The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-04-06
THE GIRL AT PALMER'S.
by JOHN S. BARROws.

DAY long as L sal al my CcSA, IL heP'
coming between nay eyes ard my work
Hitting cut every idea and thought OF
what [ was working on. 1 would Try
10 drive it away, and fer the moment
would succeed, hut it was only for Il
moment. for it would come dancing
back with all its vision of loveliness-
those dccp-blue eyes and that dainty
mouth with its rosebud lips; moutl,
that seemed made for nothing harshef
than volets to tcuch; and that hair,
as she wore it that morning, in little
waves that rippled down on either side
of her brow from the parting in the
middle.
/ couldn't reno i1ber very well how
she was dressed. as | did not look at
her long enough: but her face, that
| remembered well enough to be able
easily to identify her if 1 should meet
her on the street.
| looked for her when / went to
lunch, hoping that | might meet her,
but while | saw hundreds of faces, hers
was not among them.
/ left the Office earlier that evening,
and as began to near Palmer's | looked
to catch a glimpse of her should she
happen to be there-Palmer's by the
way, is a fashionable ladies' garment
maker, and so | thought she might
have to be there again to attend to tie
memorable demands Of her dressmaker.
AS | hurried on, ! almost trod on a
newsboy who was calling out his papers.
and | jostled against an elderly man
who was carrying q paper parcel with
sufficient force to cause him to drop the
burden. With profuse apologies !
stopped and picked it up for him. lie
received my ovcrturcs with much calm
ness, looking over his glasses, and
GcrcWirg up his mouth till the little
lines that r2diatcd across his shaver
upper LID lnloe it look like miniature
aurora boTealis. Then I continued my
rcadlorg flight and soon 1 was oppo-
site Nallner's.
looked up. Sure enough, there she
stood, looking down at the street. I
watched hes, but she did not seem to
change her position. I stayed as long
IS I dared, fer [ knew the magnetic eff
feet Oh the Tacscrs-by when one stops
10 look at anything intently. and I was
Jealous enough not to want anyone else
10 look at her.
| ID rot remain long; l crossed the
c:ioct and turned for one more look
this tine | so far forgot myself as to
stand there for some time, and pres
emily the by-Dassers, noticing my car
icst Ca::c, began 10 look, and then stop
and watch the other side Of the street,
10 try to discover at what l was look
iEg 20 intently. Suddenly my reverie
was broken by the voice of a rather
fast-looiing young man: "She's a
peach, that girl over there" That
brought me to my senses. wanted to
throttle the fellow, but, realizing that
such deed would be disastrous to all
concerned, / swallowed my wrath and,
with one parting glance, turned on
lAy way and went home for the night.
This was the beginning of a series of
unhappy and restless evenings. MY
laird could not keep away from
thoughts of this girl, and I could find
30 diversion that would direct nv
thoughts to other things. 1 tried tile
theater, but that proved fruitless, for
constantly scanned the audience to see
if ! could discover her face, and when
the curtain rose looked as eagerly
among the players.
One evening, as was looking at the
performers, by some unaccountable at
INV ri Il, -
young woman, who, in playing a sub
ordinate part, was costumed in nicely
fitting suit of brown. What was it that
made it seem familiar? It was the cos
tune I had seen her wear, as she stood
one morning in Palmer's window, as I
passed. Gould it be that I had found
her at last! The face did not seem quite
40 ~"-,~ hut tho dress 7 Gould swear tr,
1 HIS increased DiLe mystery. DuL L
would solve it soon.
As soon as the performance was over
/ went to the stage door where all the
participants Of the evening would leave
the theater. / waited on the opposite
side Of the street for her to appear.
crossed and stood under the lamp that
lighted the sidewalk dim1y around the
door. One CT two who / was almost
sure were she passed out into the wait
ing hacks, but still did not feel fully
satisfied. 1t was growing very late
and / was chilly from the damp air
that was drifting in from the harbor.
Presently the janitor came and turned
out the light and al was darkness. The
last hack had. rolled away some min-
utes before evidently all were out who
went that way-aud, foiled in my
search, turned homeward once more
The next day felt angry with her;
angry for no cause of hers, but angry
because / had been prevented from
meeting her. / did not care to hang
about sPalmcr's, nor did have any ex-
cusc to take me in there. / thought,
viii not go by Palmer's this morning;
j viii not look for her face; will stoE
before I get too far.
That morning went to my work by
another route. saw new things and
met new faces, and arrived at my office
without having once thought of her.
But all day while at my desk, kept
feeling that the day had not been prop
erly begun, and counted the hours till
the time should come when would De
free to go home and go past her again.
Again my plans were changed, this
time through no agency of mine, for as
l was leaving the Office, saw in his
charming little carriage my friend
Knowles, who, seeing me, refined in an6
said: Here, old man, let me drive yo1
s.s asss CATARRH
AND HEALING