1.   But a discordant note came from Mark Messier, the captain, who was optimistic after the Eastern Conference quarterfinals began in Quebec.

2.   But the prospect of a good year has made farmers cautiously optimistic after lean times.

3.   But there are reasons to be optimistic after these first two games.

4.   He remained optimistic after being sent down to Kalamazoo despite a strong training camp.

5.   Joe Mabin, Black Chamber president, was cautiously optimistic after the meeting.

6.   Many Turks who are campaigning for a more open political system hope that he will win, and they remained optimistic after the vote Monday.

7.   Several analysts said that Maytag executives may have simply become too optimistic after several years of robust growth.

8.   Still, the Palestinians were cautiously optimistic after the first few meetings.

9.   The civilian administrator of a nearby alliance district, Muhammad Daoud, said he was optimistic after so many years of fighting.

10.   Tietmeyer was also optimistic after the meeting.