Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-09-23
To What Base Uses.
By Waller E. Crogan.

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Beyond Dieppe is fair country skirt
ing blue sea, and the poppies grow
red and tall in the rustling wheat. The
hedges are starred with blossoms and
powdered with dust, for the highways
are the roads of many
Half way down the/steep hill is lit
tie hostel, roadside inn 1t has face
of flowers and is pleasant; it smiles
with the welcome of Il courteous native
to the casual stranger; it invites in
specoion, it suggests refreshment and it
disguises the materialistic form of its
refreshment with the glamour of roses
and a rustic porch.
The day was hot, and | hesitated at
the porch. The room inside looked cool =;
it had stone floor and latticed win
dow, which was thrust open. Then |
saw the tiutter of a pink gown and
sllVerv laugh came to me. | had a mar
ried sister waiting for me at Pourville,
and | was already late, but then, |
argued, | always had a married sister,
and she was generally waiting for me
somewhere, for | am invariably late,
and pink gown, in conjunction with
so silvery laugh, was alluring | went
in. The sunlight outside was very
bright, the half light in the room was
dim, and | stepped npon a dog-a pug
dog, | afterward discovered (which re
sented my familiarity with his teeth
That destroyed the effect of my en-
trance. 1t produced hurried exclama-
tion and half laugh, translated into
a cough. The exclamation came from
me. | apOlogized prOfusely to the lady
who had been indeterminate as to laugh
or cough. She was, | saw, divinely
small, a cool sweet, innocent face,
with mischief, however, lurking in the
eyes; figure slight, willowly; an air
of command and dress inconceivable
to an insular understanding--a mere
dream of light frills, soft silks and color
She drew herself up with some hau-
teur to the full extent of her feet
inches, from which l deducted two
inches in consequence of glance at
her shoes In the labor of buttoning a
long glove, she spoke.
''Monsieur, |, too, must apologize. 1t
was i'll Of Fido. 1t is pardonable that,
in the heat of such a surprise, man
should say-should say what You said.
'Yet to me it is a grief " protested
81, she went on, buttoning her
glove, with her eyes fixed on me under
the curtain of their long lashes, 81
thought you We're some one else. "
l hate to be taken for anybody else
but myself. l like to keep the tiatter-
ing hope that | am unique. l was
piqued,
MADAME, | answered, Il am sorry
that | was not the other person.
She looked at me for quite awhile,
which made me feel uncomfortable At
such moments l have always a misgiv
ing that my tie has wriggled. Then g
smiled. The smile began in her ey
spread to her lips and finally took
uge in her teeth | smiled too-f1
sympathy partly. and partly to 81
her that | bore her no ill will for
mistake
'Does monsieur generally enter
inn to tread upon little dogs?" l
came aware that had not SUNNI
the landlord | was also aware :
did not wish to summon the land
81 heard you laugh" l said le
fact seemed all eloquent to I,g; 4 DIP
peared so to her.
81 was expecting some one. We had
qualreled, she made reply
He was to blame?"
81 have not said that it was a man.
''lt was unnecessary You were good
enough not to think me devoid of com
mon sense
"He departed in anger.
"A most i'll tempered man.
"If were in the wrong
(Which is a supposition very much
strained
81 should be miserable, but as it is
laugh.
"And when You laugh the world
stops at your window.
"Monsieur is pleased to regard him
self in "A very tlattering lightp'
And |, as the only tangible object
of the world, entered. "
"Ahl'
She played a short solo upon the stone
AOOr with the tap of her shoe-it was
CrescendO Her brOw-it was as marble
for whiteness and as soft as rose leaves
-wrinkled in thought, her lips-I
hardly knew whether to bless the gods
for permitting me Il sight. or curse
them for the hot -puckered
She was evidently pondering.
at is, she said at length, ian I'M
ceremOnious entrance.
at is an unceIemOniOus introduc-
ton | corrected THE entrance was
not nnCeTemonious' -
"Unless to Fido. She laughed a
little, and | began to find her laugh
rather irritating-at times "But the
worst of it is there has been no intro
duction
Does that matterf'' asked. For