The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-06-12
IA Page Planned to Please
And Benefit the Womer
WITHOUT INTRODUCTION
BY JOANNA SINGLE.
Copyright, 1911. by Associated
TyserSrv prcu4l

,Eg tI0ryFlEht, 1874. py ASSpAiAheo
Literary Press.)
Somehow he hated to see the girl
In the morning crush OF downtown
workers. As he took her fare and
rang II up. he wished fer the thou
raudth time in the past six months
that he knew her name, where she
= worked and all about her. The
young conductor liked her simple
unconsciousness. her quiet dress and
manner her beauty which grew upon
one daily. And every morning she
got on his car at Forty-second and
got eff at Eighth street. stevens
looked after her wistfuily this par
ticuar time
Though 1t Was June now. he re-
rsembered the winter day when he
first saw her among the Christmas
crowd II was time OF snow and
ice, and In getting into the car she
slipped and would have fallen bat
that ne had caught and held her
firmly a moment. She had colored
and breathed a Thank you." That
was all, but enough TO make John
Stevens notice her Thereafter she
did not miss & weekday morning.
After a month or two he became
70 sensitive about her that he could
not ask any one who she was. In
-
department stores and other public
places where she might he employed
In the Eighth street vicinity, But he
never saw her; neither. from her ap-
pearance. could he make out what
she did She wore plain and rather
worn dark blue, the exact color of
her eyes. her hair WAS light brown
and eurled about her ears, Her man
ner was very unobtrusive. She might
be anything.
Then one morning, with unchar-
aesersstic careiessness. she left the
car and dropped the envelope which
stevens had seen her tear open as
ha took her fare. AT last he had
learned her name-written on the
envelope--Annie Merrill II was
nothing, but he seemed closer to her
lit was the first step. He kept the
envelope several days. then one day
he handed 1t to her, his manner Of
hefa', his heart beating hard.
You--left this the other day"
She took it. her eyes meeting his
with a little smile of recognition.
Thou you,' she said. but tina,
vas all.
He would have given a months
pay that June morning for the free
dom TO follow her and see where she
went. He now had fixed purpose
TO meet and know her But. too. he
Was very busy. A relative had some
time back left him few hundred
dollars which he had promptly In
vested in suburban lot across from
little wood. 1t had three-room
dilapidated cottage on it, and being
clever with tools he was tinkering
at It, IL was In fair shape for ar
addition when he was able TO have
II built. He had had II freshly paper.
ed and painted. He thought OF put.
ting In some furniture that had beer
his mothers and rooming there in
stead of at his hot downtown board
ing house. Meantime he kept look
out for Miss Annie Merrill. She wa
not the kind he dared speak to un
Nouched fora fact OF which he wa!
very glad.
But one day she was not on tn
car--nor the next, and his heart sank
Was she M Had she---ieft the city
lie fairly cursed himself for havinl
let her slip away. Now he had posi-
lively no way OF finding her. Per
f1aps she had stopped working Per
haps she was even going to be mar
ried' What fool he was to care !
girl he had not even been introduce,
to. Still, the idea hurt. But towar'
noon he was relieved. Chad in white
with big rose hat and breathin
GOODNESS and leisure, she boarded tn
car Only fat old woman and tw
children were on. Dared he speak
Taking her fare he managed 10 say
Hot, isn't II 9t
She smiled a little. and answere
pleasantly. Yes. 1t is. I'm glad it
vacation for me-"
He passed on. So ii was only
vac ifxvat Thut of uE ha Al Ha
he had another surprise. Amos
downtown Jim Buckley, whom h
knew and disiked. got on. an
catching sight OF the girl sat dow
beside her. She spoke to him, talkin
little in her demure, reserved way
y She got or. and stevens did what b
hated to do-he said word aboU
her 10 Buckley.
.'What--does she do" he sal
casually.
Buckley stared moment Ami
Merrill? Keeps Or. Judson books
Funny little thing~-comes from IN
!. home town. but loves me as the .dev
does holy water. asked her to go I
4 dance once. and she turned IN
down IA, "a second-iitte prig. but
like herr"
He also swung OF. Stevens hear
went up in a pean OF JOY. She ma
good Judgment and taste to refus
Buckleys company and his prefer
Of amusement. that was certain.
For two weeks he did not see h
again, and then ar accident brougf
them together. He was not well an
was off duty for a day. Going To ~
his physician he saw her at II
crowded Fifth street crossing with
sheaf OF letters in her hand. EVIDENT
hourd for the postoffice. Half wa