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Show I J U J ljtourj& H Sho had swcot eyes. That fact had PH Impressed Itself upon Tom Leslie's PH dulled brain, as ho turned nsldo and PH let tho young lady pass him. Ho knew PH well enough who sho was Tomo & PH Tapes' now typowrlter girl. PH Ho was not Interested In girls Just PH now in fact, ho hated them. PH What could havo been moro be- PPJ gulling than Miss Sophio Silver, with PPJ her fair, fluffy ltnlr, and her pink PH checks, and her darling llttlo way of PH looking at you us if sho would eat you PH up if sho only had n Bllvor spoon? PH ' Fair, falso little Sophio! Sho wasn't PBM worth tho Intcnso discomfort sho had PVfl caused him for tho past four mouths. PH Sho hadn't cared a button for him; PPfl or for anyono olso but herself, for PPA that matter. PVfl Sho only wanted him to think her PVfl pretty, and to bo suro sho could cap- PPA tivato him. Sho had allowed him to PVfl i think they wero engaged. Engaged I PVfl Woll, sho was threo deep beforo sho PVb ' saw him. Thcro was her dentist, and PVM a theological student, and one of her PVfll father's salesmen dancing attendanco PVB upon her, each believing himself tho PVM, favored one, when she met Tom, and PVfl i Immediately pinned him as vlctom PVfl cumher four. PPA Miss Sophio liked to please peoplo; PVfl It wasn't a bit of trouble. Sho prom- PPBj .. 'BJLR mnrrjr.jnost or tho young men IH -&. ' "-viio asItoiT'her. As theso affairs multiplied mul-tiplied sho sometimes wondered how they wouldftomo out, but nover troubled trou-bled hcrsolrnny further. WKKMl When Tom realized nil this, when PPj ho found her cue, ho could havo beat- PVa on his head against tho wall for a PVMf fool. Dut that would hardly havo re- PHj Uovcd the sting. It had been a llttlo PPA' cruel. Ills dear old mother had died PVfl' and tho houso was unbearably lonely, PVfl with tho grlmmost of housekeepers. Ppfl He had not a sister or cousin or PPB young woman friend in the world. In BV fact, ho didn't know much about girls. aVJ Ho was only threo and twenty, auci a BW llttlo shy and awkward, though more AVJ than usually good looking. AVJ i In his loneliness ho was led to join AVJ a social club called tho Hyacinths, and PAVJ Miss Sophie saw him and marked him PBVJ for hor AVJ It was all over and well over. Dut H young "Tom" felt old and dull, and J when ho saw n pretty girl he turned AVJ asldo with n wry face. J Dut tho young lady entering Tomo J & Tapes' ofllco wns not so remarkably J protty. Only sho had swcot eyes, and Knew well enough who she was. bVb "Tom" thought a llttlo about thorn B In splto of himsolf. Ho know her H name; sho wus Miss Arothusn Dacy, 1 Sho was said to bo n vory nice op- erator. Mr. Tomo wns doing somo B buslnoss for him, and ho mentioned B her as a very exceptional young lady, BBBJ "Tom" wondered if shf had ovor B fooled any of tho youngei men who H had admlrod her. Sho did not look nB H If sho had. Sho had a llttlo air of ro- BBVBJr , r servo nbout her, and then thoso frank, Innocent eyes, dark bluo as panstes, and with curling lashesl "Dut glassos and lassies aro brlttlo ware," quoth "Tom," with a groan, a3 he recollected Sophie's smllo and the llttlo curls on her forehead. Ho wont homo that night unusually depressed. HO had seen a great many peoplo during tho day, and they had had tho effect on him of making him feel moro alono than ho did beforo ho "This must be the wrong house." snw thorn. It wns a llttlo relief to bo at homo. Tho rooms wero tho pic-turo pic-turo of comfort and neatness, though a llttlo stiff, under Miss Pikestaff's hand. Sho never allowed a book or chair out of Its allotted place. After tea ho sat down to think. Was this solitariness to bo forever tho