The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1907-03-02

turned. And her face was worthy of
her figure. Two bright blue eyes met
mine for an instant before theii own
or walked on / stood still. was
in love with that girl, whom ten sec
onds before l had never seen,
gazed after her till she was out
of sight Then | gazed at the sacred
spot on the pavement where she had
stood, and behold, there lay a little
purse. i picked 1t up reverently and
FASTENED after her; but she was lost
in the throng of Broadway.
reached Twenty-third street and
turned and retraced my steps, and
presently / saw. the girl again. She
was gazing into another shop window.
picked my way delicately through the
feminine crowd My arm brushed hers,
and the blood rushed from my heart
to my ears. She turned. Our eyes
met And, by all the saints In heaven,
her eyes were brown! 1t was not
she, but some other girl dressed ex-
actly like her.
My hand fell from my hat, and I
gasped an apology. / was wriggling
away, when hand grasped my wrist
and tried to wrest the purse from me.
turned and beheld large man in
Uniting clothes.
"Ah, would your" he said. "Quiet!"
He dug his knuckles into the back
of my hand. l restrained a fierce de-
sire to fnfiict similar treatment ON his
countenance, and said: Let go, you
ass! Can't you see I'm not a pick
pocket? / picked up this purse five
minutes ago, and"
Yes, I've heard all that before, sew
eral times; l don't want to hear it
again. Have you lost your purse.
MISS"
The girl with the brown eyes
searched for her pocket, found 1t, and
then felt in 1t.
yes, have!" she exclaimed.
I broke into a cold perspiration.
Wrenching my wrist free / held out
the purse. But this is not your
purse"
But It is. Oh, you bad. wicked
man! felt you take it,"
| Ills oCltlCu ln0 ludtlCI. vas
marched of between two policemen.
The girl and the detective went in
cab.
When brought before the magistrate
she made pretense of being dis
solved in tears, and pathetically be-
sought the authorities to release me.
But the magistrate-a white-haired,
| 90 <1I n1x
planned to her how necessary it was
for the protection of honest people
that rogues should be punished. At
length this wretched woman, commit
ting perjury for the sake of a paltry
purse, suffered the oath to- be admin
lstered and swore the purse was hers.
Silence, prisoner" said the father
ly magistrate-still fatherly, but in a
different way; you will not mend
matters by blasphemy. A month.
Take him away"
/ was taken away to a cell.
In this impolite retirement | spent
the seven most .hideous days and
nights of my life. But on the eighth
day came release. A warder entered
my cell and with more respect than
had yet received in the prison, told
me that my innocence had been dis
covered and that had been pardoned
for the offense had not committed.
My good name and my clothes hav-
ing been restored to me, i was re-
luested-a refreshing change from be-
Ing ordered-to step into a private
room. Here / found three ladies-a
majestic matron, the girl with the
brown eyes who had procured me a
weeks living free of expense, and,
marvellous to relate, the girl with the
blue eyes, with whom i was still in
love. Both girls were, except for
their eyes, exactly alike. Twins.
began to see.
The girl with the brown eyes had
tears in them. The girl with the blue
eyes had her handkerchief to her face
But this, she has since informed me-
was because the humor of the affair
had just struck her. She was hiding
what might have seemed to me indie
cent mirth. The matron said grave
y:
"Sir, an awful wrong has been done
to you, for which ! question whether
we can make adequate amends.
can, however, express my most deep
and sincere regret. But before / en-
deavor to explain, permit me to intro
duce myself. am Mrs. Alexander
Featherstone, and these are my
daughters. Mabel and Alice
Pardon me. Mrs. Featherstone. 81
said, Il have already had the honor
of an Introduction to Miss Alice
F'eatherstone, and the result of the
Introduction was such that. having
| no natural taste for penal servitude,
II would rather not pursue the ac-
quaiptance."