The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-08-12

flce." 1 ordered o couple of suits Of clothes
CLOTHES had understood were dear In
Amerioa-and booked a passage by the
Germania.
Having put my affairs in order and hay
Ing received, to my surprise letter from
Dorking repeating that was fool, and
ipclosing check for ESQ, paid a last
visit to Threegates, folded Amy in my
arms and sailed.
/ enjoyed the voyage immensely. We
had fine weather, socisble people on board,
and was exhf1aratod by consciousness
that / was doing noble and resolute thing.
! smoked my pipe with satisfaction and
looked at the ocean In tho moonlight and
Amy's photograph with pleasurable sem
timentality. So much for the trip.
I arrived in New York with the Best part
Of e100 in my purse, thanks to my aunt's
hborality, and went to hotel and thence
removed to comfortable boarding house
in order to give myself time to look
around.
No immediate prospect of making very
largo fortune presented itself, and my
money dwindled rapidly. When had been
in New York few months, I was glad to
forget my anxiety In reading.
I mention this because 1t led to an i'm
portant event.
learned that there was an admirable
public library near blythe public libraries
Of America are better than ours-and one
day I strolled In there to see what of the
newest fiction could procure.
1t was o huge building, and In the up
stairs room to which was directed I
found the attendants were all young
women.
The book 1 had asked for was "out,"
but was supplied with another. 1 read
1t and returned 1t the following afternoon,
when the book most desired was "out''
again. This went on for a week-I always
missed it-and expressed my annoyance
at last rather emphatically.
As was doing so my eyes fell on one of
the girls behind the counter, who riveted
my attention in the most extraordinary
manner for an engaged man. This girl
cannot find proper adjective to describe
her--well, she was peerlessl Her hair was
positively of the most glorious color had
ever seon on q woman, there was just q
soupcon Of red in it-only a soupcon,
though-and 1t had a natural ripple In it
all over, from the whiteness of her brow
down the nape Of her divine neck. Under
this imagine blue eyes, and you will have
an idea Of what she looked nke-a verita-
BILE goddessl
koho nt1u my dud
moved forward with a smile.
What is 1t you are asking forp" she
asked.
told her.
"Oh," she said, "you see it is a new
book, and Of course there is o demand for
1t. I'll tell you what I'll do-the next
time it comes in i will save 1t for you."
thanked her cordially, and she proved
as good as her word, for tbe following aft
ernoon when presented myself she nod
ded directly she saw me and held 1t up.
IT anu a&fuliy obliged" said. "That
was really kind Of you. Have you had ii
SoiIrselfpb +'----" --ss-S 8 , 7'sp--,-,.
sYes. s.;.:.--.e,.. .-..,... -..-...-.,
Somebody claimed her, and went
away. 1t does not sound stable in flance,
but i must confess that read tho work
hprriedly In order TO have an opportunity
Of seeing my goddess soon again. :
changed my books every day now, al
ways going to that part of tho long counter
wherc she was standing and always ad-
miring her more fervidly than before I
feasted my eyes on the girl. If 1 saw her
full face or in profile, or IL she had her
back to me- she was still conspicuous,
stately and entirely adorable. 1 thought
about her when was at my homo. 1
could not Danish her from my memory.
How this might have ended who shall
sayS Did Amy's dynasty totter in the bal
ancep I fear, sorely and tremendously
fear, that 1t did, but 1t was restored In a
bewildering and even a disparaging fasll-
ion.
Who can conceive my astonishment
when on entering the library one morning
saw my divinity with her hair cut short
cropped like boy'sl was staggered,
broathless. Momentarily had failed to
recognize her, she was SO painfully changed.
Gone those intoxicating ripplesi Gone
even the richness of coiorl Gone tho queen
illness of carriage. "Why," gasped-I
could not suppress tho question: dear
young lady why have you had your hair
out since yesterday"
II haven't" she said. "It was cut six
mohths ago when was ILL., What have
been wearing till it grew on again was
wig"
No, I did not break down. Ievon stam-
mered suitable commonplace but the
shock was horrible. never returned to
the library.
And 1 married Amy--yes. 1 did not
make q fortune in New York, but my aunt
died very shortly afterward and II was
found that she had bequeathed me the
whole Of her property-a very comfortable
one. I married Amy, and we arc very
happy together. Only sometimes cannot
help wondering II that other girl had
been all l thought her, whether But
then there was no such girl. was in love
with a wig.-St. Paul's.