The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1903-12-18
A CHANCE
4 ACQUAINTANCE.
NY WALTER REYNOLDS.

Eui's WHICH cUpc tue SIOnc pat
form in front of the third story of
Popham's tencmcnts, Cyprinn
Beck stood watching-with an in.
terestcd eye and a view to "copy'
the play OF labor's children in
the courtyard below.
Three weeks ago, dressed in his
shabbiest clothes, he had gone to
the great west side and taken pos.
session Of his little room in the
"Models." As n conscientious
journalist, he had felt II necessary
to steep himself in %poverty's at.
mosplere while he wrote his So.
ries, "The Bees and the Drones,"
for the Planet.
Take care" Cyprian suddenly
shouted.
n quietly dressed girl was nd.
Sancing into the courtyard
: through the wide passage which
I served as the common entrance
from the street beyond. Her back
was toward u mob Of juvenile cx
element sweeping impctuously
towards her in n strenuous effort
TO capture one Of the last surviv.
ors In the game Of pump. pump,
pull away" In another moment
she would have been carried or
her feet.
The girl drew back to avoid the
threatened impact, and. looking
up, smiled her thanks to the jour
nnlist. As she did so, however,
her smile suddenly changed to q
look OF horror, and, with nm cxcit.
ed movement, she pointed with
her forciinger directly above
him. Cyprian. quickly turning
his glance upward. momcntarily
ycaught sight of u bundle falling
y toward him and stretched out his
hands blindly, just as his hat was
knocked over his eyes and his pipe
dashed from his lips. In his TEN
porary darkness his left hand
caught some fabric that ripped ny
he held Il; but the bundles descent
momentarily checked, his right
clutched NJ the mass and held II
tight. The imprisoning hat ab
solutcly obstructcd his field pf
vision. but n series of frantic wells
as he deposited the buadlc beside
him upon the balcony told him II
was alive.
With some expenditure Of force
and definite loss Of skin from tho
bridge of his nose. he ruefully OK.
treated himself, In time Ia see the
face Of the quietly dressed girl
dimplcd with laughter M h.
:. emerged from his uncomfortable
= ,osition.
G"Pleasc forgive me" she said,
, almost Historically, the tears in
her eyes. "Such n combination Of
tragedy and comedy Is almost too
much for me. must either laugh
at your struggle TO get out OF your
hat, or cry with thankfnlness at
Gods goodness in letting you save
the baby"
Cypriap, regarding her Groom
ing over the tiny creature, and ca
ressing II into quictudc in her
arms, marveled nj her beauty and
refined appearance.
"For goodness sake don't apol.
ogize" replied Cyprian, recover
ing himself. IL am sure my ap'
pearance was sufficiently absurd
10 excite the sense Of the ludi.
crous in anyone"
at was, indeed" exclaimed the
girl.
This time the cOntagiousncss
of mirth manifested itself, and
Cyprian joined heartily in Tho
girls laughter.
"Therc, Now ! know .yon arc
not angry with me, am so glad
o. gracious. here comes the
waits mother. Please look seri
Gus, or we shall gain n reputation
for hard hcartcdness, which ] AN
sure | don't deserve
Such was Cyprian Beck's in
formal introduction TO Claire Ed
wards, the "young woman at l5I
Popham's."
During the days that followed
he often found himself, more b.,
design than accident. standing
aut nnnn liz hnlcnnN In the uffnr