The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-04-12
GRAY
EYES
BROTHER.

I saw her first at Clones Station,
We--that is, my calm. cool, calculat-
ing friend and myself--had come by
the Great Northern of Ireland from
Belfast, and were on our way to En-
niskillen. We had to change at Clones
and there, as | say. 1 saw her.
Was she beautiful! AS, yes! Heart
and mind told me SO. She was sitting
ON one Of the long iron seats at the
quieter end of the platform. | have
wondered since what drew my eyes
TO first meet hers. Whether my sight
in the small comprehensive sweep OF
one in strange places passed over all
else until ii reached her; or whether
the current of sympathy set up by our
proximity awakened mutual interest,
] have been unable to decide. Any
how. my eyes caught hers, and rested,
in all that confusion and hustle, like
the dove upon the rock. Gray eyes
have always appealed to me, and hers
were gray--aye. gray as twilight; and
so sad. so truthful, so kind. My eyes
dropped. My frierd logged my elbow
We walked down the platform and
turned. / could see her now as we adj
vanced. A face pure in curve, Il trine
pale, perhaps. A firm, round chin.
sweet, sweet lips. nose white and
straight leading up to those full gray
eyes that lay in their long dark lashes
like Jewels in their setting; above these
a clear brow completed a face of per-
feet symmetry. and again that crown
ing glory of woman-her hair, Of that
sweetest of all shades, a rich old gold.
She was dressed in simple taste, and.
as near as my experienced eye could
tell; inexpensively. Under long,
gray cape that enveloped her Shout
ders nestled a little, shaggy, brown
dog, which apparently needed a great
deal of attention. 1t was a sweet pic
ture, and especially so to me, and my
heart went out to that fair, lone girl;
neither, and l am not ashamed to say
it, did / attempt to restrain 1t.
The Bundoran train steamed in, and
my friend hurried me off to find
smoker" These reserved compart-
ments, however, were occupied, as is
usual with a fair sprinkling of the
gentler sex. and we contented our
selves with non-smoking compart-
ment. 1 leaned out of the window in
the hope of obtaining another glimpse
of Gray Eyes. when saw her ap-
with us, and the dog was smuggled un-
der that sheltering cloak. 1t seemed,
under the circumstances, too small a
breach of regulations to be reported.
After all, I did not love the railway
company: besides, it was not my af-
fair. Then-and my surprise at my
coolness will be everlasting-I sum-
moned up courage and spoke to her.
lit
| said.
She thanked me very prettily, and
NTH all the grace Of a queen, accepted.
At this early stage let me say that
am unbiased in my statements.
When say that her grace was queen
~, | mean IT. Why, even my friend
admitted the same, and where the gen.
tier sex is concerned he is adamant.
She sat there in her corner my friend
opposite in his, and / next to him;
the doggie, revealed now danger was
past sitting upon her lap, and looking
alternatively at all three of us with
it's little, sympathetic eyes of brown.
Methought it looked kindlier at its
mistress, as was but right. The lucky
dog; how 1 envied it the attention it
gained, the sweet words and sweeter
glances it received.
Lisbelaw was reached. There were
other English excursonists with us,
and many and diverse We're the opin-
ions as to its pronunciation. l leaned
across and asked her opinion.
1T is Liss-be-law." said she. accent
ing the first syllable. Her rendering
was so much prettier than any other,
and dropped so softly and tenderly
from her lips, that the name, an ordi-
nary one. it may be, sounded sweeter
than heaven. She talked to her dog.
All! it needed but her voice TO COM
plete the havoc in my heart. The bird
was wounded, but it remained for those
soft cadences to bring it down.
"Enniskillen!' the porters cried.
How l hated the name! How L dread
ed its approach! But stay! What if
she got out too. She made no move.
! caught but one more glimpse of those
gray eyes: the train started; she was
gone. With her my interest in life,
my light, my hope of happiness.
Laugh all We whose hearts are cold.
What care l, so that her last glance
was not unkindly? / will not plead
my youth as an excuse; ii We're an in
suit to her to plead any excuse. Do
you know the cause of her sorrow?
Do you know what has driven the
laughter from her eyes? / do: ana il
Is the purpose of my life t. erase the
one and restore the other.
Disconsolate, l watched the train
until it was lost to me, then awoke
to the sharp reproof of my friend. He
thought j had lost my head Such
loss We're no great matter. It was
my heart.
When we-this is To say, when Aus
tin Goodwin and myself-had arranged
our trip, sitting there i'm our digginCs
in far away London, Enniskillen had
tempted us by reason of its lovely sur
roundings and historic interest wide
guide books. BE this as it may, NV