The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-09-11
AN ALIEN In BOHEMIA.
BY HELEN II. HUNTINGTON.

Madam's gloved finger tips touched
my arm lingeringly.
You are SO dependable" she said,
with smile and a heeting glance at a
somber little figure at our right. Won't
YOU say something to little Mrs. Lor-
ing for me? She is quite impossible, OF
course; but her husband is the man
most talked about just now. had to
invite her, you know"
Mrs. Loring was scanning the sea OF
eager, smiling faces around her with an
anxious gaze that seemed to go beyond
the present into the possible future.
She smiled brightly when Madam intro
duced me, and extended an ill-gloved
hand with murmur of PLEASED to
meet you," and after that lapsed into
timid ''yeas and nays" which left me no
choice but talk. Yes, plainly, she was
impossible to madam's coterie. She was
diffident almost to awkwardness; she
wore what tradespeople describe as
good clothes of the Atwood Variety
made after painfully defective simili-
tude of the prevailing fashion, which
brought out all the imperfections OF
her thin little figure. There was no
vulgar display, only general unfitness.
Mention of her husband brought
faint flush to her tired face.
THAT is he" she said, nodding
toward tall, fair man with frank.
almost boyish face, fairly surrounded
by a group Of fashionable men and
women.
''He is making an enviable reputa-
ton in literature" / remarked at ran
dom, feeling somehow that she had a
very small part in his triumphs. You
must feel very proud of his success.
"Oh. it gives me such pleasure just
to hear people talk of him!" she an
swered, Frightening into semblance of
absolute beauty. Sometimes people
who don't know me point him out to
me with praises and eager pride of mere
acquaintance"
Soon the moving throng divided us.
When next saw her Senior Ferada, of the
foreign legation, was guiding her
through the human maze, his handsome
head bowed to catch her timid muir
murs.
I did not see her again, but | met hel
husband frequently in the
midst of a gay, brilliant throng of wor
shipers-and every time l saw him
seemed to see a little plain face with
big, shining eyes, and hear delighted
exclamation of: ooh, how it please.
me just to hear people talk of him!
Six months after that night at madam''
the news of Mrs. Loring's sudden dis
appearance gave society little tremo
of surprise. 1t was rumored also tina
she had deliberately left her husband
and as he was a very popular and sue
ressful man, society sympathized deep
ly, and helped him to forget his sorrow
Meanwhile, Mrs. Loring's name wa
blotted out, and the world went its &C
customed gait
During the Lenten season this yea
society found time and inclination t
distribute flowers in the hospitals; an
as we had great quantity of flowers @
an ultra-fashionable wedding, 1 too
the surplus to hospital across the rive
where there is less noise and show Blu
lust as much trouble as in New Yorl
ftratltuQe ana love, whose customs al
unchanged since the foundation of tn
world, manifested themselves with p;
thetic tenderness among the sick an
discouraged. l knew no one; but afte
an hour or so in the wards felt til
human bond that makes the whol
world kin in a way that was good 10 n
member long after.
The next day 1 received little not
written in the cramped, vertical hand {
a painstaking schoolgirl, requesting n
to call at the hospital on the followin
afternoon during visiting hours. Itwf
signed in a holder hand by nurse {
ward A.
at was little Miss Ely who wro
you," the nurse explained, when a
peared. "She begged SO hard to hal
YOU come once more. The poor lit
thing is so sweet and patient we hadr
the heart to refuse; abe never has an
one to see her"