Year: 1872

way junction.


thought more than ever of marrying,
and had well nigh settled on Miss Sophie
Bennett,a "a member of the senior class in the
Bodger Female College, and the daughter
of Mr.. Bennett, of the firm of Bennett &
Brown, dry goods merchants. Sophie is
handsome and fine musician She is well
educated, and she taught class of girls ir
the Sunday School of which was Secretary
at that time. / did admire her great
deal, for she was a brilliant talker and
knew great deal more than did. And
she had the art of winning. When / walk
ed home with her she managed to make the
conversation pleasant, and though she
knew so much more than did about many
things, she never let me feel it. She was
in every regard dmiabb. That is what
everybody called her.


She had friend hardly so handsome as
she was--at least thought not, Louisa
Jones was quite young yet, but she was
teaching in the public schools in order to
help her father, who was poor. / mention
this Louisa Jones here because of con-
versation overheard between her and her
friend Sophie Bennett. l had paid some
attention to the latter, until found that
people talked about it. Everybody's GU
riosity had been excited by the talk about
my watch, and could not walk home with
young woman without starting talk
about my Lady Elgin, so | was careful not
to give too much attention to Sophie while
was still undecided.


But one evening / had about made up
my mind. Fixing a watch for Mr.. Bennett
set me to thinking on Sophie Bennett and
all her amiable ways and her fine scholar
ship. thought would go to the Church
sociable that very evening and 60 home
with Sophie, perhaps should do more.
That watch would look well OF her. But
did not get Mr.. Bennets watch done as
soon as had expected, on account Of being
interrupted by customers buying presents
for the holidays. had promised that the
watch should be ready in the morning, for
Mr.. Bennett was to start to Chicago on the
half-past eight o'clock train to buy goods.
At last finished the job, locked all my
valuables in the safe as quickly as possible
put out the kerosene lamp--it was before
the gas was introduced into the village
and hastened to the sociable, hoping to
arrive in time to go home with Sophie Ben.
nett. must have pretty much made up
my mind before starting, for remember
now--and blush when rememberit-
that did not lock the Lady Elgin in the
safe that evening. thrust it, chain and
all, into an inside pocket Of my vest.
cannot tell why did it. certainly hat
no very distinct purpose of Offering it tt
Sophie Bennett that evening, and yet
doubtless thought best to have it handy
1t made my heart beat faster to feel it there
as / walked briskly toward the house
where the sociable was, for had misseC
the car The street cars had just beer
introduced at that time, and the only lint
running was the one from the depot to tn,
Female College, and it would have carried
me past the door, but that had MISSED
the car, and there was no other one at tina
time in the evening for half an hour, so


was obliged to walk through the rain. Blu
l had brought large umbrella. 1t is al
ways well to have a large umbrella whei
you mean to share it with q lady.


soon found that was too late for tn
sociaDse. The people were already goinI
home. 1t was very dark and raining.


noticed two Young ladies pass and stol
within six feet of me, standing under al
umbrella together. could not tell VIII
they were, it was so dark, and they evi
IDENTIFY did not sec me at ALL stood shel
tered by the box which protected thos
feeble naples that we prairie people plan
along our sidewalks and call shade trees


l thought from their relative stature an


figure that they must be Sophie Bennett
and Louisa Jones. AS the Lady Elgin i


my pocket made my heart palpitate as


stood there waiting to recognize thei


voices and then make myself known I


them. But by the time had made sur


who they were was so much interests


in what they were saying that l was guilty


for the first time IN my life, of eayes-droI
. ping. / shouldn't have listened if 1t ha'
not been for the watch in my inside yes


pocket. / was never a very impulsive ma


and confess that in this affair of the hear
acted deliberately. l wanted woma


full -jeweled, and 1t behooved me not to
in a hurry, and not to be dazzled by an
| a s..aAnido