Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1898-03-25

would swarm hls brain and render him
miserable.
He had confided a minimum of his
secret to fellow salesman with the
injunction to watch for any response
that might come to his ADVERTISE
ments. He also instructed him to re-
insert the personal" from time to
time.
At length the exciting moment came
when Cali hands ashore!" was bell
lowed in and out of every Granny and
cubby hole of the steamship. The last
laggards were descending the gang
plank after long, melancholy fare
wells to friends, when Bob's conf.
dant, the assistant salesman, dashed
aboard in furious haste despite the
| sailors attempts to bar his way.
"What is it?" cried Bob
"An answer" gasped the man, say.
ing which he flung a letter at Bob
and leaped madly back again without
another word
The gang plank was being hauled
up. Bob made an attempt to JUMP
on it and go ashore Luckily sailor
brushed him back with no gentle ges.
ture, and he dropped inert on a col
of rope at his side.
| He had scarcely the courage to open
the letter. He had never seen her
handwriting before and yet it seemed
familiar. What did he not suffer Of
each second drew him further away
from the dock, further away from hel
side, for whose heart his own had blec
so long and so silently! Why could
she have not answered day sooner:
1t was her fault if he had to leave
without seeing her and bidding he1
farewell-at, what sweet, sad, ten
der one it should have been!
"She must have had some valid ex
cuse for her delay" Bob unused al
with desperate effort he encouraged
himself to cut the envelope open.
The letter was written in a correct
bold hand, and read:
| Dear Mr.. Acton-I do not know whethe
Ishould answer your personal or not, which
| l happened to see by some unheard-o
chance, for never read that column. Blu
as am going to run away from you righ
after doing so, there can be no danger
should have left that restaurant month,
ago. In fact-shall be so immodest as t.
confess it?-in fact ever since you came
there. Do you understand? Ten days age
>eceiyed word that my mother who live!
! in Dublin is very ILL., 1 saw my only dut,
then and at once made up my mind to go K
her. leave on the New York to morrow
and by the time you get this will be fla,
down the Bay. So forgive my freedom
and don't please, think meanly of me
Yours sincerely, FANNIE LANGAN.
Bob's eyes ran across every line O
the letter with electric quickness
Hardly had he finished it than hi
sprang to his feet and ran for a pas
senger list. He read it through care
fully three times, but Fannie's name
was not on it. Gould fate have beer
so spiteful as to have let her miss The
boat?
He inquired of steward whether
she was on board, described her tt
him, explained to him that she was tx
have sailed, but that her name was no
on the list.
'She may be in the steerage, sir,
suggested the steward
(Which way? Which way?" Boil
asked impatiently.
Following the stewards direction h
ran below like mailman Fiy,
minutes later he had found her an,
was hugging her as though they ha,
not met in years. The next day Fanni
was transferred to the upper deck.
Bob Acton was the happiest man OF
the whole Atlantic that evening. Fo
two steamer chairs, lined with cose,
rugs, on the lee side of the boat at
moonlight midnight is the most dan
gerous place in the world to expos
ones heart to lady.
Let ye who respect aud cherisl
bachelorhood be mindful of this moral
THE Yellow Kid.