The suburban citizen., 1900-03-03

use. I Withdrew my eye and COM
planned. The astronomer then dis
covered that the telescope was pointed
wrong, and he looked through it, low.
cred one end and gave it turn.
"My eye was at the instrument
again, but no change was visible in
the makeup of the heavens beyond a
marked increase of light. Once more
I complained, and the man declared I
must be nearsighted Look harder,
he said, giving the machine a little
twist And 1 looked harder, but in
stead of Saturn l saw clearly a won,
am-my ideal, she whom for years I
had pictured in my smoking moments.
There she was, sitting at a window,
one arm resting on the sill, her hand
on her chin, her eyes looking directly
in to mine. Even in the half light
every feature was clearly discernable.
There was the soft black hair waving
across a white forehead, the eyes deep
and full Of immeasurable good things,
the nose, the mouth-everything
that had been seeking for. / gave
an exclamation of Joy.
"'You see her now, sir? Does the
rings show up good?' This remark
from the astromer brought to mind
a forgotten fact. 1 saw her through
a telescope. Where was that window
that I could seek her out? I had
found her. Better never to have seen
her than under such appalling condi.
tions. There she was gazing calmly
at me from the other end of long
tube. 1 could almost touch her, and
reached out my hand.
"'Hold on. there! cried the as.
tronomer. You'll upset the ma.
chine
"My involuntary movement to EN-
brace what was not there did indeed
disarrange the apparatus, and so bad
ly that she disappeared, and where she
had been a star was winking at me.
As if 1 cared for stars
81 paid for one more look at Sat.
urn, but could find nothing. In vain
I swept the skies and the housetops
and windows with the telescope and
with my naked eye. She had van.
ished. [ went home disconsolate. As
surely os [ sit here, Dockboy, 1 saw
her. 1t was not a hallucination. She
was sitting in a real window within
the range Of that telescope, but where
I don't know and perhaps never
will know My ideal has become o
reality, but under what trying cir.
cumstance. Do you wonder that
am miserable?"
II surely do not. " I said, eff what
you have said is true and not mere
Imagination"
"How romantic!" cried my wife.
Lieutenant Swash sighed.
"Come," / said, rising from my
chair, "we will go together, and per.
haps l can help you. L will have a
look at Saturn"
Not long aft erwards my friend and /
were at the corner from which he hal
viewed his ideal in the flesh. The itin.
Grant astronomer was there. too. with
his telescope pointed heavepward in
readiness for use He greeted my
companion pleasantly aud apparently
had been expecting him,
Maybe you'll see that planet
you've been looking for tonight" he
said. 'Ive cleaned of the lenses SC
they'll work better"
q" Planet Beautiful luminary
rather" muttered the lieutenant,
stopping and screwing his eye into
an end of the telescope. 81 can see
nothing but darkness now. Lower
the other end just a little-there."
He began adjusting screws with the
skill of one intimated into the mys.
teries of the heavens. While he
searched the skies above and the
housetops for miles about 1 scanned
the heavens, the housetops and the
windows with my naked eye, and with
my naked eye L accomplished more
than he.
"Allow me to try the glass, " I said.
"fy dear fellow" he cried, lit is
ofno use. If I can't find it, after
searching every night for weeks, you
can't. There is nothing In sight. It's
only a question Of patience, Of waiting
until it again appears"
LET me try" said peremptoriiy.
He acceded to my request. With the
assistance Of the astronomer / got the
instrument in the desired position,
fixed my eye to is and focused it,
"Pshaw," cried 5wash, impatieutly,
you're looking right down Broad
way"
"Them's electric lights, sir, not
planets" ventured the astronomer
politely.
These remarks had no effect on me,
1 bided nay time. AT length it came.
"Swash, don't be excited" L said,
"but just fix your eye here"
cts she again" he cried before he
had his optic thoroughly adjusted.
You're right, Dockboy. we've got
her. Now mark where the telescope
points to. Don't lose it. Get the di-
rection."
"Have you read what is below the
Window" said ].
"Jove!" be muttered. Miss Mary
Mumps, the actress, writes, 'I have
used DIR Hoayar's bornoleag half tonic