Smyrna times., 1900-11-07
BY Sheila E. Braine.

lOdger, an OLD bachelor and q heart
whole man-that is to say, he was all
three until the day, considerably past
his fortieth birthday. that special
fate took him in hand and brought
him face to face with the younger Of
two ladies who had recently come to
live in one of the houses opposite.
They were evidently mother and
daughter. Both were comely, and the
last named of the two had one of the
sweetest faces it had ever been Mr..
Oddle's luck to behold. She happened
to drop a small parcel while walking
along their mutual road, and he hur-
ried after her with it. The smile with
which she received 1t went straight
through Mr.. Oddie's somewhat anti
Quated waistcOat.
All the evening he thought of that
smile. When he went to bed. he en-
deavored, with the aid of three can
dies, to get an impartial view Of that
region on the top Of his head where
the hair ought to have been. but now,
alas, was not. That bald spot had not
troubled him much up to that time.
Now he regarded it with mistrust.
Mr.. Oddie had led an amiable, pune
tual, uneventful existence, going to
and returning from the city every week
day with regularity and dispatch-the
kind of person who is never asked for
his season ticket. He was cOmforta-
bly, off and had no one dependent up
on him. The few relatives he pos
sessed lived in the shires.
Mr.. Oddie had remained a bachelor
all these years possibly because no
body had set to work to marry him.
1t was not that he objected to women.
On the contrary, he admired the fair
sex, as a whole, quite unreservedly.
But he had never given his heart to
any one particular woman, and his
landlady looked upon him as a fixture.
The returning of that apparently in
nocent looking parcel marked an ep-
och. Life was never the same again
to the little old bachelor. He had not
watched Miss Hexham's gentle face
and well developed but graceful figure
for ten days before he became con-
vinced that it was not good for a corn
dealer to live alone.
"a man wanted scftening influences
about him'-here he hurled a piece Of
fried ham to the cat-"he needed a
gentle hand to guide and restrain him"
Mr. Oddie at this point discovered that
he had forgotten to wind his watch up
the night before.
The truth was he was in love and
with a young woman with whom he
had never exchanged a syllable. He
learned her name from his landlady
an austere person, whose mind was
set upon curious form of religion and
who did not take much thought about
frivolous worldly matters.
Questioned discreetly by her lodger
this worthy but depressing person
could tell him little regarding the two
ladies' who were now the objects OF
such tender interest to him. They
were a Mrs. and Miss Hexham, so sh'
had heard, and Mrs. Hickman was ei
ther deaf or dumb, or 1t might b
both, for her daughter talked on he
fingers to her, and she answered bacl
in the same way.
Mr.. Oddie's courtship was a very de
corOus affair. In Spain, despite III
years, he would doubtless have adopt
ed the role of an "iron eater" as tn
youth who goes counting undt hi
ladylove's balcony Is styled.
But in sober, unromantic Englan
the suitor does not eat iron or sert
made the queen Of his heart on I'd
guitar. He has to be properly Intro
duced, and the little corn dealer, know
ing this respectable custom, woul
have given anything for an introdu'
ton which would have allowed him
call and establish friendly relations.
The months passed, and still he coul
not get that thin but necessary end
the wedge in. The mother and daugl
ter seemed to have very few frienC
and never went out, probably on
count Of Mrs. Hexham's afiiiction.
was hard upon the daughter, Mr.. U
die thought, but he admired her all u
more for her self sacrifice.
Miss Hexham became aware OF D
devotion, OK that Mr.. Oddie was co
vinced. When they met-and he too
care that they did meet pretty orten
be ventured to raise his hat, and smli
were exchanged. But there the ana
matted, to the poor little mans II
quent despair. He could get no "f'
rader."
Once, when he attempted to spea
Miss Hexham turned the color OF
rose and promptly hurried away
have never been properly Inti
ouced. that is why" was Mr. oudi
angulshed reflection. "She must ha
been exqulsiteiy brought up, the We
pink Of propriety."
Something viii have to be dom
cried the poor man desperately on
uay that he went 10 the city withou
ue' and an unfeellng acquaintance Je
W at him and iuuuired II his liver w