Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-09-02

! LUZ Wdo nuCu uISdppOlnIeQ by the IN
telligence conveyed, having hoped that
| ne could find out something about this
interesting young lady or at least
! learn where she lived.
! AS the days passed, he found him
self thinking more and more of her
and wondering still who she was and
where she had gone. His friends no.
tlced his distracted manner and won
dered greatly at the change in him.
He, who was usually so bright and
happy, was not silent and sometimes
sad.
The disastrous wreck had occurred
in March and it was now May, but
Richard had heard no more of Helen;
although lie was still looking, still
hoping, for he could not give up the
idea Of finding her. The thought pur-
sued him, on the street, at the club.
at the opera and at home. His one
absorbing hope now was to ind her
He sometimes asked himself, as he
sat alone in his room and the smoke
from his cigar curled upward in little
blue rings, while he sat and dreamed
Of her, what he should do when he
found her-who she was, how she
would treat him, if she was married
to what class in society she belonged,
and then what should he say 10 her?
How meet her? But TO ali these qUes-
lions he turned a deaf ear or refused
to even try to answer. He only WNrt-
ed to find her-that was enough. Then
he would go and get the little locket
and gaze at her picture. One evening
at the club, as he was reading the
news, he gave a sudden start, and
read a certain paragraph over several
times; then he hastily left the room
and, going quickly home, packed a
small valise. and took the night train
for b
The paragraph told of the death of
Roger Section, who left a widowed sis
ter, and her daughter Helen, his niece
Without rejecting, Richard had i'm
mediately started to so to the city,
where the death had occurred, hoping
, to see Helen; for his desire to find her
had now oVer-balanced his prudence.
He arrived at b on Monday, the
goth of May, two days after he started,
and three days after the death of Ro-
ger Section. After going to a hotel he
started Immediately in search Of the
! house, having noted the street and
, number, from the paper which he car
ried with him. He found the house
without difficulty, and ringing the bell,
waited impatiently for the door to be
opened, for he had made up his mind
that he would present himself as an
old friend of the brother, who had
died, and from whom he had not heard
for some time; say that he had hur-
ried on as soon as the sad news had
reached him, express his sympathy,
and ask if he could be of any assis-
lance Presently the door opened, and
Richard asked of the servant if he
might see Mrs. Section. The servant
looked surprised and said
I am sorry, sir, but the fact is
Mrs. Section and Miss Helen left town
yesterday evening"
Richard gasped,-
Then l am too late for the"
Yes" replied the servant, evidently
taking him for friend of the family
, sHd looking at him with sympathy,
! he funeral occurred yesterday after
noon"
Richard, amazed, asked if they had
lett an address. The servant repeated
- WI, street and number, and Richard,
respondent, descended the steps, re-
turned to the hotel, looked up time
tables, and that same night was again
on the train for this new address.
He arrived Thursday morning, and
lest no time in going to No 10, but
when he rang the bell no one an
swercd. After waiting sometime, he
decided to inquire next door Here
he was told by a woman that lady
and young girl had arrived there the
morning of the previous day, and that
| the people who lived in the house, a
Mr.. and Mrs. Brown, had been MAX
ing preparations for the past few days,
and as soon as the ladies had arrived
/ they had all gone off IN carriage to-
| gether. The house was closed, he
could see that. They had all gone the
/ afternoon before. She did not know
where. She had but lately moved here
herself and did not know the people
Richard turned in despair, and went
| back to the hotel and from thence to
his home again as quickly as pos
/ sible, arriving late Tuesday night,
thoroughly weary and disheartened
He came to the conclusion that he
had been exceedingly foolish. 1t was
a regular school-boy trick to run
around the country looking for a blond
! young woman whose name was Helen
Section, whom he had never met and
of whom he knew nothing After all,
how did he know that it was the same
family. Perhaps it was another Helen
Section. What proof had he that the
late Roger Section belonged to the
Section family, for which he was in
| search? He had been a fool lunatic.
Yes, he must have been stark, star
ing mad to have gone flying, wild
eyed around the country hunting for
this family. Suppose he had found
them, and they were not the family
of which he was in search, what
should he have done? Suppose this
girl had not been his Helen Section
at all His Helen, indeed! He must
really be losing his mind. He would
| forget her. Yes, he would travel a