Year: 1869

CYRUS DURHAM was very busy on Ger
tain afternoon making an Omelet. Al
least he called it an Omelet but in reality
it was nothing but scrambled eggs. "Ome
let !" sounded better, but it would not have
tasted half as good, especially if Cyrus
had had to make one himself


In order to understand why this young
man cooked his own eggs it must be known
that he was medical student in Philadel
phia, and the son of very respectable
and by no means ungenerOus physician i'm
Maryland, who allowed him for his ex-
penses quite enough to keep him very
comfortably, even in IA large city. But
Cyrus, who always had table board on
Walnut street for about lie first half OF
toned from necessity to live in "bache-
or-hall' style for the remaining portion
of the month in his rooms on SansOm
street He was very nicely situated in
these rooms, and the high rent he paid for
them contributed not little to his Slim
ness of purse during those days which i'm
mediately preceded the arrival of his
monthly remittanceS. His study" was
on the second floor of what is known in
the city of Brotherly Love as the back
buildings, and was approached from the
long entry by single short flight of stairs
This room looked out at the side on a
pleasant yard, was very well furnished,
and was altogether quite too good for a
young fellow who ought to have been sat
isfied with any garret where he could
study unmOlested Back of the large
room was small bedchamber, generally
tenanted not only by Cyrus himself but
by any one of his companions who might
stay too late studying anatomy-or eu-
Chre


Cyrus was bending over his little wood
stove stirring his eggs rapidly lest they
should burn, and keeping an eye at the
same time on his coffee-pOt, which, how
ever, had given no signs of boiling. 1t
was only four O'Clock, but Cyrus had had
but slight lunch, and so wanted an early
supper. This power of having his meals
when he chose was another advantage of
this mode of living His table was set
with small linen cloth (the clean side
up), a cup and saucer, and plate. The
"Omelet" was just done, and Cyrus had
given it the last scrape around the pan,
when there was knock at the door


Come in" said he, and the door open
ed and the knocker entered Cyrus look
ed around, and dropped on the top of the
stove the frying-pan which he was Just
lifting off by the long handle. In the
doorway stood young lady, dressed in
the loveliest possible travelling suit, with
roses in her cheeks far more glowing than
the pink lining of her parasol.


Mr.. Durham" said she.


why, Miss Birch' cried Cyrus, with
his face redder than any silk lady would
dare use to line her parasOD Il had no
idea-l am very glad to see you; take a
seat. You must excuse me-bachelOr S
hall, you know. When did you come on ?"


Miss Fanny Birch was by no means un-
embarrassed. She had hesitated about
calling on MIR. Durham, and would GER
tainly have postponed her visit had she
thought she would have found him cook
ing his dinner, supper, or whatever it was
But she took seat which Cyrus placed
for her (as far as possible from the stove,
but unluckily facing it), and with little
laugh, which was intended to restore her
self-pOssessiOn, and which had partial
success, asked him where he supposed she
had come on" from and then, without
waiting for an answer, proceeded to in
form him that she had not come from
home, but was just going there (shc lived
about half a mile from Dr. Durham
place. from her uncle Williams, where she
had been for nearly a month.


You know" said she, "that he lives
in New Jersey, just little way out of
Trenton"


Cyrus didn't know it, but he did not say
SO, but asked her if she had pleasant
Time. one answered that it was at first,
put she goI ured as soon as her cousin
Emily! had been Obliged to go back to
boarding school; and, he knew tbose
Connecticut schools always commence
their terms right in the middle of the
finest weather; and did all the students
keep bachelors hall this way?


Cyrus said the most of them did at
any rate those who liked better and fresh
er food than they generally got at the
boarding houses. Then Miss Fanny re-
marked that she thought it was very
good way if you only knew how to cook
and didn't he think that whatever was i'm
that pan was all burning up? Cyrus
turned round and said he thought it was
and so he took the frying pan, full OF
blackened and smoking eggs, off the fire
and moved the coffee-pot little back


When he sat down again there was
little silence. He knew she had not come
to see him simply because they were old
friends and neighbors, and he thought il
very probable that she had something par
ticuiar to say, and was wondering how
she should say it. He was right After
looking out Of the window, and remark
ing that she should think the people in
tne next house could look right i'm here,
she said:


MIR. Durham, guess you wonder WHY
L came to see you. oh YES. of course Won
are glad; but, you see, left uncle's this
morning by the boat, and sent NV trunks
on home by express, and coming off the
boat 1T Arch Street wharf, or somewhere
i haven't the slightest idea wbcre-I
had my pocket picked, or lost my porte
monnaie; and | didn't know a soul in
Philadelphia who could lend me enough
TO pay my fare i'm the ears, except YOU.
and thought I'll borrow some of you. |
knew you lived in Sapsom Street, but