THE WRONG HAND

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3070, 19 March 1892, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE WRONG HAND

Charley Soffsnappe had never beei thoroughly able to make up his mind a :o whether it was natural _ good or ill uck tbat invaribly placed him on the firs lights next to one of his fondest draami if "female or loveliness, materialized. Ye uoh was the case whether bad or good <"ate was unchanging in that reeoect. Charlie knew no more about the meriti if a play than he did about Sanscrit, but ht uffered with a malignant case of what night be patholigically termed firstlightis. The opomnsr night at Daly aor Tuesday, therefore, found him in his acustomed seat in the stalls. His first glanse was directed toward his ight-hand neighbour, whoso face on .ccount on an animated conversation she raß carrying on with her escort, who hidleji from him in the most part, but whose ieure, of that suppleness and component urvo so distinctly Gallic, made him .nrious to see her features and decide whether fortune still befriended him. He iad not to wait; her conversation ended pith the rising of the curtain, and as she need round towards the stage she turned ier head and looked into his eyes. Perhaps it was the fact that Charlie pas so often upset by a glance like the ine he had just received, that prevented dm from beooming any kind of dramaic critic. Be that as it may, " New .amps for Old " attracted him no more nd although he kept an abstracted eye m the stage, he saw nothing but the 'iolent eyes that had flashed a lampent ight into his for half a seoond. How ong he would have remained m the halflazed condition to which he was reduced tis dffioult to conjecture, but he was uddenly and completely awakened from iia oomatose . state by a vivid eleotno It ran up his les, seemed to make a ciruit of his bodv, played round his heart ixtended itself to the tips of his fingers, md Hpond even to the roots of his hau. The shock was caused by a gentle pressure in his foot. " Bah ! " bethought, "either an accilent or ray fancy." The curtain came down on the tirst ant L nd he went out and took a brandy and oia to deaden his fertile imagination. He iad not resumed his seat, howevor, not nore tban five minutos, when he <'isovered that, so far from its being fancy he pressure was now being renewed in i manner which plainly indicated his enhanting neighbour understeod his doubts

and fears It was not long before Charley Soffsnappe was responding in tho same way, and trying to throw a word of warning in different degrees of toe-pres-sure. This was all very well as far as it went but, happy as he was, Charlie loured for something' more tangible than the squeezing of a foot ; but there was that confounded fellow with her. He eould follow them home, but that was uncertain work. He eould not hope that he could help him in any way—he would make himself known to her. At the end of tho second act he -went out again not for a b.-and-s. this time, but to carry out a scheme he just enveloped. Ho would not give her his nime or address, but would write his box number on aßlip of paper and manage in same way to get it into her hands._ He returned to his stall with a small slip of paper palmed in his hand, which bore tho characters : •' Drawee 273 6.P.0." It was not long tho intrigante caught Bight of the slip, and with a clever glance showad she understood. His oppotuuity came sooner than he expected. The lights in the theatre suddenly darkened and the audence was in almost total obscurity for several minutes. Ha could juat see that she had put her hand behind her ; leaning forward he dropped the paper in the palm and felt the hand close over it. The lights want up again, and he stole a glance to the right to Hee the effect upon his charmer. To his horror, the miserable Rttle paper was in the hands of her escort—persumably her husband. How he got there was now understood. "What is this" demanded the possessor of the paper, with an angry scowl, in a whisper, loud enough for Charley to " Let me see it, " she answered coolly, and taking it from his hand. "Don't you see what it ia ?" she continued, with a side smile at the paralyzed Charley, and a ready blush ; it is a check for those silks—you know. I'm going to have them—dyed. Won't you take care of it until we get home ? "—Town Topics,