The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-26

lie was plain, with an unobtrusiVe, ordi-
nary ugliness. from which a pair OF very
kindly brown eyes must he excepted. Ihey
were really rather remarkable eyes, with
long eyelashes and a half-wistful express
sion like that Of a loveab!e dog who has
been snubbed or disappointed. But this
concession made. there could be no doubt
of Johns unattractiveness. He was of
heavy build and he had square fingers
and huge feet.
Wind and weather both affected his
complexion. but he preferred to keep his
honest red face clean shaver. His light
hair was cropped as closely as a convicts'
and he was usually unlucky in the fit OF
his hats. Mr.. Grigg had the misfortune
TO be the ugly ducklng of very hand
some family, and his relations had lost
30 opportunity of impressing this tact on
him, from the time that he wore his next
brothers cast-of velveteen SUITS, to the
present day, when he was 4.
That same good-loOking brother, the
mothers idol, had died a few years ago
soldering in South Africa, and the elder
one, who was almost as handsome, mad
married a well-to-do lady from Liverpool.
She thought John very duh and plain, and
seldom invited him to her house
The only sister, in spite of her IoVnness'
had made a disastrous marriage, and she
found John old-fashioned notions on mo-
rality rather oppressive, with the result
that they now seldom met. Though much
alone he was, however, by no means IN
happy. He liked his work in the city, and
was making money in a quiet but satistac-
tory fashion. A few people asked him 10
dun dinner parties, and the children of
the family always insisted upon coming
down into the drawing room when they
heard of his advent. They knew that if
meant boxes of chocolate and marrons
glacees if in season, and they found red
faced Mr. Grigg a much more amusing
person than their elders would have
thought possible.
Now and then, but very rarely, 1t must
be confessed on returning to his lodging
from one of these dreary banquets, Mr.
Griggs used to wonder when he would set
up a house and a wife of his own. He
never got much further than picturing
very quiet neatly dressed girl with dark
hair and eyes, sitting at the end of a ta-
Bile that was adorned with a plated
epergne in the center and vases of flowers
at the four corners. Sometimes he saw
her warbling at a piano in drawing room
that was furnished with red silk chairs
and large ottoman, but at this period of
the vision Mr.. Grigg usually fell asleep
As rule he rather distrusted women, and
they were pretty and lively he could not
help thinking of his sister Felicia, with her
dancing eyes and wonderful hair. And he
knew what utter despair a wife of that
stamp would bring into his home. on
the other hand, the queter and duller a
girl was, the less likely she was to make
herself agreeable TO anyone as painfully
shy as John Grigg.
One autumn evening he had made a
short excursion ir the neighbOrhood of
London, and was sitting at a station wait
ing for the train, which was late on ac-
count of many excursionists. He had
taken a long country walk, and was lit
tie tired. so he sat patiently on a bench
and listlessly surveyed the bookstall, the
vista of hy-eaten buns and pork pies
through the glass door of the refreshment
room, and the occupants of the next bench
TO his own. One of them was a young
woman, with a parcel on her knee. and two
or three more at her side Mr.. Grigg did
not, as a rule, stare much at ladies, but
he could not help observing how very III
this one looked. Her head had sunk back
against the bench, and her hat had fallen
a little on one side Now and then she
tried to fan herself with crumpled copy
of The Echo. Then her hand dropped
lstlessly on her knee Her cheeks were
quite colorless, and Mr. Grigg thought
that she seemed to be breathing in an odd
gasping manner. He hesitated and wish
ed that someone else on the bench would
take the trouble to see what was the mat
ter with her.
Two untidily-dressed women, with a
basket and a baby, who seemed excited
over some disputed matter were near bv.
but they merely glanced GROSSLY at the
young lady and moved a little further
down the seat. At the far corner sat a
grave man with spectacles, entirely pre-
occupied with the study of some type-writ-
ten sheets that he held John Grigg stir
red uneasily, and looked at the girl again.
obviously she was feeling very ill., and
would soon faint. He hated having to go
and speak to a woman whom he did not
know, at station, who might mistake his
intentions. He coughed uncomfortably,
got a shade redder, and tried to fancy he
was absorbed in the Globe Then he
glanced once more at the girl. He fancied
that she might be a little Eighty and friV-
olous. Her hair, which was yellow and
curly, was rather disarranged. There
was sort of coquettishness about her
Dlue-and-white foulard blouse and her lit
tie brown boots that alarmed him. He
blew his nose, and went steadily on with
the leading article. Presently a tall
dark man, with waxed moustache and a
bright-colored tie, passed him and an
preached the girl. He bent over her and
said something in a low voice Either
his manner or his words annoyed her for
she Strengthened herself in her seat and
shook her head. The man sat down on
the bench close to her, and smiling dis.
agreeably addressed her again. A faint
color came into her dead-white cheeks and
she fTowned.
John Grigg noted the mans unplea SAINT
smile and the girls attitude of distrust
He arose from his seat and advanced NJ.
wards them. Then he lifted his bat and
hardly looking at the young lady he ad.
dressed her in a fierce voice as if he wore
demonstrating with a refractory and 81.
DERBY relation.
Il am afraid you are not feeling very
well? l am sure il would be much wise,
If you went and sat quietly in the waiting.
room" be said.
The other man surveyed him with a. con.
temptous smile.
The girl mad grown If possible. a SHADE
winter. She tried TO speak. and suddanI,
fell back senseless. John Grigg felt very
much annoyed with her, aud a little sorry
II will see after the young lady. She is
friend Of NINE" said the dark man win !
leer. -"
John looked straight at him "Tbanl
you, III take care that she gets every.
thing she wants" he said. CURLY T6,
other glared once more at the broa(
HasNna1 . saHaaa