River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-06-12

which / was led by my ignorance OF
the pride inherent in great families"
Your wish can very easily be graf
ified," returned the official, pressing
an electric button on his desk; "Mr.
Challoner is in the adjoining room"
Then, as the door communicating
with the room he had mentioned
swung ajar and stood so, DR.. Heath
added, without apparent conscious
ness of the dramatic character of this
episode, You will not need to raise
your voice beyond it's natural pitch.
He can hear perfectly from where he
SITS"
Il first met Miss Challoner in the
Berkshires." he began. after mo-
ment of quiet listening for any pos
sible sound from the other room. Il
had been on the tramp, and had
stopped at one of the great hotels for
seven days rest. The panorama of
beauty spread out before me on every
side was sufficient in itself for my en-
joyment, and might have continued so
to the end If my attention had not
been very forcibly drawn on one
Miss Challoner-by the very earnest
look she gave me as / was crossing
the office from one verandah to an
other. 1t was an overwhelming blush
which could not have sprung from any
slight embarrassment, and, though l
hate the pretensions of those cyclists
who see in a woman's smile more
NV ichf
help being moved by this display of
feeling in one so gifted with every
grace and attribute of the perfect
woman. With less caution than / usu-
ally display, / approached the desk
where she had been standing and,
meeting the eyes of the clerk, asked
the young ladys name. He gave 1T,
and waited for me to express the sur
prise he expected it to evoke. But
/ felt none and showed none. Other
feelings had seized me. / had heard
of this gracious woman from many
sources, in my life among the suffer
ing masses of New York, and now that
I had seen her and found her to be
not only my ideal of personal lowell
ness but seemingly approachable and
not uninterested in myself, l allowed
my fancy to soar and my heart to be-
come touched. A fact which the clerk
now confided to me naturally deep
ened the impression. Miss Challoner
had seen my name in the guest-book
and asked to have me pointed out to
her. Perhaps she had heard my name
spoken in the same quarter where l
had heard hers. We have never eX-
changed condolences on the subject,
and / cannot say. can only give you
my reason for the interest ] felt in
Miss Challoner and why l forgot, In
the glamour of this episode, the aims
and purposes of not unambitious
life and the distance which the world
and the so-called aristocratic class
put between woman OF her wealth
and standing and simple worker like
myself.
81 must be pardoned. She had smiled
upon me once, and she smiled again.
Days before we were formally pre-
scented, / caught her softened look
turned my way, as we passed each
other in hall or corridor. We were
friends, or so it appeared to me, be-
fore ever a word passed between us,
and when fortune favored us and we
were duly introduced, our minds met
In a strange sympathy which made
this one interview a memorable one
to me. Unhappily, as l then consid-
cred it, this was my last day at the
hotel, and our conversation, inter
rupted frequently by passing acquaint
ances. was never resumed. l ex-
changed few words with her by way
of goodby but nothing more. came
to New York, and she remained in
Lenox. A month after and she too
came to New York"
"This goodby-do you remember
it? The exact language, l mean?"
CTo BE CoNTINUED)