Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1897-09-09
.JOHNSON'S ROMANCE.

Dear Ol0 JOuuSOuI VuouOVoA : oASAA
of him realize that he was one OF the
true, good hearted fellows we only meet
with here and there in the world, and
not too often.
His name, by the way, was not
Johnson, but it will answer all the pur-
poses of my story TO call him SO.
It was name handed down through
many generation Of noble ancestors
that he carried across the channel when
he was nearing 80 years Of age, together
with the very small remnant OF fortune
which remained after one of his friends |
| had swindled him.
johnson was exactly the person to be
swindled. His trustful, generous heart
made him an easy prey.
81 don't like leaving my native
Hand" he said to me day or SO before
his departure, "but the fact is can no
Longer afford to live in England, so
must avail myself Of the inexpensive
continental style Of existence. am
bound for Paris, which, after all, will
not be going very far away"
johnson had been living abroad for
lmore than a year when / decided that
it was about time / was looking him up
He was not good at correspondence,
neither was I.
We exchanged occasional letters
', (which seemed to be full Of nothing, SO
1 wanted to see with my own eyes how
he was bearing his changed fortunes
It was in the small ''entresol" OF one
of the tall houses of the old Latin quar-
ter Of the capital that found my friend
established.
; He declared that he was very jolly,
but did not believe him. 1t was only
sort Of logged determination to look
on the sunny side of things in general
: that made him say SO.
How could man no longer III his
first youth be ''jolly' in stuffy little
; lodging where his head almost touched
the ceiling and where his frugal meals
lwere sent in by 'traiteur?"
johnson was just the fellow who
+ ought to be the head of an afauent Brit
}. ish household, with sons and daughters
growing up around him. Or he should
have been q wealthy bachelor uncle, alb
|solutely adored by large contingent OF
,, Inephews and nieces. Solitude did not
. seem the proper setting for him.
L However, he took for his motto,
Whatever is, is best, y trotted me about
q Paris with an air of part ownership
which was infinitely comic-in fact, DID
~ his level best to make my fortnlght'f
10 stav a pleasant one.
10 He would have insisted on giving me
up his bed and migrating to an unlel
10 attic on the fifth floor, but would no,
hear Of it. :.
"a Twas obliged to pretend that ! should
" certainly suffocate in the small close
!, he dignified by the title OF "chambre
y coucher," and that I had engaged quar-
u tiers at one of the nearest hotels on my
~ way from the railway station and before
~ I found him out.
Oh Though we had known each othel
y during a good many years, it was onil
u when my stay in Paris drew very nea'
10 its close that johnson one evening be
y came confidential
D. am not very likely to forget tina
~ evening, either, for had come out "a
" Their sick and decidedly shuddering iron
w visiting the morgue.
40 Declaring it to be one of the sight
Oh of the city, which strong nerved mai
fought to see once in his life, had pre-
! vailed on johnson to accompany me.
IL A group of excited women and mai
~ or two were standing by the entrance
ca They told us that the body of girl
Is Young and pretty girl-had been carrie
10 in not long before. She had been foun
n floating in the Seine-a case of suicide
:" no doubt.
NJ .I-think-I'll take your arm-m
BIZ dear fellow, stammered johnson as "
20 came out from this CHASTITY spectacle.
ne Then I felt sorry had urged hill
SIS against his will. for his face was
me white as chalk and his manner was thu
ne of man walking in dream.
go 'It reminded me-" he said, after "
had walked some little way, and
seemed better, ''of girl who Wi
drowned good many years ago. Pc
le, haps I'll tell you about it by and by. >
W / did not question him. The little r
nance of his life came out quite nat
rally as we sat together in the stuff
en- "entresol,' waiting for dinner.
cry 81 am such thorough fogy now,
for remarked johnson from the depths
Ise. the big Voltaire chair into which hi
inc forced him, "that dare say, Fran
he you could hardly imagine me YOU
n.y. and fairly good looking"
"You forget I answered, 18th
run we were both tolerably young VIII
) a we first made acquaintance And,
inc my opinion, you are good looking now
nts "Oh, yes, to you, perhaps. But cou
rop Won imagine me a man with whom
n.y. pirl-prctty and much sought after
ken would fall in love? Yet SO it was, ant
Jar think shall feel better if I tell y
the about it this evening.
be sTell me by all means,'' I said.
leer never knew before you were man wi
My story
ove He smiled rather sadly.
,uld 'Who has not story? Only we
gu not happen TO know it. don't supp
the that We who have failed in life as
live CARDS happiness are in the minori
in Well. I, toc had my dreams Of "
inc, and a home. At first they were vaf
ter.
be- and shadowlike They only began
was take form when I knew Alice Temp
that have called her pretty, but I think
ncy was the intelligence expressed in
aeer ewes that one noticed most. or perhs
sur the swift smile that came to her !!
! Oh when she spoke. T"
ON Iwaited silently. Presently Johns
Jolt went on with his story:
, by sWe were engaged. There was no
had Ing to wait for. I could afford
Hey marry and Alice had little mon
,als. not much, and was glad of it. sho
cry, not have wished to be one Of those
that whom the world points as man W
nine by marrying, has done well for b
the self
g. "My dear friend" exclaimed,
one could ever imagine you hunt