The Opelousas courier., 1900-06-16

I but, dear Miss Selma, please leave
your hair that way, and il you can't
get it straight in the morning I will
fix it when I come to say good.by."
When the lively girl had vanished,
the little house grew doubly quiet by
contrast, and Miss Selma felt herself
strangely lonely. It was due to the
impending parting with her favorite,
she concluded, and stroye to console
herself by busting her already immac-
ulate house aud eating her solitary
tea. But all through the evening the
strange feeling fingered; fingered until
the stiffness of the night, broken only
by the monotone Of the waves upon
the sand, grew almost UNDESIRABLE.
1t vas q great relief when about 8
clock Miss Selma heard q heavy foot
fall upon her neatly swept walk, and
knew that the captain had come to
call, as was his custom twice a week.
The captain was like Miss Selina-one
of the a~ristoeracy of the little seaport,
and boarded since his retirement from
active life with a widow not far from
the little cottage on the cliff. He had
sailed with Miss Selina's father on his
last Inflated voyage, and this made q
keen bond of sympathy between the
lonely man and woman.
But this evening some intuition
made the captain pause and glance in
at the open window before entering.
The little room with its collection
of quaint and curious objects, hotsam
from a score of foreign trips, was the
same, but his eyes were riveted upon
Miss Selma, as she leaned expectantly
forward waiting for his knock. Some
indefnable change had passed over
her, but without pausing to analyze
the change, the captain shook off his
bewilderment and entered the parlor,
which was well nigh filled with his
tall, portiy form.
"Good evening, Miss Selma" he
remarked, seating himself IN q big
rocker, which had by mutual consent
been coded to- him. 81 was feeling
lonesome and came here to find some
pleasant company. How very we'll you
look tonight" he finished CALAMITY.
Miss Selma started, then thought of
her hair and flushed q most becoming
pink.
The captain always said that the
blush finally settled the question that
for some months had lurked in his
mind. For some occult reason he
could not forget how charming she
had looked, and thoughts of Miss Sc
lima intruded into every turn the con-
versation took.
When he spoke OF the sea it sudden-
~ made him recall how much sorrow
it had brought upon her life, and was
the direct cause OF her loneliness.
In discussing the shingling OF the
minister's roof he remembered that
Miss Selma had said that her roof
leakedin the last storm, and that she
must hire some one to repair it, as she
| could hardly do il alone.
When the famous seed cakes were
brought cut the captain thought of the
soggy gingerbread at his own table
and mentally drew invidious compar-
isons. The very neatness Of the room
made him recall how very careless his
landlady was growing, and above all
he could not help contrasting the
frowsy widow with the trim figure and
pink tinged face before him, which
time and misfortune had failed to
change for the worse, and which had
suddenly become doubly attractive.
As the captain meditated upon these
matters a caraway seed started the poor
manchoking in a startling manner
Selina, who had the tenderest
re, sprang up and FASTENED
Nset, whore she kept her rare
~Astoratives.
Nately. however, the little
a Excitement entirely forgot
thu 4lair was q triHe higher than
shg ever worn it before, and as
she stood on tip-toe and reached for
ward to lift a bottle from q shelf, an
unwary movement brought her against
q projecting nail, and in an instant
she was firmly caught.
Poor Miss Selma was indeed in q
p~redicament. One hand grasped the
big bottle, the other the edge of the
shelf. and she could not touch her
heels to the floor without fairly tear
ing her hair ont by the roots.
STEADY, steady, cried the captain,
as he recovered from his little misad-
venture with the seed and realized his
hostess plight. Just hold ON 4 min
ute till / get there and he sprang
toward the closet with q celebrity which
surprised himself.
Cant you unloosen my hair?'' fall
tered Miss Selma, thankful that the
closest wa dark enough to hide her
buining face. I think you can get
10 away from the nail without much
trouble
But the captains clumsy fingers
made sad work with the tangled
tresses, until, finally, losing patience,
lie boldly lifted Miss Selma in his
arms and slipped her away from the
dangerouspro:eetion. IT was no faint
rose flush which swept over Miss
Selma at that master stroke of policy,
but the eaptain failed I'd see any need
for an apology. III his own heart be
thought be should apoIogizeto himself
for uniting her down 50 zoe