Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1917-08-24
WHEN CHARLIE
CAME HOME
BY ElinOr Marsh

stalls tor shops, as we would call
them in the Royal Exchange. London,
a masked woman who sold small arti.
cles, such as gloves laces. neckwear
and other goods. called by the Britons
haberdashery.
One day the Marquis of Lorenton.
who since the defeat of the Cavaliers
had kept himself away from London.
passed that way The estates of his
father. the Duke of Ethelstone had
been forfeited on account of the fam.
ily's adherence TO King Charles l.. and
the marquis wassin sad straits for a
living. He stopped at the stall of the
masked woman" as she was univer.
sally known. and entered into CONVEX
sation with her, pricing such articles
as he saw on her counter. Then, with
sigh. he turned away, saying:
Il would fam buy of your goods,
mistress, but | am without means
Select what you wish, sir, and pay
when Charlie comes home"
Now, the term when Charlie comes
home meant In those days when
| Charles. eldest son of the beheaded
king and legitimate heir to the throne,
is recalled to assume his rights as SOW
ereign of England"
Il see" said the marquis. that you
are royalist. Mayhap you are. like
myself. an impoverished noble
Il am a royalist but | am simply
! the masked woman making an honest
| living. These gloves would, think,
fl you WIN you let me try them on
your hand?'
The marquis permitted her to try
! the gloves on him. but not with the ex-,
pectation of buying them. He liked to
| feel her fingers on his own
There she said when she had fin.
| ished; it's perfect fit Take them
and pay. as | said, when Charlie
comes home. e"
| But the marquis stubbornly refused
| to accept credit especially from com.
moner for the woman had said Il am
simply the masked woman and he
went away
But there was something in the ig.
IRE. the voice the carriage of the
|
ia a way he could not account for
Wherever he went the masked woman
| in fancy went with him. Waking or
sleeping he saw her moving about in
her little booth and heard the sweet
sounds of her voice.
SO it was not long before be again
| found himself at her counter pretend
| ing that he came TO look over her
| goods, though in reality he came to get
another glimpse of her
What can | sell you this morning?"
she said
Indeed, Mistress Masked Woman-I
know not your name-I am lounging
| today, and | like to come here to see
you sell your wares | would that l
could give you my custom; but alas, |
have none to give. The Roundheads
have taken my all"
"Mayhap they have spent it for psalm
| books"
What they have spent it for know
not. but this l know-it is hard for me,
who have always had a suffi cheney to
get on with nothing
May sell you the gloves today"
Alas, | have no more the where.
withal to pay for them than when l
was here before
The masked woman took up the
gloves the marquis had tried on the
day before and. making them into a
packet, handed them to him.
Would you give a poor woman
pleasureI'' she asked softly.
Il would not rob poor woman" he
replied, drawing back.
Il ask you to permit me to do you
this favor"
There was that in her tone which
appealed TO him. He took the packet
and kissed the hand that gave ii.
The marquis was seen no more at the
masked womans stall after that for
some time. Then one day he drove
up in his carriage and purchased the
whole stock of the masked woman
When she congratulated him on COM
ing to his own he told her that cousin
had died and left him legacy.
When the marquis drove away he did
not take the stock with him, though he
left the money for it. That was his
last visit to the masked woman's STALL
for soon after Charlie came home"
There was great rejoicing among the
Cavaliers that after the rule of the
Puritans the rightful king had return
ed from France. Then the masked wo-
man disappeared from the exchange
But the marquis thought of her by
day and dreamed of her by night His
estates were restored to him, but he
was not satisfied, because he longed
for her and knew not where to find
her.
One evening he drove to a fete given
by the king. The young dowager
Duchess of Abergild, whose husband
had fallen In the late war, was pres
ent and approached the marquis.
Have you still the gloves?p she ask.
ed archly.
The marquis recognized her voice as
soon as she spoke. II have" he re-
Mi m hat