The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-06-22
DIR. STORY.
HOW FRANK HOWARD ACQUIRED a BECOMING MUSTACHE
AND ULTIMATELY SECURED A PRETTY BRIDE.

thousand dollars was certainly tempting.
My practice did not increase so rapidly
as | could have wished, and. of course,
like many another foolish young fellow,
! had married n nice girl when scarcely
able to keep myself comfortably, m the
tiny olive branches had a dreadful way,
sweet as they were, of appearing all too
frequently for a poor man. I'm not say
ing mind you, that I've ever regretted my
marriage, or been willing to spare one of
the boys and girls now growing up SO fast
around me, but honey was very scarce in
these days, and a thousand dollars seemed
too much TO let go without some effort to
earn il.
| did a lot of hard thinking for a few
days and spent all my spare time over
some old books in a musty, o~ut-of-the-way
library down town. ! finally told Frank
that | would see what could be done in he
would give $500, the rest il | succeeded i'm
the undertaking. He agreed at once, SO
put a carefully worded want in the
Herald, Offering 500 for n bit of scalp
from the head of a young person, a young
woman preferred, and naming an hour
for applicants to call at my office.
Well, had a good many answers, in
person and by letter. The letters l paid
no attention To, and those who called did
not suit, until | began to think ! would
have'a good deal of trouble to find the
right person, when my small boy-of-all-
WITH usIeTta Ill u fDutR luut. Il kHtW tnaI
she was young, though she was heavily
yelled, by her slight, girlish figure and
low, sweet, tremulous voice. Her dress
was neat and plain n fitted exquisitely.
Her gloves and boots were not new, but
they were the gloves and boots of a lady.
W,avy, lark brown hair was worn in a
heavy coil beneath n little round hat, and
l thought Here's the very girl at last"
l questioned her closely, and explained
o her more fully than to the others just
what ! wanted. She was nervous. as was
quite natural, but had evidently made up
her mind TO win the 500 If possible. She
was perfectly healthy she said. and so far
as she knew, came of healthy parents.
Her father was dead. Her mother was
usually quite well, though not very strong.
She was just now suffering from injuries
received in n fall on the stairs.
1.-THE doctor says" the young lady went
on, ''that my mother will soon be as well
as ever, but we need money very badly at
present. On accoun of my mothers ILL
ness | lost my position in-that is, I am
out OF employment, and as i am the bread
winner for our family, ! am willing to do
anything honorable that will not injure
my health to earn money. | must stipu-
ate that my face shall remain covered,
and that no effort will be made by anyone
to discover my Identity"
Can you endure the operation without
the aid of AN anesthetic ?" | asked. "iou
must know that your confidence is sa-
cred"
But, no. She insisted that her nerves
were strong enough TO endure the ordeal.
so ] appointed an hour next day for the
operation, and bowed her out. I then
rushed of to inform Frank of my success.
He was charmed with my description Of
heg girl and delighted with her pluck.
"Give her S5OO,'' he said, whether the
operation is successful or not. She is a
brave girl to do such a thing for her fam
lily. Great. hulking boys. no doubt, some
of them. o l haven't much family.
but am sure | wouldn't part with any OF
my scalp for all Of my relatives in a heap.
The young lady was promptness itself.
| had just showed her into an inner room
when Frank arrived. After the operation
/ sent him away first, then put her into a
cab. taking care to withdraw before she
gave the driver his orders.
No. I'm not going to tell you how |
back OF the girls head TO the lip of the
young man. | have never told anyone
how II was done, but IL was a success.
The young couple was as brave as pos
sible. There was not even n groan from
either. The girl lay face down upon a
ing around her. could not but admire
h dainty shape OF her head and the
pretty neck, with tiny rings of hair curl-
ing down upon IL. just below one she'll
like ear a small star-shaped spot showed
white upon the now rosy skin. IL would
probably not be noticeably usually. The
young lady came To my office for some
days until the wound were quite healed.
As she was young and healthy IL did not
a long, but l never got a glimpse of
her face, nor did / try to do so, having too
much respect for the courageous young
creature. When / handed her $500 in
stead of the 500 she had expected, she
was quite overcome with joy. Her voice
was full of happy tears as she clasped my
hand in both Of hers. and faltered:
"Oh, doctor. l do not know how to
thank you; you cannot realize what a
he p his money will be TO us. II is q pa r.
fec godsend and / don't one bit mind the
pain which I'll confess now. was rather
hard to bear"
My own needs enabled me to quite un-
derstand her feelings. My thousand freed
me from many a present worry, and be-
fore IL was gone | had secured quite a
paying practice.
Iattended Howard in his own apart
ments. When he was sufficiently re-
covered he went abroad for awhile. He
returned after some months. pleased with
his trip, and delighted with his handsome
brown mustache, which certainly added
much TO his good looks. He was so busy
with social arrangements, and | was so
fully occupied that for some months / saw