The Van Buren press., 1895-04-20
A GLOVE BUTTON.
How It Furnished an English
Traveller a Short Story.


Everything happened exactly as it
does in those charming novels, which,
OF all literature, are my favorites. l
was very late for the train; it was on
the move; the porter bundled me in,
flung my bag after me, slammed the
door and whistled. And the lady who
sat in the opposite corner of the car
riagc gathered her feet under the seat
to avoid my hurtling bag. She was
extremely pretty.
depend upon It," said I to myself at
once, she's going to stay with the
Blairs For 1t had to be so-it al
ways is so," I was going to the Blairs,
you see.
Unhappily, she did not seem inclined
for conversation. She was accommo-
dating, but not discursive as to the
window; it was summer, and there was
no foot warmer to bridge the gap be-
tween us. The annoying girl had Il
paper and buried herself behind it.
This was, of conrse, all wrong. Some.
thing would happen soon. however.
Something did. The lady put down
the paper and gazed in puzzled man
ner at her left glove. peered eau
tiously round the edge OF the Hunts
man. Her eyes expressed doubt and
difficulty. l saw what was the matter,
q button Of the glove was undone.
am never intrusive or precipitate. l
bided my time. Why, we were hardly
at page ten Of the novel yet.
She tried to button the glove. The
glove was not too large; she could not
button it. Her brow wrinkled into q
perplexcd little frown.
l love dainty woman, and woman
whose life Is spoilt by an obstinate
glove button is just the woman for me.
She was bound to ask me to button it
in another moment.
But she did not. A sudden smile-a
smile of illumination-spread over her
face. She had got It'll OF course she
couldn't button the tiresome thing
with her glove onl Who could? With
another smile for her own folly, she
qnietly unbuttoned all the buttons of
her right glove and drew it off. Then
she turned with quiet confidence to the
left-hand button. yfr .....-er ga
Had 1t not been for the look of the
thing would have kissed her on the
spot. As it was-and Notwithstanding
my interest in racing-I allowed the
Huntsman to drop and fastened my
eyes on her. Her hand was the most
lovely hand had ever seen-small,
plump, tapering, white, pink-nailed. l
dote on good hand.
She buttoned the button of her left
glove with immediate and complete
success, and smiled rapturously; indeed,
she held up her hand and surveyed the
Job with immense complaccncy. Twas
smiling broadly myself, now, because
l saw what was going to happen.
Thank heaven, however, l made no
soundl I wouldn't have spoilt it for
the world.
Her white teeth cleaned radiantly
between her parted lips, as she gently
drew on the right glove. She treated
the glove lovingly, working and pull
ing and patting, stopping to look now
and again, conducting the thumb with
infinite adroitness into its compart-
ment. Then she gave final persua.
sive tug to the upper part, and pre-
pared to button the glove.
She tried the first button. She
stopped to think. "A curious express
sion stole over her face. She shook her
head. She looked at the right glove.
She shook her head again Her right
hand moved toward her left. Was she
going to unbutton her glove again? AS
hope to be saved, she undid two but.
tons! TIN fN
Then it struck her, and in an instant
her face fell all a-laughing, and burst
into q loud peal.
She looked up In momentary indig-
nation, in swiftly succeeding fun, in
irresistible sympathy. Then she
laughed a low, long, luxurious ripple.
II ought to have told you," gasped.
'l3ut, you see, hoped you'd undo them
all again" 49,
}"But what am to do?' she asked.
"What am for?" returned.
"Well, If you don't mind" she said.
crossed over and sat down next her.
''There is" observed, starting on
the top button Of the left hand glove,
mo man so good that he cannot find a
woman too good for him"
She lifted her eyes with an inquiring
gaze.
"And no hand SO small that it cannot
find q glove too small for it."
Its not true" she cried. "See. can
move all my fingers" NfN'
81 don't believe you can," said l.
"But look" -
II am looking. l can't see them
move. Perhaps might be able, you
know, to feel them"
.'Do you mind buttoning the other
now?" she asked. fff n
SIT is better than nothing" said l,
and began t. button it.
at was very curious" she remarked,
''that shouldn't have seen that as
often as / unbuttoned one glove In
order to button the other l should
have-"