end of his happy hopes? Wns Miss Plko-staff Plko-staff always to preside over his homo? Ho hoped not. It seemed unendurablo as tho bright coals tinkled In falling from tho grato, and tho pretty French clock ticked and echoed In tho oppressive quiet. Suddenly thoro waB a ring at tho doOr bell. Tom started up, as much becanso his thoughts wero unsettled as for uny other reason, for tho maid usually answered tho door; but they wero at onco pretty well concentrated on tho lovoly apparition thero a slender girl with flushed cheeks and sweet eyes, a small vallso In ono hand, a shawlstrap In tho other. "I am late, but " sho began breathlessly. breath-lessly. In n pleasant young voice; then paused, with a look of surprlso and an air of porplexlty. "I bog your pardon I am afraid this Is tho wrong house 1" sho said, looking squarely at Tom. Tom felt queer. "I don't beMuvo It is," he stammered. stam-mered. "Whoso houso did you wish to find, Miss Dncy?" Tho girl flushed still moro, but did not look displeased. "Mr. Hall's. I havo Just como In town today. I am going to board thoro. This must bo tho wrong houso." "Mr. Hall lives next door; but I don't think thoy aro at homo perhaps per-haps they hayo gone away lo a funeral," fu-neral," said Tom, astonished at his own duplicity. "Won't you como in, Miss Dncy? I bollovo I recognlzo you. I I havo heard Mr. Tomo spoak o! you. I never havo taken boarders, but but my housokeepor would perhaps per-haps find It pleasant," supplemented Tom, ongerly, and noting with satisfaction satis-faction that tho young girl put down her burdens as if sho could carry them no longer. "Pray como In and Bit down. You Beom tired. I will Introduce In-troduce you to Miss Pikestaff. Per-hups Per-hups wo can uccoraraodato you." Tho flush of oxortlon died out. Tho young cheeks looked a llttlo pale, and tho swcot eyes Tom admired glanced rather wistfully about tho coty pfrlr- I must bo settled to-night. I thought my boarding placo was engaged. en-gaged. Theie must bo somo mistake if they do not oxpoct mo. Mrs. Hall Is Mr. Tome's sister. I am not particular particu-lar M lonB as am comfortable, and It looks very pleasant hero," Arlo Ducy said to grim Miss Pikestaff, who softened under tho swoet oyos, and said: "Wo can take you as well as, not, if Mr. Leslie Is willing." "Yes, certainly, certainly," responded respond-ed Tom; and tho matter was settled. Ho felt rather guilty of misrepresenting misrepre-senting tho absence of tho Halls to Miss Dacy, for ho had seen them at tho station and know woll enough that they wero going in town only to tho theater; but his llttlo plot never enmo clearly to light, whllo Arlo was vory much pleased from tho first with her new homo. Sho was grateful to Tom, and bho thawed Miss Pikestaff Into surprising kindness to herself; and tho threo sat down to breakfast tho next morning , a very happy family. Tom meant business bus-iness from tho first, but ho dared not bo In haste. Ho pretended that ho liked a bachelor's life, and never told Arlo that ho loved her until sho had been tho light of his homo nearly o year. "Do you lovo me, Tom?" sho said, thon "you a rich man and I only a poor girl?" "I am a poor man without your lovo, Arle. As for my money, you may havo it nil If you'll only mnrry mo." And when they wero married sho said: "How strango I should como to bo mistress where I stumbled upon tho wrong house " "But I knew It wns tho right ono from tho start," Interrupted Tom. "It is. isn't It, Arlo?" "It Is tho plcasantcst home, and I am tho happiest woman, I think, In Jo world," tie roplled, "Granted, II you will allow mo to bo tho happiest man," ho rejoined; and for onco In this unsatisfactory llfo, everybody waj suited. Chicago Journal. |