Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-02-07
HE and SHE,
A TALE OF A LONDON SUBURB.

He lived at No. IL Woodman street,
Chelsea. She lived at No. ID. For
ten years they had been opposite
neighbors, each occupying the draw
ing room apartments. She had taken
up her abode there six weeks after He
was installed, and in dull, uninter-
ested way he had watched the I'M
loading of the cab, the taking in OF
the luggage, the bustling to and fro
of the small, slim woman whose face
he got very imperfect glance at.
She looked about thirty; not that
He cared whether She was twenty or
seventy. His heart just then was
heavy and sore: he had lost the one
relation he had left, the only being
in the world he cared for-his old
mother-and in place of home and
her he was simply now 1.-THE drawing
room lodger."
And thus ten years stole by, each
rejecting the other so exactly that,
excepting the Christmas visit and
the summer holiday, there were no
landmarks to point the course OF
lime to Nos. IL and ID, and then fate,
fortune, or whatever name we give to
the good providence who disposes
those trivial circumstances that lead
to great events in our lives, arranged
that on q certain afternoon in May
there were so few letters to write that
the typist clerk could leave her Bed
ford street Office at q much earlier
hour, and, full of anticipation that
she would be able to put the finishing
touches to a gown she was renovat-
ing, she tripped into the Strand,
hailed the first omnibus she saw,
clambered to the top, and took the
only vacant seat. In her anxiety to
secure this, she did not notice more
than that it was % man next to her,
but that man being He, and he hay
ing watched her from the time she
hailed the bus, was now in flutter,
for she was only just settled when
they were ut Charing Cross, where
he always got down, which he could
hardly do now, as, without an expla-
nation, which he could not give, it
would seem so very peculiar-some-
what offensive, indeed. BY the time
his hesitation was over they were on
their way again, and the conductor
was collecting the money. She paid
her fare. He silently held out the
extra two pence, which the man, TAX
ing with a nod of surprise, she turned
her head, and instantly there mount
ed to her cheeks rosy color. He,
being Of the old school, looked on n
blush as one of the most becoming
features of woman.
1t was the signal OF the weakness
of her sex to be answered on the part
Of the man by desire to protect, and
without hesitation he said, Il think
you d are going the same way?"
YES" and her color deepened,
1--WE live opposite each other in the
same street."
Quite two of the Oldest inhabit-
ants, / should say"
:" 1t is ten years since l came. and
she gave sigh.
Yes, but l was there before you.
i remember your coming"
:" l had always lived in the coun-
try, and / suppose l thought this
would so on the same for ever, but
in the four years | lost every one
belonging to me; home and means
were swept away, and / had to begin
life alone"
d" Terribly hard on q woman" he
said, sympathetically.
"Yes, I've never been away but
once-to spend Christmas with q
school friend, who has since gone to
India. That was an excitement for
mel i looked up and saw you and
very nearly nodded, and then was
so frightened that jumped into the
cab and told the man to drive as fast
as he could"
"And / thought you were late. and
it quite fidgeted me, and / gave you
a mental scolding, just like l often
do on Sundays when you will go out
without an umbrella +"
Well, but last Sunday you went
out without yours, and, more than
than that, you left the window open
on your bird, and / said to Totty-
my cat" Now that is very thought
less, for il the sun goes in, Dicky
will catch cold"
And ] fear lie did catch cold, for
lie has sat with oil his feathers
roughed up, looking very reproach-
fully at me. You know he is six
years DID,"
MY cat is ten; / can never bear
to think OF her age, for when she
dies-wcll, people will think her
mistress a very foolish woman"
mot those who live alone won't. "
His tone OF sympathy brought q
pleasant expression into her eyes.
You find your bird company, don't
your" she said. looking ut him
That summer when you went away
was quite anxious, fearing the land.
lady might not look after him prop
erly. You know we missed you dread
fully, Tottie and l."
Il can quite believe it. felt very
dull when you were absent"
They both laughed heartily. Sud
denly the horses stopped.
why, here we are |" he said,
looking at her amazed.
1t was the corner leading to tn,
street in which they lived.
1.-The way has seemed very short, ;
she said, preparing to get down
Usually l think our omnibuses g
so slowly"
- .Do thovo 7 ALWAYS walk from