The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1904-10-14

She had sweet eyes. That fact had
impressed itself upon Tom Leslie's
dulIed brain, as he turned aside and
let the young lady pass him. He knew
well enough who she was-TOme 6
Tapes new typewriter girl.
He was not interested in girls Just
new-in fact, he hated them
What could have been more be-
quilting than Miss Sophie Silver, with
her fair, fluffy hair, and her pink
cheeks, and her darling little way Of
looking at you as il she would eat you
up If she only had a silver spoon?
Fair, false little Sophiel She wasn't
worth the intense discomfort she had
caused him for the past four months.
She hadn't cared a button for him;
or for anyone else but herself, for
that matter.
She only wanted him to think her
pretty, and to be sure she could cap
tiYate him. She had allowed him to
think they were engaged. Engaged!
Well, she was three deep before she
saw him There was her dentist, and
a theological student, and one of her
fathers statesmen dancing attendance
upon her, each believing himself the
favored one, when she met Tom, and
Immediately pinned him as victom
number four.
Miss Sophie liked to please people;
it wasn't a bit Of trouble. She prom
ised to marry most of the young men
who asked her. As these affairs null
tiplied she sometimes wondered how
they would come out, but never trou-
bled herself any further.
When Tom realized all this, when
he found her out, he could have beat
en- his head against the wall for
fool. But that would hardly have re-
lieved the sting. II had been a little
cruel. His dear old mother had died
and the house was unbearably lonely,
with the grimmest of housekeepers.
He had not a sister or cousin or
young woman friend in the world. In
fact, he didn't know much about girls.
He was only three and twenty, and a
little shy and awkward, though more
than usually good looking.
In his loneliness he was led to Join
a social club called the Hyacinths, and
Miss Sophie saw him and marked him
for her own
It was all over and well over. But
young tom" felt old and dull, and
when he saw a pretty girl he turned
aside with a wry face.
But the young lady entering Tome
& Tapes Office was not so remarkably
pretty. Only she had sweet eyes, and
TON" thought a little about them
in spite Of himself. He knew her
name; she was Miss Arethusa Dacy.
She was said TO be a very nice OPP
orator. Mr.. Tome was doing some
business for him, and he mentioned
her as q very exceptional young lady
Tom wondered if she had ever
fooled any Of the younger men who
had admired her. She did not look as
if she had. She had a little air Of re-
serve about her, and then those frank,
innocent eyes, dark blue as pansies,
and with curling lashes.
But glasses and lassies are brittle
ware" quoth TON" with a grOan, as
he recoHected SOphie's smile and the
little curIs on her forehead.
He went home that night unusually
depressed. He had seen a great many
people during the d.. z7.1 hey had
had the effect o1 him Of making him
feel more alone than he did before he
saw them. It was a little relief to be
at home. The rooms were the pic
ture Of comfort and neatness, though
a little stiff, under Miss Pikestaf's
hand. She never allowed a book OF
chair out Of its allotted place.
After tea he sat down to think Was
this solitariness to be forever the end