Evening journal., 1897-03-08
A KISS IN THE DARK.

for down town car.
The A. S. A. usually gives an annual |
banquet, but this year 'no one seemed |
to be hungry, " rs the man that makes
the speech said so they are giving in
stead an artistic musical and dramatic |
entertainment for those who are.
Two cars approach, running tandem, |
ono with seats running longthwiso the |
other with seats running crcsswise.
'Shall we take the front carp" be |
asks, in no amiable tone Of voice, for it |
had taken her just 1 hour and 20 min |
utes to dress
''No, the last one. Everybody has
such an opportunity to stare when the
passengers face each other. Now, if
were so beautiful that none could look
but to admire A low growl from the
depths of his mustache as he hands her
up to the rear platform of the car is the
only answer Then he flashes a look at
the graceful white clad figure, the black
eyes and mass Of raven hair beneath tho
rose decked hat but says nothing.
"That wide eyed girl across the aisle
reminds me of a story l read the other
day of a New York man who was call
ing ON a lady in Boston. She was q sort
Of poster woman, with orange hair and
orange lips and crimson bodice. Stay
ing with her was Il young girl from
somewhere in Missouri girl with
eyes set mysteriously wide apart-whO
enchanted him with her singing. A
year later he met the wide eyed girl
again aud asked her to sing to him. she
went to the piano and sang q touching
little ballad that brought the tears to
his eyes. See, you have called forth my
tears
% I would give the rest of my life TO
see your tears, she said, and then he
knew that the wide eyed girl was blind "
where did you get that:" he asked
quietly.
"Oh, from one Of those impossible
little magazines, 'Clack' or Clique,
Chap or a Chip, - she answered.
As they are about 70 leave the car
the little woman across tho aisle arises,
takes the wide eyed girl by the hand
and carefully leads her cut. They look
at each other in silence
They are late, of course. Memorial
hall is a hutter Of pink and white,
garden Of flower trimmed hats in per-
fume laden atmosphere
They are just in time TO see Burne-
Jones' "Garden Court in the legend Of
the Brier Rose, to the music Of "She
Sleeps. " Then as the usher points them
to the only two remaining seats-fortu-
nately in the back rOw--the curtain
rises again upon one of Bourgereau's s
Madonnas, sitting with unblinking eyes
and reverent, uplifted hands. II is the
wide eyed girl they had seen in the car.
In the interval that follows a girl in
ivory white, bareheaded, down the aisle
exchanges few words with a lady in
black and darts back again her glorious
hair framing her face in a halo Of light
''I believe she did that with pur-
pose, he growls
"How could ono suppose anything
else? She knew, Of course, what the
effect Of the light on her hair would be. -
do look at that huge woman in the
blue silk gown. She reminds me of
nothing so much as lazy, Tale blue
cow
Where? Which one?"
Second seat from the end, third
row"
AS they look and laugh the female
bovine turns and casts a look OF very
human scorn at them.
Aren't you ashamed of YOURSELF
eyes, ann. / wouldn't be rude ever
to cow, >" he remarks i'm an undertont
us he hides his unblushing face behind
her gauze fan.
Just then the directors wife, plaiI
little woman with s0lrel hair, gownct
IN yellow organdie. rises from seat
little to the left and goes 20 sing
Bwedish folksong behind the scenes
while Won der Lippe's little son GnC
daughter pose in n Swedish fairy scene
But he is not looking at the stage II,
is studying tho group just in front,
demure little maiden. with pinchabii
cheeks and a nose that tilta the least lit
tie mite in the world and. Oh, the flaiu
tiest little chinl Tho two mon who ar
with her might pass for twins but fc
the fact that the one at the right wear
gray coat while the other is clad il
black. Yes, and he Of the gray coa
wears n mustache.
'Well, what do you think of her?'
she asks observing his scrutiny.
''If the lights should all 20 ont sud
denly, i ulluk 1 sLoulu Kiss ASis III
says thoughtfully while he gazes at TIA
bronze hair beneath the correct littl
i panama sailor.
you wouldn't have the ghost of
chance with those two men keeping
guard over her l wonder if they ar
both in lovo with her, a" she says, whil
she catches a sly glance from the MAJ
with the gray coat. He had heard every
word.
The directors wife, flushed and tri
umphant, emerges from a side door an'
resumes her seat. unfortunately alsi
her hat, and the view Of the stage is en-
U "a