The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-10-21
Romance of a
Broken Nose
How a Dream Turned Out
a Reality
BY MARTHA V. MONROE

4 c:.. .-::s.,: e:.:,::.s:s:::s,.
/ Howard Chichester stood at his club
window looking out ON street along
which now and again some pedestrian
was forcing his way against wind and
rain Mr. Chichester was depressed
and the sight from the window did not
tend 20 raise his spirits. His club was
supposed 90 be a home for bachelors,
but il was Il great stone structure, It's
interior faced with marble and during
the day usually deserted.
Mr. Chichester thought how pleasant
a real home would be on such day as
this He pictured himself coming home
from business, met at the door by a
loving wife with a kiss, divesting him
self OF wet clothing and sitting down
before cheerful fire IN his library, his
wife on the arm of his easy chair listen
ing TO recital of the events OF the
day.
A gust OF wind changed woman's
umbrella from concave to convex and
sent mans hat rolling over the wet
pavement. Chichester turned away
from the scene contrasting so widely
with his dream. of home, and to
escape 1t he went into the billiard
room. There was no one there to play
with, so after knocking the balls about
for few minutes he started out into
the storm TO 90 TO his room TO dress
for dinner
The wind sent the rain almost
parallel with the sidewalk, so Instead
of holding his umbrella over his head
he held II before his face. Suddenly
he felt shock and heard a scream.
Raising his umbrella he saw a girl
directly In front of him from whose
nose blood was running. II occurred
to him that he had drawn that blood
with the stick of his umbrella.
1t was no time to talk, but to act,
though Chichester gave vent to two
words, Thousand pardons," as he
whipped out his handkerchief to sup
ply the place of the one used by the
girl, which resembled dolly rather
than blood stancher. She seized
the one he offered her greedily and held
1t to her nose.
A cab was passing, and Chichester
hailed it. Fortunately it was empty,
and the driver was ready for fare.
He drew up by the curb. Chichester,
opening the door, said to the lady:
Il beg of you to permit me to do
what | can to atone for my careless
ness by taking you home"
The girl removed the handkerchief
from her face, saw that her nose was
still bleeding, hesitated, then got into
the cab. Chichester asked for her
street and number, then, giving It to
the driver, got in and sat down beside
her. On the way he bemoaned having
injured her and hoped that there would
be no I'll result The girl said very lit
tie and when they reached her home
and he handed her out was in no state
of mind to thank him for his attention,
Nevertheless he followed her to the
door and into the house where she
was received by her mother who natu-
rally showed great anxiety to know
what had happened,
Inviting Chichester to little parloT, !
the mother went upstairs with her
daughter and presently returned with |
the report that the hemoTrhage had |
ceased, but she had decided to call In a |
doctor TO make sure that all was right /
Chichester asked if he might remain TO /
hear the doctors report and was grant |
ed his request. A telephone message
was sent for the family physician, who I
arrived in due time and went upstairs I
to the patient
Meanwhile Chichester remained in
the coy room to which he had been
shown A cheerful fire was burning
on the hearth, and some one had been
sitting in an easy chair directly before
It, for such was the position Of the
chair Chichester dropped into it, and
his mind became diverted
from the damage he had done to his
surroundings.
The room was very tastefully fur
nished Indeed, there was an air Of
comfort about ii which is In some
looms and not In others why, II Is hard
10 tell On the wall were pictures. all
works Of art. one of which was a p0r
.rait Of a young girl evidently about
fifteen which Chichester recognized at
)nce for a likeness Of the girl he had
injured, though it must have been
Dainted several years before. His at
,ention was fixed on the nose, which
vas very shapely. He WINGED as he
bought that he might have made II "A
lefacement instead Of thing of
beauty.
Chichester sat musing He recalled
he dream that had come TO him while
Ooking out Of his window at his club.
when he had pictured himself coming
n out Of the rain received by a wife
ler sitting beside him on the arm Of
lis chair and their talking over the
vents OF the day. He now fancied the
,irl stepping out Of the picture and
aking the place Of the wife Of his
lream. True, she was but a chit, but
ie had seen her as a woman. and IL
vas not difficult TO realize the two as