The Prescott daily news., 1908-09-16

across at him, and he thought he saw longing Tor sympathy in her face. He therefore waved his hand. It was Tn no sense an act of Irritation on his part. His sympathies went with the wave. It was the same as if he said Poor little orphan girl, but I pity you The girl drew back, and Smith. CTS blew her kiss. Not the slightest idea of flirting entered his mind. He was simply conveying by signs what he couldn't put into words and yell across the street-'Never mind, little girl. you'll be happy yet"
 That afternoon the girl and the fin- ger and the rag walked out together. So did Smithers and his sympathetic heart After being charmed with view of the young lady's back they passed her and were still more charm ed with view of her face. That face was etheral tender, affectionate. It had the longing look that comes to the face of girl left all alone in the world and two weeks behind on her rent to hard hearted landlady. Smith, CTS might have found excuse to raise his hat and say something about the weather, but a peanut man pushed his cart against his knees and sent him sprawling, and all romance was driven out of his soul for the next three or four minutes.
 That same evening as Smithers sat by his window smoking the same brand and wondering how much he would have to pay waiter in res- taurant to write an ode entitled "The Sore Fingered Angel" the girl appeared at her easement. She sat down and looked up at the starry heavens and leaned her sore finger on the sill to rest it. She didn't see Smithers at first, but when he thought he detected tears in her eyes and Quivering of her chin he thrust himself forward to let her know that there was at least one human being in this world who felt for her
 The same rag and the same finger and the same girl walked out next day. Smithers was on the watch, and he walked out too. Nothing was fur ther from his thoughts than "mashing" or flirting. That was something he had never done in his life After fol lowing the girl four or five blocks and thinking up just what words of sym pathy to address her with he over- hauled her and raised his hat and fn off fC f1.@ aI, when a big. lusty fellow without the least romance in his soul took him by the scruff of the neck and ad- dressed him for moment in words of fervid eloquence. while the girl with the sore finger stood by with a pleasant and expectant look on her face. Her expectations were realized that is, MT. Smithers was shaken till his teeth bit his tongue. Then he was made to perform strange antics with his heels, while his legs would kink up and then straighen out again in a won- derful way. Before the big man was through with him his collar and tie wore torn off, his coat ripped beyond repair and his hair badly mussed up. He could not aftsrward swear that he was also kicked and cuffed, but he felt reasonably sure of it. What hurt him more than the kicks and cuffs, if he got them. was the pleased and complacent look on the girls face dur ing the continuous performance and the words of the big man when he had finished toying:
 "There, you weazened faced, Top shouldered son of a gun, if you ever dare to look at my wife again I'll break your neck like pipestem"
 But Smithers looked again. The girl" had come closer, and he saw that she was woman of forty, with freckles on her face and two moles on her chin. and that there was no look of longing in her face and no tears of homesickness ip her eyes.
 Doctor" said he as he entered the office of an occulist an hour later, "what's the matter with my durned Syes"
 "Why, man." was the reply after an examination. you can't tell a white man from a darky ten feet away! It's the worst case of near sightedness ever saw" NJ OI1AD.