The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-11-28

thing as stated and for three days |
was as happy as the fish that escaped
my hook. Then came something like Il
shadow. | had noticed in Il general
way that the barmaid was good
looking girl, but had given the matter
no thought. 1t is Il barmaid'S business
to be good looking. 1t was only after
had got settled that l discovered this
barmaid of the Oak and Ivy had small
hands. small feet, a graceful form,
refined air. was educated and alto
gethcr superior to her class. The shad-
ow came because as soon rs | rccOg-
nized this barmaid'S superiority some
how felt it my duty to appreciate it
and encourage her. The idea of falling
in love with a barmaid. either common
or superior, was absurd, but the idea
of show my appreciation of her
mental and physical graces resolved
itself into a duty,
| began my lab0rS ut once. 1t really
was an effort on my part to tlatter and
compliment but | was somewhat con-
soled on realizing that my work was
not in vain. Ethel as the young lady
was named hluShed in Il delightful
way and made no secret of the fact
that she was pleased. She ought TO
have been. | WAS a good looking man,
possessed of a longiSh purse. stood well
with society and the world and was in
every sense fair catch. Even though
I had not the remOtest intention of
letting the affair drift bcyondspaternal
compliments it was her duty to be
thankful. There were yokels who
stood ready to fall in love with Ethel.
but | drove them away. There were
two or three counter jumpers in town
who were fun of compliments, but
they fed before me. In Il week | had
the field all to myself.
Please understand me fully when |
say that it was purely platonic and
patcrnal on my part. Having found
a superior barmaid in that little out of
the way village, | felt it my bounden
duty 70 encourage her to better things.
| smiled at her across the bar as left
the inn to work havoc among the
fishes. | broadcncd the smile when /
returned. We strolled together in the
twilight; we sat together in the star
light. Some folks might have called
it a case Of love, but we did not
had been ut the Oak and Ivy two
weeks when one night. being unable
to sleep, | arose, dressed and left the
inn for a stroll Just why | was I'M
able to sleep could not say, but | am
sure that love had nothing to do with
it. | had probably oyerfished during
the day. was leaning against a
shade tree on the commons and won
dcring why this superior barmaid had
not married a lord or duke long be-
fore when a young man passed me
and disappeared in the hotel grounds.
He was short and slim and had a bun
die under his arm. and as the hour
was past midnight | had a momentary
curiosity. The next day | learned that
the shop of the village jeweler had
been looted the previous night, but the
news did not interest me.
Three nights later | was again seized
with insomnia. | think the words of
the landlord had something to do with
it. He threw out pretty strong hint
that he had employed this superior bar
maid to attract custom TO his bar and
that my attentions to her had caused
a great falling off in receipts. | should
have argued the case with him, giving
him to understand my paternal inter-
I est but as he was not remarkably in
{ telligent | passed him over sovereign
to make good his losses and said moth
ing. 1t was o'clock in the morning
when sat at an open window to smoke
my pipe, and l had not been ruminat-
] ing for more than quarter of an hour
4 when the young man l had seen three
nights before came tiptoeing along the
street under my window and made for
the rear entrance of the hotel My Gu
ri0Sitv was conSidera hlv aroused hIlt