The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-11-12
THE GIRL
l AT SMITHS

| save OhlJ q QulCh SldACc at Lei liza
time, but her face haunted me all da,
long as l sat at my desk. left the OF
fee earlier that evening, and as l be
gan to near Smiths looked to catch
glimpse of her should she happen to b
there. Smith, by the way, is fash
| ionable ladies' garment maker, and s.
l thought she might have to be Their
again to attend to the memorable de
mands of her dressmaker.
AS l hurried on | almost trod upon
newsboy who was calling out his lex
try spechuls," and l jostled against al
elderly man who was carrying pape
parcel-jostled with sufficient force t,
cause him to drop the burden. Will
profuse apologies l stopped and PICKED
it up for him. He received my over
lures with much calmness, looking owe
his glasses and screwing up his moutl
till the little lines that radiated across
his shaver upper lip made 1t look ik'
miniature aurora borealis. Then
continued my headlong fight, and soor
was opposite Smiths. looked up
Sure enough, there she stood, looking
down the street. l watched her. She
was calm. AS Tennyson says, "Her eyes
were homes of silent prayer" l stay
ed as long as dared, for l knew the
magnetic effect on the passerby wher
one stops to look at anything intently
and / was jealous enough not to want
any one else to look at her. One even
ing as was looking at the performers
by some unaccountable attraction my
sight was drawn to one young woman
who, in playing subordinate part, was
costumed in a nicely fitting suit OF
brown. What was it that made it seem
familiar? 1t was the costume l had
seen her wear as she stood one morning
in Smiths window as l passed. Could
it be that had found her at last? The
face did not seem quite the same, but
the dress l could swear to.
This increased the mystery.
AS soon as the performance was over
l went to the stage door, whence all
the participants Of the evening would
leave the theater. l waited on the op-
posite side Of the street for her to APP
pear. l crossed and stood under the
lamp that lighted the sidewalk dimly
around the door. One or two that
was almost sure were she passed out
into the waiting carriages. but still l
did not feel fully satisfied. 1t was
growing very late, and 1 was chilly
from the damp air that was drifting in
from the harbor. Presently the light
was turned out, and all was darkness.
The last carriage had rolled away some
minutes before-evidently all were out
who went that way-and, foiled in my
search, / turned homeward once more.
A great sorrow was upon me.
The next day felt angry with her
angry for no cause of hers, but angry
because I had been prevented from
meeting her. 1 did not care to hang
about Smiths, nor did l have any ex-
cuse that would take me in there.
went to my work by another route.
saw new things and met new faces
and arrived at my Office without hav-
ing once thought of her. But all day
while at my desk l kept feeling that
the day had not been properly begun,
and counted the hours until the time
should come when l would be free to
go home and go past her again. oh,
face haunted days!
Again my plans were changed, this
time through no agency of mine, for as
charming little brougham my friend
Robinson, who, seeing me, pulled up
and said: Here, old man, let me drive
you home. Jump in here. / won't take
mo- for an answer" So got in beside
him, and we rode homeward by anoth-
er route.
"Old boy" said Robinson, you nre
not looking yourself. What's the mat
ter with you? Are you in love"
mo, l think not" replied. "Any-
way, have no reason to be. l don't
know of any girls in the office, not
even the typewriter, and the only ones
l meet during the day are the walters,
but l am not in love with them"
you speak as though there was
bare possibility of your being in love
after all. Now, what and who is it?
Tell me about it. A fault confessed is
half redressed, and in this case you
may feel easier if you have some one
to tell it to and to talk with about
her"
NO." 1 protested, 81 am not in love.
1 don't know any woman. say"
"Well. that may all be. but you
can be in love with a woman you
don't know. Where have you seen
herr?
'In Smiths"
Smiths! Where's that? Not the la
dies tailor. is it?" he exclaimed in
some surprise.
Eyes. begin to think she works
there, but that doesn't make any diff
ference. does it"
ooh, no, l suppose not! Love will
go where it is sent, if it is out of the
window But l think | know her.
Let's drive around by there, and we
may see her."
l was only too delighted at the pros
pect of seeing her, and we soon came
near Smiths. We were both on the
lookout for my divinity.
Fortune favored us. There she stood.
My heart beat fast, but Robinson
laughed loudly.
"Oh, oh, | thought 1 knew her! You
fool That's the wax face lay figure
they fit and display dresses over"
The subsequent items of my biogra-
ply are of no public interest. I have
not been in love since. l have had
enough of it.