Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-11-23
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
The Girl at Smiths

gave only QUICK SlduCe Ut neH lAat
time, but her face haunted me all day
long as l sat at my desk. 1 left the Of
fee earlier that evening, and as L be
gan to near Smiths looked to catch a
glimpse of her should she happen to be
there. Smith. by the way. is a fash
ionable ladies' garment maker. and so
thought she might have to be there
again to attend to the memorable de-
mands of her dressmaker
As 1 hurried on l almost trod upon q
newsboy who was calling out his "ex-
try spechuls," and l jostled against an
elderly man who was carrying a paper
parcel-jostled with sufficient force to
cause him to drop the burden. With
profuse apologies 1 stopped and picked
IL up for him. He received my over
lures with much calmness, looking over
his glasses and serewing up his mouth
till the little lines that radiated across
his shaver upper lip made IL look like
a miniature aurora borealis. Then 1
continued my headlong flight. and soon
I was opposite Smiths. | looked up.
Sure enough. there she stood. looking
down the street. l watched her. She
was calm. AsTennyson says. Her eyes
were homes of silent prayer" l stay
cd as long as | dared, for knew the
magnetic effect on the passerby when
one stops to look Mt anything intently,
and l was Jealous enough not TO want
any one else to look at her. One even
tn II IL,
by some unaccountable attraction my
sight was drawn to one young woman
who, in playing subordinate part, was
cOstumed in n nicely fitting suit of
brown. What was 1t that made il seem
familiar? 1t was the costume 1 had
seen her wear as she stood one morning
In Smiths window as l passed. Could
1t be that had found her ut 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
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. 1 crossed and stood under the
lamp that lighted the sidewalk dimly
around the door. One or two that l
was almost sure were she passed out
into the waiting carriages, but still 1
did not feel fully satisfied. 1t was
growing very late. and l 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
before-evidently all were out
who went that way-and, foiled in my
search, / turned homeward cnce more.
a great sorrow was upon me.
The next day l felt angry with her
angry for no cause OF hers, but angry
because 1 had been prevented from
meeting her. / did not care to hang
about Smiths, nor did 1 have any ex-
cuse that would take me in there. 1
went to my work by another route. 1
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 1 kept feeling that
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
/ was leaving the Office 1 saw I'm his
little brougham my friend
who, seeing me, pulled up
and said: Here, old man. let me drive
you home. Jump I'm here. 1 won't take
no for an answer" So got I'm beside
nim. and we rode homeward by anoth-
er route.
"OId boy" said Robinson, 'yOu are
not looking yourself. What's the mat
ter with you? Are you in love-"
''No. think not / replied. ANY
way, L have no reason to he. l don't
know of any girls in the Office. not
even the typewriter. and the only ones
meet during the day are the walters,
but 1 am not in love with them
You speak as though there was a
bare possibility OF your being i'm love
after all. Now, what and who is it? |
FELL me about IL. A fault confessed Is |
half redressed. and I'm this case you
may feel easier IL you have some one |
10 tell il to and to talk with about |
her.
NO" / protested, 81 am not I'm love. |
don't know any woman, say
"Well, that may all be, but you
IAN be in love with a woman you
ion't know. Where have you seen
ler?"
''In Smiths"
Smiths! Where's that? Not the la
lies tailor, is it," he exclaimed in
'ome surprise.
Yes. 1 begin to think she works
here. but that doesn't make any diff
erence, does it?'
"Oh, no, suppose notl Love will
20 where it is sent, IL 1t is out of the
window. But 1 think 1 know her.
let's drive around by there, and we
nay see her.
l was only too delighted at the pros
,ect OF seeing her, and we soon came
lear Smiths. We were both on the
ookout for my divinity.