News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1900-08-22
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in a corner with Jessie Bingham and
became aware that she had something
Of great Importance TO communicate.
Natalie Clair is here" said she, with
the air Of small boy announcing that
the circus has come to town.
Miss Clair was young woman
whom Gaines had 80 times narrowly
missed meeting. Two years ago, when
the Glars were about to come to New
York to live, Gaines had heard so
much about Natalie that he had begun
to dislike her. Many girls in his social
set knew her, and they all declared
that he and she were made for each
other" The basis of that view, so far
as he could discover, was that she was
tall and dark, while he was tall and
light, and that both of them had the
reputation of being very cold, reserved
and hard to approach in friendship
or flirta ton.
AS a rule he did not like girls who
were cold and reserved. Suffering
from a chronic embarrassment HIM
self, he found it hard enough to get
along with girls who were jolly, talk
ative and open hearted. Moreover to
be slated as girls admirer before
fellow has met her is enough to kill
all chance of liking her. Gaines was
glad when Natalie went abroad with
her mother, instead of coming to New
York. Within two weeks he had heard
that she was home again. And now it
seemed he must meet her.
"There she is" whispered Jessie
Bingham. Isn't she perfectly love-
ly?"
Gaines glanced across the room, and
his blood became ice water. He had
always regarded himself as a peculiar
! ly unlucky man, but that Natalie Clair,
Of all people in the world, should
prove to be the heroine Of the Twenty
third street adventure struck him as
| little the worst blow in even his eX-
| perience.
"Of course l should be greatly pleas
ed to meet her." said he, and his
voice sounded in his own ears as if it
were being ground out of a phono-
graph. But there's no hurry. Any
time will do"
"What nonsensew exclaimed Jessie.
"Of course you want to meet her this
minute. And they're bringing her right
over herew
Gaines perceived that Jessie spoke
truly. A half dozen young people, with
the most obvious intentions, were gen.
thy steering Miss Clair in his direction.
She, however, seemed to be wholly I'M
aware of their purpose until she was
within six feet of him. Then she start
ed as prettily as a frightened deer.
Gaines looked anxiously into her
face, and when he saw that he was
recognized he felt as one upon whose
shoulder the hand of the sheriff is laid.
1t was all over in a moment Early
in his life Gaines had been introduced
to Boston east wind and once, when
boy, he had been locked in an ice
house as a joke, but Miss Clair gave
him new sensation. No one else ap-
peared to notice the chill, though it
seemed to him that all New York must
be shivering.
He dared not say anything to the
point among so many people, and so he
mumbled the ordinary nonsense while
waiting for a chance to escape. That
was not to be, however. He saw Miss
Bingham going one way and Miss
Somebody Else going another way, and
there was no way at all for him. He
: simply got left in the corner with Ma.
tale Clair, and if it had been done on
purpose it couldn't have been done bet.
ter.
A man of tact and assurance would
have found no difficulty in saying the
right thing, but Gaines lacked those
qualities, and his faculties were in 6
panic.
"The situation is somewhat difficult
Miss Clair" he said. you must be
strongly prejudiced against me, but
but
What utter nonsense! Why couldn't
he say straight out, 81 saw you OF
Twenty-third street today and mistool
you for my cousinp He knew as wei
as anybody could that that was the
right thing to say. But the words didn
come to him.
"You can't help it," said she; mel
Their of us can help it now. Let us for
get everything that happened before
we met tonight"
And then she looked around with ;
! frightened eye for somebody to com,
+ and take her away.
] Gaines felt as If the black cap hat
been drawn over his face. He had hat
! bis chance to speak, and it had passed
! Evidently Miss Clair knowing the cir
! Gle in which he moved, had decided t,
3 tolerate him, perhaps even to be silen
! about what she believed to be his blacl
{ disgrace.
{ If Jane were only there, he coul'
! have pointed to the resemblance an,
t have told his story with n good grace
\ lie had heard that she was expected
D later in the evening. He would reserv
| bis defense till then.
Cap,abnu ha acoonnJ frap, Mite