The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-03-01


"Oh, how interestinSl" exclaimed
my wife dropping her magazine and
looking up at my friend and myself,
whom she had always previously de-
clared to be the most uninteresting
when we got together over our pipes.
''It is not very pleasant for me,
muttered Swash. He was greatly en-.
oarrassed and fixed his eyes pensively
On the floor.
"What is her name?' I asked.
'I don't know" ho answered
brusquely.
"Where does she live?" ventured
my wife;
Don't know that.
"Where did you meet her?" said /.
"Can't tell that either, Dockboy.
Don't think me disagrceablo. If L
could L would gladly answer your
questions. Indeed, l wish that 1 was
able to-"
Your case is truly strange one"
L said. ''Is this young woman purely
nn ideal, mental creature of your
own? You have beon melancholy
enough of late to have been signing
| lllOEO iuhlOllul.
''She is not mere creation of my
imagination, replied the lieutenant
solemnly. "She exists-where don't
know. L saw her once n great way
off, and she realized all my ideals of
the woman L would make Mrs. Swash.
And when L saw her, for an instant
though it was, ] cried to myself
Here, Swash, is the woman you have
dreamed of all these years. That soft,
intellectual face, those soulful eyes,
they belong to the woman you have
been waiting for Then she was
gone, from where and whittier don't
know, for 1 can't tell where L saw
her."
Swash sent beautiful ring OF smoke
eircling upward toward the ceiling,
and on it he fixed his eyes, watching
1t as it swung away into the air, be-
came thinner and thinner and finally
disappeared, and where it had been
he kept his gaze fixed so that it seemed
that he was looking off into space, un-
conscious OF our presence. My wife
glanced meaningly ut me, as though
she suspected that our visitors mind
was either permanently or temporarily
deranged
"Your case is really most remark
abie," l said Explain. Don't sur
round yourself with such an air of
mystery. 1t would relieve you to con-
ide your troubles in us. Perhaps
we could help you"
eyes, indeed" cried my wife en-
Enthusiastically. Perhaps we can help
you"
Swash started.
"Ah, yes. Where did leave off?
Perhaps you can-indeed, yes"
Perhaps we can assist you," re-
peated.
"I think not, Dockboy," he said,
having recovered himself. ''For my
case is truely remarkable. ! have
swept the skies with telescope and
cannot find her. have walked the
streets day and night, scrutinizing
not trace OF her. You see, l saw
her under the most peculiar circum-
stances. but see her did, and lost
my heart. From satisfied bachelor
of fifty l have been metamorphosed
into a lovelorn, disappointed, un-
happy-I can't get a word to fit my
case"
"Your use OF telescope is queer, -
I interrupted. ''I have suspected all
along that you saw her in the skies. ~
"You have guessed my secret" he
said mournfully. 'It happened that
one night about a month ago was
walking down Broadway on the way
home to my boarding house." con-
tinued my friend. "It seems to me
that had been mp here to SEQ you.
At Fortieth street, as ill luck would
have it, | ran across one of those
itinerant astronomers who had set up
telescope on the pavement and hung
out small sign calling attention to
the fact that Saturn and its rings
could be seen for five cents. Busi,
ness looked dull and kind of pitied
the poor fellow. 1t had never been
my fortune to gaze at Saturn and
} her rings, SC stepped up, gave him
} nickel and fixed my eyes on the end
of the instrument. At first all was
: blackness. Il can't see any rings,
said I. The lens is not adjusted,
/ replied the astronomer. And Will
that he began to turn lot of screws.
: The blackness gave way to a hazy,
/ gray light, that suspected was from
> n theatre across the street, but saiC
nothing and strained my optic nerve
: to make out the planet. 1t was of M
use. withdrew my eye and com
planned. The astronomer then dis
Q covered that the telescope was pointed
e wrong, and he looked through it, low
cred one end and gave it turn.
"My eye was at the instrumon
again, but no change was visible il
, the makeup of the heavens beyond
4 marked increase of light. Once NOR
a / complained, aud the man declared
s must be nearsighted. Look harder
a he said, giving the machine littl
4 twist. And looked harder, but in
stead OF Saturn l saw clearly won