The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1895-04-18
ONLY A SHOWER.
BY LEIGH WEBSTER.

as' 'tes
Herbert Repplier stepped into the
Fifth avenue stage at Bleecker street
one afternoon in the early spring. He
did not care how long it took him to
Get uptown. For the last four days
he had lost all interest in life, and
time was no longer of any Importance
to him. He was young, he was fine
looking, he was rising lawyer; his
mother had been Van Rensselaer,
yet he sat moodily gazing at the han
die of his umbrella, while the years
seemed to stretch away before him in
unbroken weariness.
He noticed that it was beginning to
sprinkle as they neared twenty-third
street, and then Cornelia Winchester
came into the stage and sat down di-
rectly opposite him. She gave little
start of confusion as he gravely raised
his hat, and then turned her attention
fxedly out of the window. Herbert
had cogitated good deal over what
would be the most trying way in which
to meet the girl who had rejected him.
Now that he sat opposite her in Fifth
avenue stage he did not know what to
do. He could not bolt. That would
hurt her tender heart, although it did
not beat for him.
His eyes were lifted no higher than
the hem of her heliotrope gown, but
be saw that it was the same one sho
had worn that day at Mrs. Vaughan
Smiths tea, when he beguiled her in
to the conservatory to see the violets.
She had hoped that they might al
ways be friends, and he meant after n
while when he was little more used
to it, to GO and see her, just to show
her that he had no feeling. But it was
too soon as yet for him to find it easy
to see her again, and he thought he
would leave the stage at the club. That
would be perfectly natural. He could
stand it until then.
If he had looked at her face he
would have seen that she was not en-
trely at ease either. Her cheeks al
ternately flushed and paled as she
gazed persistently out of the window.
But he did not see that, as he lifted
bis eyes no higher than the tip of her
patent leather shoe and the edge of
that heliotrope gown. He was think
ing of her as she looked when they
went into the conservatory that day,
with her golden hair coiled under
bewitching hat-all green leaves and
violets She seemed the very incar-
nation of spring to him.
The driver growled "Fare!" down
through his peephole. She started
consciously and took out her purse.
Her vis-a-vis held out his hand with
ALLOW mel" and the purse slipped to
the floor. Their eyes met as he restored
ner property, and she blushed vividly.
DE puzzled over this as he took his
Seat again after depositing her fare.
Why should she be discomposed?
She is sorry for me-" he thought;
she is so sensitive. He must get
out OF this for her sake as we'll as his
own. Where were they, anyway?
only at Thirty fourth street! The
rain was now coming down heavily
and she had no umbrella He could
not get out, of course, unless he could
leave his umbrella with her. But that
would look SO odd. Very likely, by
'ne time they reached her street, the
april shower would be all over. Well,
ne would ride on little longer and
See.
on they went--past Sherry's, where
ne had danced with her so often; past
'ne club, where he saw Billy de Pegs
ser and Remington looking out-Bllly,