The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-10-15

81
During my stay was determined to
do Brussels tthproughlys,sI spent my
mornings, in work, my afternoons in
wandering in all quarters Of. the city,
and my evenings at Watixhall:' Gay
with Ii ht, life and music, the popular
resort exercised a great fascination over
me. ;xE,,sH & VA uns.t;9yGr rs 3 rt}l"i
On tie first visit my eye was taken
by ANONYMOUSLY English couple who sat
near me old man and ayonngWom,
ans$ The laStersitsEas whos attracted
ne. H% pale aceswasfiil Pf eharactek
5 hee asois 3 &C., ssE s Sss
what istless- sadness.,;sI found myself
specializing as to who she was, where
she lived, and why1she lived, as Issoon
decided that she must; in emi-solitqde
with her morose. father-I took their
relationship for granted-:who scarce
" ever, while they We're within my ken,
addressed ,agword toeher.' :;s,af Ief:,y.,st
Night after night I went to Wauxs
hall, drawn-though I would not then
have admitted. it-by q pair Of clear
gray eyes. There the ill-assorted
couple always: sat, scarcely ever speak
ing to one another she listening alb.
stractedly to the music<h mostly read
ing: newspaper..'sASt the last item on
the programme was begun they inyari'
ably rose to depart. -, :'~}''.'' +" ,
One night confess it with q certain
feeling Of shame: followed them with
the object of finding where they lived,
Down the Rue de la Loi and the Rue
Royal they went as Tar as: the Place St
Gudule, and there, in a crowd close to
the cathedral, I lost sight Of them, al.
though Inapostrophized myself as a
blank fool for doing SO. Ia penniless
play,warieht-I liked the name, though
still among the, great dnp1ayed! Sup.
pose T met them, suppose my infatua:
ton for a. pathetic pale face with
sseesarrchii1iR graz u eyes, should develop
into.real, passionate love for the living,
pulsing personality to which they be-
longed; what could r.. dol, whose
worldly possessions consisted OF f AZ
sterling, few Enacted plays, and some
unpublished stories?,, ." f..
Thus I reasoned with myself, but
reason; has little toldo with, governing
n mans, actions in these matters; and
besides, argued, probably I shall be
promptly disillusionized as soon as ]
hlve spoken to 'Nfiss Gray Eyes" I
The verysnext evening my opportuni'
,ty occurred; nor was Islo,v to seize it
i reached Wauxhal early and took my
place close by the table where the IN
known ones were il the nabit Of sitting
Presently the man arrived alone. NY
heart sank within me she was NOT
coiming-and then reboundcd, for there
should be no difficulty in tackling the
man when by himself: I,pretended to
be. earnestly. reading: a paper, but out
of the tail of my eye observed the new
conner take; his accustometi seat. The
4band rstruck up q lively tune, and I was
wondering how T should Introduce my
self when voice at my shoulder said:
q "sir, when YOU have. done with your
paper may ! glance at i for 2 mo
ment?"
I started at being thus suddenly ad.
dressed, looked up .apd found the bent
figure Of the father of "Miss Gray Eyes,
by me. Here was luck! I dip:
lomatically offered the paper at once,
and before the evening was over had had
some talk with Mr.. Mortimer; and fair
" accurately did /, gauge his character
as that of a man prematurely aged and
deeply bitten with the gambling mania,
So far as I would permit him his whole
talk was of stocks and shares, of odds
end chances. When he rose to go
proffered him my arm. He glanced sus:
piciously at me and then took il. Be:
fore we reached his home I ventured
timorously enough to ask after his
usual companion, and to express hope
that she was not i'll. No; she had stayed
in on account of a headache. ,..
. was not slow in pressing my adj
vantage. The next.evening I boldly ap-
preached the Mortimers, and, grudging-
ly, the old man introduced me. Now,
said I to myself, now for disil]usion-
ment. What self-deceivers we are, for
I neither wanted nor expected to be
And was not. Night after night
talked to Grace-I had heard her father
call her so, and thenceforward she was
Grace to me, and the more we talked the
more we found that we hnd'many tastes
in common. I became daily more de.
voted to this girl, of whose existence ]
knew nothing a short month ago: oh,
if + only should secure the first prize in
the lottery, or if only my comedy were
to be produced at the Tbespian, then I
might dare-what might / not dare?
One morning 7 went - the Botanic
garden, for Grace had said the evening
before that she often spent an hour
there at noon. A couple If small chill
6ren came playing neas where sat.
They began chatting to one another in
French, as they gathered up stones
from the path and arranged them on
the garden seat. tried talking to the
youngsters, and they p:smptly began
transferring the pebbles from the seat
to my knees, laughing merrily the
while. was so taken up With them that
I did not notice anyone approach, and
f. Hsn,