The enterprise-recorder. (Madison, Fla.) 1908-1933, 1908-10-01

He did. They met at an A. B. @ tea
shop. and he was evidently cross with
her for being late. didn't like the
look of the fellow at all; he was a
shocking bounder, loudly dressed, and
with a bowler hat set on one side Of
his head. A loafer, If ever saw one.
He had shifty eyes and a receding
chin and horrid thick lips. He smil.
ed and chatted amiably enough at first
while the girl nervously slipped her
tea: but us expression changed
quickly when she leaned forward ANA
began TO talk to him very earnestly.
quite expected 1t woul1-as did she,
poor girl You see, knew what was
in her mind.
It was pitiful He regained his
composure and began to talk sooth.
ingly. but It was such obvious acting.
Even she was scarcely deceived by It
though she tried hard to believe
him genuine. He kept shifting about
I'm his seat, anxious the whole time
~ get away There were tears in
her eyes when she rose to go, but he
whispered something that made her
smile up at him through her tears.
think it was a promise to meet her
again.
They parted under the glare of the
electric light outside the shop. She
lifted her face for a kiss, and he give
It to her; but think that his kiss
must have told her the truth. She
stood gazing after him as he disap-
peared in the crowd, and there was an
agony of apprehension in her face.
He won't come back! l shall never
see him agan' You may laugh, but
| felt as if the words we're torn from
my own heart.
Well I'm very near the end Of my
story. The girl must have moved
her arm just about then, for all of a
sudden the whole train Of impressions
was broken. | started up as if l had
just come out of a dream, and those
words were on my lips-I actually
spoke them aloud-"He won't come
back! ! shall never see him again."
She heard me- 1t must have seem
ed to her as though had spoken her
actual thought She too was sitting
up, and there was a scared look on
her face-her eyes we're absolutely
wild
How did you know she wills
pered. Then, realizing that l was a
stranger, fancylng l suppose, that l
had not addressed her, that she had
been dreaming: oh beg your par
dom" she said, hurriedly
] can't remember if | replied or not.
| was struggling to collect my own
thoughts. l felt bit dazed myself,
ana perhaps It was lucky that the ba-
by set up a howl just at that moment
and distracted eyerybody's attention.
Before | had time to decide how to
act the girl got up, and without so
much as looking at me jumped out Of
the bus. We were nearing Hammer
smith by then but III vow she hadn't
reached her own destination.
A queer story, isn't it? l can't at
tempt an explanation, but I'm abso-
lutely positive that, quite innocently,
| got an insight that evening into
the poor little tragedy of a girls life.
For I'm quite sure he never came
back-he wasn't the sort of man to do
so.
No. I never saw her again, though
| Travelled back by the same bus night
after night rather in the hope of do
ing so. But there is a sequel, and it's
this-perhaps the strangest part OF
the whole affair, when one remembers
that it was all an impression, a sort
Of dream.
! saw the man, the identical fellow,
dressed just as l figured him that
evening. 1t was at an A. B. c. shop
where l sometimes go myself for a
cup of tea. He was sitting at one Of
the little tables, and there was a girl
with him, to whom he was engaged in
making violent love.
But 1t was not my friend Of the ON
nibus-oh, no; it was another girl
altogether, though | think she was Of
the same class.-London Sketch.