Amador ledger., 1910-02-18
ENDED BEFORE BEGUN
BY ANNA WOODBRIDGE.
tcopyright. 1910. by American Press Asso-
ciation.1

How could this be? Listen and ! VIII
tell you.
went to Paris to study art. ! was
then girl of nineteen. lived In a
pension occupying one floor of five
story bG.lding. There was an elevator,
one of that foreign kind which you
enter. shut the doors. press a button.
and the cage takes you up. stopping at
your floor. lived on the fourth toor.
Sometimes used the elevator and
sometimes walked up or down the
staircase. one day when ascending OH
foot a door opened ut the third land.
ing and Il young man came out aud
met me on the staircase. He was very
handsome. with great. dreamy eyes,
and faultlessly dressed. | wished to
look ut him. but he kept his eyes fixed
on ne. and felt constrained to turn
mine away.
There was that about him which
made me desirous to see him again,
but we did not happen to meet for
several days. Then we met quite fire.
uuently. was so concelted as to
think that he learned the hour when
came from the art school and met me
purposely. Possibly he might have
watched at a window for me to enter
the building. At any rate. we met so
frequently that | felt had reason to
suspect that it was not all accidental.
After awhile he began to raise his
h0 I tnd
to his salute with nod which tried
to make appear Indifferent. There was
nothing presuming in his notice of me,
only civility. Indeed. his manner was
so deferential as we'll us engaging
that l was quite won by 1t. In time
he gave me a scarcely perceptible
smile in passing. | did not return it.
was brought up in America with the
understanding that If you give a
Frenchman an inch he will take an ell.
Nevertheless the time came when
there was occasion for me to speak to
him. / was carrying some sketches up
to my room. and one slid out of my
portfolio and futtered down the stair
case. He ran down after it, picked it
up and handed it to, me. His lips
wore one of his sweet smiles, and he
looked things unutterable with his
eyes. Of course thanked him, but
that was all. l passed on up to my
look behind me.
"A One day l became aware that an
other person was interested in me. AS
| entered the building where / lived
l saw a face at window opposite
1t was the face Of a man. and he
stared at me. Indeed. 1t was so evil
dent that l was an object Of marked
importance to him that l felt trou-
bled. / ran into the house, took the
elevator and was lifted to my pension
After that every day when l went
home the man opposite was at his win
dow. and every time he stared at me.
Finally l delayed or anticipated my
arrival in order to escape him.
There was such & contrast between
his manner and that of the young
man ON the floor below me that L rath-
or warmed to the latter. The next
time 1 met him / spoke q few trivial
words TO him. He replied in kind,
treating my action as matter of mere
politeness, and passed on. After that
when l met him l encouraged him TO
make my acquaintance FINALLY l
told him Of the man across the street
who stared at me. The truth Is
craved protection. My friend was
lN,1tn
The next day l had occasion TO go
out to do an errand in the early morn
ing. l had just closed the door behlho
me when | heard q door open on the
floor below and my friend appeared
He waited for me till came down 10
him. l noticed that he was dressed
all In black. Not white speck was
visible, even at his throat. asked II
he had lost any one dear to him, ana
he said he had not. He regarded Inc
with a singular expression. when
could not interpret. but 1t seemed 10
me such an expression as a man 10
whom l belonged might wear or that
of one who was making sacrifice Tor
me. We walked down to the street
together. A carriage was standing al
the door. My friend looked at me ear
nestly, lifted his hat. got into the car
riage and was driven away. went
on to the art school, where l became
engrossed in my studies and was oblivi
GUS to. all else.
When l went home by rapid glance
satisfied myself that the face ! dread
ed was not at the window. l hoped
would meet my friend on the stairs
did not. Nor did again meet him
A week passed. another. third ano
did not see him. What did 1t mean
Had he left the place without speak
ing of his going to me? was aston