Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-01-20
A SINGLE THOUGHT.

JeCG an aDSCfDlnS mental elOrC. Inc quail
ity of the story was to his practical mind
above the average. 1t had more of common
sense than Major Nesbitt's narrative and
less of foolish sentiment than Cardgrove's
story of love and Indian fighting. He fan
cied that it would rouse his friends to a
high pitch of interest; that it would strike
their sense of appreciation of the novel
the unique
But there was no evidence of fascinated
interest on the calm faces of his friends, no
craning forward near the end, no excited
questions as to fuller details. The six men
sat listening with expressionless faces
throughout, the only change being Hard
ing's smile of polite attention to stolid,
unreliable stare. Blake Hornady tilted
back his chair and waited. Major Nesbitt
bit off the end of his cigar. Cardgrove
stroked his brown mustache, while Sammy
gazed at Harding. The newspaper man sent
whirl of smoke toward the ceiling and
said:
"Hornady, it strikes me that your story
is too full of common sense to suit this
crowd. All the people calculate too much
on the probable result of thing; they act
just like business man with your ideas
would act"
sit was we'll told," said Cardgrove, but
it is too barren of sentiment. Hornady, l
knew you were q business man, but l did
not know that you were totally devoid of
all sentiment"
''Nor l." said Roger Cleary. I've been
accused of that myself, but the imputation
belongs to Hornady. Pm very sentimental
man compared to him."
'All stories should have little senti-
ment in them" said Major Nesbitt, with a
vague idea of defending his story, which
had great deal.
YES" said Carter Handy, the calculat-
ing politician, somewhat reluctantly.
There's lots of it in real life" He sighed
as if he were sorry that his statement was
true.
YES" said Sammy Smythe, coming from
behind his immense bouquet. Yes, and q
story isn't good if it isn't like real life"
He had heard Harding say something to
that effect
Hornady lit cigar and fished new
looking letter from his inner pocket, a sud
den thought striking him.
It's highly discouraging to a man to
have his story disapproved of in this fash
ion" he said. It's worse than thought.
Your minds, | discover, are upon love
stories, and | have one here that's fresh
and-true."
He drew the two sheets Of writing paper
from the envelope, which was marked with
a picture of 16 stored Chicago hotel, and
opened them out.
Chicago is not exactly the place l would
select for the scene of a romance il l had
the matter wholly in my power" he said,
but the little romance to which this letter
is the sequel happened in Chicago under
my very eyes, neither of which facts was in
my power to prevent
"Fatigued, hungry and dust covered
went to the Alpharetta hotel on the first
evening of my arrival in the fair city, not
knowing that it was the abode of romance
and love making was influenced to go
there, not that expected to be entertained
by a lot of pretty girls being made love to
by lot of ordinary everyday men, but be-
cause of its claims as superior public
hostelry My uppermost thought when
reached the hotel was to get something sub
stantial to eat to make upfor the two days
futile dependence for subsistence upon the
coon who operates the buffet in one of Mr..
Pullman's sleepers.
1.-The moment freed myself from the ex-
terror polish of granulated soil which had
acquired on the journey went full tilt to
the cafe.
II there discovered that had no monOp-
oily on the desire to eat. l found that it was
predominant in the minds of about 30C
Worlds fair visitors, who We're hugging the
tables, eating and chatting. How another
mortal could get a seat in the hungry feed
ing throng could not see, and started out
TO search for quiet cafe down the street.
but the diamond bedecked and prosper
GUS looking young man who guides the
footsteps of those who wander into his cafe
to be fed heckoned me to him and said in a
tone that instantly made me feel at home,
There's a seat over there at a table where
two young gents and a young lady from out
in Washington state are sitting
Il took the seat with such alacrity as to
startle into silence one of the young men
specialized, clerical looking young fellow,
with college airs about him, who was talk
ing about the relative merits of water and
land transportation to the fair in a very en-
thusiastic way, and incidentally engaging
himself in suppressing any remarks that
the hale and hearty young fellow with the
blond mustache might attempt to make.
The three gazed at me reproachfully, as
if they thought was intruding upon them.
The young lady was a unique bit of west
ern beauty, with bewitching eye and
brown hair, which had an overweening de
sire to go astray ON the sides and dangle in
the Chicago breezes. She mentally sized
me up and apparently approved of me, and,
softening the gaze she turned in my direc-
tia.
The hale and hearty young fellow with
the blond mustachc and diamond pin
scUwled at me, and the young fellow with
the clerical look and gold trimmed eyeglasses
vainly attempted to wither me with his
gaze. The young lady perceived these well
meaning attentions Of her escorts and be-
came very gracious in her bearing toward
me.
"Even d married man is tempted to dis.
pense with his wife and children when he
gets 100 miles from home and meets prut.
ty woman who beams deligh fully, charm
ingly upon him. l saw that had created
the impression of single man, and l adj
justed my facial expression SO as to look as
Juvenile rs possible. My unceremonious
coming in had cast q damper upon the lit
tie dinner party, but their conversational
powers soon revived under the coaching OF
Miss Westerner.
~ don't agree with you at all about the
Woman's building, Mr.. Spinks,' she said in
musical tones. i think it is the most COM
plete department of the fair. 1t thorough
ly represents the status Of woman in art,
industry, domestic life-everything. Now,
the gold trimmed glasses shifted in his chair
and smiled all over himself at the prospect
of an argument and the more delightful
prospect of convincing his pretty sweet
heart-for that's what she was-by the pow
er of his eloquence.
Artistically it is very good he said,
but it is somewhere lacking-there's a
missing link. It's hardly the thing, you
know, for a woman to put up buildings
and fill them up with trinkets Of her own
make It's out of her line. Woman and
he beamed upon the young lady-'woman,
|. Miss Silvey, is in her sphere in the realm
of home. There she is queen, but when
she leaves home and goes to drawing plans
for houses and setting up exhibits and run
ming things shesspoils it all and drops peg
or two from her diviner sphere
az agree with Miss Silvey altogether,
said the hale and hearty young man dog
gedly, waving his hand in dismissal Of the
subject. oh, thank you, Mr. Blipp,' she
said. That's so nice. You have such
broad views Do you like the plaisance,