Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-07-10
A Nan I'M roIIrr

Day by day I found myself growing
more impatient for the dinner gong to
ring. Had the bracing air of Liam
dudno put such a ravenous edge on my
appetite? 1t was hardly that, for
breakfast and lunch had no correspond
ing attractions. They were simply
scampered through as necessary formal
tiles. Was it, then, that the entrees
were so excellent, the wines so choice,
the liquors so piquant, the conversation
SO sparkling?
l asked myself these questions as
stood looking down into the placid
waters which softly Tapped the tall
black pillars of the pier. Tnei. turned
on my heel and for answer laughed 4
mOcking negative to them all.
81 have seen her at table d'hote
every night for week. l soliloquized,
and l believe | laughed again and went
all hot. Can you guess why? Some
how / fancy you can, and that you are
laughing at me.
How lovely, how divine a creature
she was, or at any rate how lovely she
seemed to me, cannot tell you in cold
print. l should only make myself fool
ish in the attempt. Let me ask you
to take her beauty for granted-tfe
rich black hair, the large, lustrous
brown eyes, the rose tint of her cheek.
the glorious-but here 1 am running
into raptures. Let me simply set down
once and for all that, as Christina's
lover says in Browning:
She should never have looked at me
If she meant l should not love her.
For a week, as l have said, / gazed
at her where she sat, near the corner
at the far end of the table. And mean
while / slipped my wine, and now and
then remembered that | might as well
eat something.
The buzz Of conversation was lost
upon me. took no heed Of aught save
her fair face. | was as one entranced.
If some one asked me to pass the
mustard l found myself replying, "No,
thank YOU" or if the waiter murmured,
"Claret or 'ock, sir" l absently re-
Joined. "a few potatoes, please"
1t was bad Casa very bad case
and toward the end Of the week / be-
| gan to realize where / was drifting. So
for the first time | deigned to speak
to my right hand neighbor, a spry
young fellow who had an air of know
| ing everybody and everything.
| startled him out of his omniscience
| when | spoke, for think he had wag-
cred so to l that I couldn't utter a
| dozen words consecutively, but he re-
covered readily from the shock, and
we prattled awhile concerning various
matters / didn't want to breach the
| subject nearest my heart too quickly
and we had got as far as the sweets ere
I said, 'Who is the lady at the top cor
ner yonder?"
"The brown eyed lass with the
sheeny Iocks?" he rejoined.
/ 1 could have kicked him for his IT.
reverence.
| Yes"
ooh. that Mrs.-Mrs-ah, yes, Mrs
Faulkner
ooh. And the dark, disagreeable
| looking gentleman who always accom-
panys herr" added in tremor. He
| is Mr.
Exactly, Mr.. Faulkner, her No;
| champagne, please Yes, he's her
"Oh, thanks, thanks awfully."
stammered precipitately. and / ross
| from the table and hurried from tbs
room with lump in my throat and a
mist before my eTes.
| I crushed q hat on my head and
| walled or stumbled somehow out int
/ the street. Anon was pacing thu
pier, and right atjthe end IN the dark.
81, lonliest c0r1r could md -
me- Dawn. an I'D four cieazs n hall