Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1896-09-22

cape destiny by getting outside an om-
nibus. I hadn't been up there three
minutes, the rain had only just COM
menced to soak through the knees of my
trousers and trickle down my legs
when the conductor came mp with a sig
nifcant grin on his face.
If You please, sir. - he said. there's
q young lady inside wants to speak to
you.
L climbed down the ladder with which
buses in 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
side?" she said.
81 was afraid you might think I was
u nuisance. - answered.
''I guessed Us much,'' she said frank
ly. ''But it would be n very poor return
for your kindness if 1 drove you into
consumption.
think that upon the whole that was
the most delightful bus drive il my ex-
perience. The conversation flowed in a
torrent, and 1 believe we exchanged as
many condolences and opinions in half
an hour es some people do in a life
time. 1t was wonderful. It was like
touching by accident the hidden spring
of some secret door which opened into
new atmosphere, a new fairyland- We
were more like old friends than chance
acquaintances, 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 o week
and had not visited any place of amuse-
ment. 1 wondered if 1 could find n
chance hero 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-
clined to understand my tactics and re-
marked that her time was too fully oc-
cupied to go about much.
Only too soon we reached the place
where L had decided to alight. We
shook hands warmly and thanked each
other rather vaguely and nervously,
and then 1 found myself once moro on
nasty, wet London pavement
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 a
will to make.
The gates of fairyland were closed,
for, like a donkey, 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
1uS1I,,,al-;,, bY,t ~ bad to ha dom and
I trudged heavily on my way to our
disgust, that had got out of the omni-
bus much sooner than I need have done.
Imagine my surprise when, on reach
ing the house and being shown into the
dining room, 1 found there tho heroine
of the lost shoe.
That settled it.
felt that heaven had decided was
to marry that young lady, and formed
the pious intention then and there of
giving heaven every possible assistance
and made such delightful hash of her
aunt'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
liDess ceased. Every time I came she
was more cold and distant, and was
almost in 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 the most common
place civilities.
She calmly ignored that drive, which
1 had found SO delightful, and treated
me with ordinary politeness due to the
representative of her aunt's solicitors.
The position grew desperate, because
couldn't continue to make blunders
over the old lady S will forever. Already
the firm had reprimandcd 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 viii,
which was now ready-absolutely cor
rect-and the dear old 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
be the witnesses, and as she was much
better and able to get up we assembled
solemnIy in the library. But she was
funny old character and secuted the
idea of solernnity, 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 1
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 provedp" 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-
nary GOODNESS to me-
1t seems that when, after the drive in
what she is pleased to call the fairy
omnibus / walked into her auDts
dining room, she quite recognized that
must be her destiny, and so, with fem
mime perversity, she felt called upon to
struggle against fate as much as POSI-
bic.
"But you ought to be very thankful
to me for one thing" she added 1t
was wbo-but never mind
"NonsenseP' said. go on We are
too old fashioned to be romantic any
longer. :"
well she said, sit was 1 who sug-
gested you should be invited TO dinner.
Which just shows what contradictory
rreatures women are. = Household
Words