past me, and below some
one else Kept house.
This perSon used the conservatory for
a kitchen. must explain. Some FORMER
tenant had converted the back porch
into d conservatory, and had had 1t all
filled with glass, of course. whoever
lived on the floor below at tnat time mad
again made an alteration. Where was
once the conservatory stove, now STOOD
little cooking stove, and over the slGe
paneS of glass hung white curtains; Dut
the glass roof was uncovered.
One morning, impelled by the curlos-
ity which is born of loneliness, L leant
over my window ledge and peeped
down. l saw below a little kitchen,
with little table, and little stove.
At the little table sat-my wife!
What | mean is that that imaginary
being whose football | was always hear
ing on nv floor, who in day dreams sat
at my table and poured out tea, whose
actual absence l consoled myself for by
suppoSing that she had gone to take tea
with her mother, sat there In proper
person, round. dimpled, black-eyed, as
my fancy painted her.
She was eating her breakfast all alone,
and she looked as though she did not
like it. was Sure-Sure from the very
first-that she was not married, and
from nv unseen post l watched her
every movement until my black servant,
with the remark. "MaSSa, dem dere
griddle cakes is all gettin spilled"
aroused NE from my reverle.
However, that was not the last time L
saw her. She sat good deal i'll the con-
servatory, the most blooming rose it
ever nourished within its glass walls.
She SeWed there, and read books there,
as we'll as ate there. l saw her cOnc0ct
dainty puddings for one, and pies which
lasted her four days. and l was as sure
that Providence Intended her for me as
though had asked an oracle and been
told so.
With an opera glass l could read the
very pages of the book she read, and all
the while she had no idea that any eye
was on her. At last l took step-a
a bold one for me. | bought book
the last new one of an authoreSS she
| seemed interested Inland left it at her
door with this on the fly leaf:
Dear Madam were so much in
| terested in that last book of Mrs. Ed
wards that l venture to send you an
other, which l hope may prove as inter
! esting. You will, perhaps, be surprised
when tell you that you read the first
four chapters of that book without
| stopping; that you then marked the
place with bOokmarker with a harp on
| it: that you cried at the tenth chapter:
| and kissed the book when you closed it,"
Your SPIRIT FRIEND"
Through my peeping place L saw the
| little woman take in the book; saw her
| read the inscription with amaZement,
put her hand to her head and ponder,
| and then draw one of the white curtains
and look out. a young man was shay
| ing himself at window opposite. L
| saw that she at once pitched upon him
as the sender of the book.
The next day she put blue shades up.
Once, watching her from above as
| though l were an angelic being without
| wings, l saw her come in from walk
with autumn leaves in her hand. After
| wards she ironed them and made little
wreath of them. which she hung up
over little looking glass. The next
day bought and left at the door some
| dollhouse roses.
''Since you care for autumn leaves
| you will care for these" as usual.
This time she laughed softly, and put
them in water, and sat looking at them
a long while. Then she peeped out Of
her window again. The young man
was not at the opposite easement. Then
she shook her head, and after time she
took a damask rose from the bunch and
put it in her hair. The next time sent
the flowers | wrote on the card:
you wore damaSk rose from the
last bunch | sent you. Will you put a
yellow tea rose i'll your hair this time?"
How l watched | saw her look, half
pleased, half frightened. At first she
only put the roses in vase, but at last
she did take one, and it was tea rose,
and pinned it in her black braids.
kissed my hand to her from my elevated
situation, but shZ did not know it.
So for at least six months | watched,
and sent her flowers and fruit and books
and little gifts of all sorts. But as for
asking our mutual landlord for an in
PRODUCTION, l never thought of that-it
| pavar OaorIrre6 IN mo chOuld n0t