Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-11-11
IN LONDON TOWN.

lnverteQ sunsets.
| was weary with the task and turned
toward a seat with a hope OF persuading
Adele to rest a bit, when my eyes fell on
the occupants OF two chairs nearest us.
Evidently two of Iondon's smart set.
They had reached a crisis. By what
ways they had arrived L could not guess.
They were utterly oblivious of their sur
roundings. She was dainty bit of a
woman, awfully chic in appearance, very
little, pretty, fitted out better than even
Bond streets best He was rugged as
Sundays Prayer Book Promenade in
Hyde Park would find him. He was a
man who had lived. She was a bit gray
over the temples, as if a powder puff had
been tapped on either side of the pompa-
dour above her high bred little face.
He sat sidewise, his arm over the back
of his chair; she rested her forearm
against the back of her chair and her
hand lay in his naturally, as lotus bud
rests upon its element The man did not
even close his hands over hers. The touch
of their souls was too close for them to
need or heed material contact
A second, and the eye took in the de-
tails of this living picture. | gave gasp
of surprise-of sympathy.
What's the matter ?" asked Adele.
My eye carried hers to the two.
Its their dilemma I said.
Nonsense. They are too old for ro-
nance" declared Adele with the in
duciance of youth.
They were of my own time and gem
Grafton. but then I myself felt somewhat
the worse for wear.
That's the very little woman we saw
yesterday as we came from our sail to
Greenwich. [ remember the peculiar
shade of that gown"
The same woman, but l had not re-
called her face until Adele spoke | had
not noted the tint of her gown. Some
how the remembrance of the look of her
face against the gray stones of the pier
made me feel as if | were weaving the
web of some story about the dainty lit
tie creature. The thought made me feel
more weary. [ sat down in a nearby
chair.
adele" said, 'if you are going to do
that Hogarth cuddy yonder go by your
self / will wait here
/ sat thinking of crisis of my own
to which | had come long ago, when l
heard the little woman say:
1T must end, Hugh. Yesterday when
we came up from the river, you know
we passed a poor girl crouched on the
stone steps. You hurried me on when
1 would have stopped to give her shil-
ling OF two. You said: You must not
even breathe the air with such We
were gay with our gay companions, all
laughingly hurrying from the rain. She
do you recall her face? Where do
you suppose she is now? In the river ?"
I recalled the girl. Such passive de-
spair I, having had no one to prevent
me, flung her a sixpence or two But
that girl wanted richer gift than any
in that passing crowd had for giving.
She wanted-Death.
"What does the girl matter?" said the
man; what is she to u.s."
''You would not let me give her shil-
ling-she gave me"
Gave you?"
Gave me sight of myself | am as She
Dorothy" The pain in the mans
voice was acrid.
I'm the sight of our world-in sight of
heaven, Hugh, we have done no harm,
unless loving be so; but, Hugh, the spirit
to myself, L am as she is"
The man said nothing, but would not
have worn his face then for a block of
Standard Oil stock.
+ 1T must end, Hugh-we met too late
Over and over l keep saying: | am like
her-ike her."
toward me, for she had done the shrimp
r.,,I h., II
short order. Take me away back to
that Madonna of Carlo Doici's with the
dear bright flowers, but-never mind, SO
old, SO tired
Il swear [ am but 49,"
Il will go with you, will let your old
bones get little rest"
So we went.
AS we went toward the great iron
gates our view of Landseer's hons was
INSTRUCTED by glittering trap, the rest
lessness of the two splendid horses at
tracing notice of the passerby. Said
one:
Lady Dorothy Lumley's."
| had a name for the heroine of my
new story that was a-weaving.
Two days later / read in the Times
Oiled of heart. failure, Lady Dorothy
Lumley, wife of -" and the rest of it.
1t gave. me quite turn and 1 should
have sat all day with only my pipe for
companions meaning over the death of a
woman / had seen but twice, but that
Adele had tired of all London had to
show and 'craved now certain Ameri-
can wild f1ower-Southern at that.
| | thought I knew little shop where,
if anywhere except along its own Ala
bama brooksides, it might be found. So
we started on our search; Adele, at my
side,. teasing to be petted and prettily
nomesick, for Adele was pretty at any
thing.
Arrived, Adele was in her element She
found among the flowers new friends and
greeted old. but could not discover her