Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1896-11-07

of Il trif1ing service, and | was at that
age when a man would rather have
rheumatic fever than sacrifice the good
opinion of a pretty girl. Things are
different now-I'm Il married man.
But, bless your heart, you can't es-
cape destiny by getting outside an ON
nibus. l hadn't been up there three
minutes, the rain had only just COM
mcnccd to soak through the knees of my
trousers and trickle down my legs,
when the conductor came up with sig
nitiCant grin on his face.
eff you please, sir, D." he said, "there's
young lady inside wants to speak to
you.
1 climted down the ladder with which
buses i'll those days were furnished.
There she sat in the corner, half
smiling, half blushing. There was no.
body else inside.
"Won't you get wet if you go out
sidc?' she said.
81 was afraid you might think was
IL nuisance. - | answered.
81 guessed as much," she said frank
ly. 'But it would be very poor return
for your kindness if l drove you into
consumption.
think that upon the whole that was
the most delightful bus drive in my ex-
pericnce. The conversation flowed in
torrent, and | believe we exchanged as
many condolences and opinions in half
an hour as some people do in life
time. 1t was wonderful. 1t was like
touching by accident the hidden spring
of some secret door which opened into
a new atmosphere, a new fairyland. We
We're more like old friends than chance
acquaintanccs, and it seemed as if
neither could tell the other too much
Points of agreement and disagreement
were noted eagerly. We had read the
same books, visited the same places, and
wherever we turned there was new
ground of sympathy.
She had only been in London a week
and had not visited any place of amuse-
mcnt. | wondered if l could find
chance here of pushing my advantage
and approached the subject with deli
cacy and caution.
But at this point it seemed that the
mutual confidence stopped. for she de-
ciiECd to understand my tactics and re-
marked that her time was too fully oc-
cupied to go about much.
Only too soon wo reached the place
where l had decided to alight We
shook hands warmly and thanked each
other rather vaguely and nervously,
and then l found myself once more on
Il nasty, wet London pavement.
l had had glimpse of fairyland, but
it was only glimpse, 1 was back
again in the practical, uncomfortable
world, with living to be earned and
will to make
Tho gates of fairyland We're closed,
for, like donkey, l had omitted to
find out the fairy S name and where she
lived.
1t seemed impossible to bring ones
mind back to the legal subtleties of
wilnaking, but it had to be done, and
| trudgcd heavily on my way to our
clients house, finding, to my infinite
disgust, that I had got out Of the omni-
bus much sooner than need have DONE
Imagine my surprise when, on reach
ing the house aud being shown into the
dining room, | found there tho heroine
Of the lost shoe.
That settled it.
felt that heaven had decided I was
to marry that young lady, and formed
the piOus intention then and there of
giving heaven every possible assistance
and maCo such IL delightful hash of her
aUEt's Will that it required some six or
seven visits to put matters straight
Curiously enough, though from the
moment we met in the house her friend
Illness ceased. Every time came she
was more cold and distant, and was
almost i'll despair. The conversation
which had flowed so merrily in an un-
comfortable omnibus seemed impossible
over the dining room fire, and she re-
fused to go beyond tho most common
place civiiities.
She calmly ignored that drive, which
| had found so delightful. ard treated
me with ordinary roliteness due to the
representative of her aunt's solicitors
The position grow desperate, because
| couldn't continuc to make blunders
over tie Old lady will forever. Already
the firm hid rep1imandcd me for stu
pidity, though, to be sure, the old lady
herself bore with me with wonderful
patience and good temper.
The crisis came.
1t was my last visit about the will,
which was now ready-absolutely cor
rcct-and the dear cid creature had ap-
proved of every word of it.
1t only required to be executed. She
said she would like her niece and me to
he tho witnesses, and as she was much
better and able to get up we assembled
solcmnly in the library. But she was
funny old character and secuted the
idea of solemnity, ringing the bell for
the servant to bring up some champagne,
so that we might drink "success to her
will.
I'm thankful to say that, though I
was by this time helplessly in love with
the niece, | had sufficient presence of
mind to say, Success to the will, and
may it never have TO be provedr' which
pleased her immensely, and before I
left was invited to dinner the follow
ing Sunday
From that moment things went pretty
smoothly, though it was only last even
ing that in talking over our courting
days in the far away past my wife ex.
planned the meaning of her extraordi-
harry coolness to me.
1t seems that when, after the drive in
what she is pleased to call the ''fairy
D1,,,ilnS - I