The Western news., 1900-02-07
is provokingw

me sat pretty young travelling COM
panion, one whom ! had not seen be-
fore and who must have come in and
occupied the place while l had dozed
OF.
Yes, had been five minutes asleep,
and in that brief interval there had hap.
pened something which caused me to
exclaim In the way did.
When lay back my head in the fast
whirlins train, to think moment, I
held in my hand photograph. It was
In cabinet envelope, and, strange to
say, had not yet looked at it.
leaned forward in the seat and tried
to search the aisle past my travelling
companion, then looked under the
seat, then back Of it.
1T must have fallen out Of the win
dow" l said to myself.
AT this the young lady murmured:
Have you lost anything?
Yes" said l, land, to make the mat
ter more embarrassing. It was the pic
ture of a young and beautiful girl, the
finest Of her SEX
You pique my curiosity" said my
companion.
well, mine was piqued also" said I,
but, owing to my stupid fashion of
railing asleep in railroad train, am
afraid it will never be gratified unless
l am fortunate enough to see the orig
lginal some day."
How interesting" said the pretty
girl beside me.
Seeing that she was in a mood to al
low me. chance travelling companion,
TO converse with her, l said: 1T is too
utterly provoking!' Here hesitated.
Tell HE about it." said she.
"Wel!,' said l, ''as you probably live
IN the East, and as l live in the far
West, and as there is no probability of
our ever seeing the people or even of
knowing. as far as you are concerned,
VINO they are. I will tell you about 1t.
think can do so without impropriety,"
laughed l, specially as it is a love af.
fair, and all the world loves a lover"
AT this the pretty girl looked intensely
eager, and prepared myself to tell the
story OF the lost photograph"
Il can best begin" SAID l, "by read
Ing you letter."
Taking from my pocka. a letter in a
mans writing, | read aloud this para
graph:
"She is a beauty, Ned, and no mis-
take. l am wild for you to come East
and meet her. She is Southern girl.
but comes North now and then to see
her grandmother or aunts, or something
OF that sort. Makes her headquarters
at Boston.
But that Is not the best part Of It,
Ned. could love her for her pretty
race and for her good qualities. But.
truth to tell, am loving her just little
also for her money. Think Of 1t! A
cool million, all in her own name! Came
into it last January. She is very gen
erously inclined. Talks a great deal
about charity and all that. But think
her charitable impulses could be
curbed. At least, shall try it.
My chances are excellent. Her folks,
strictest OF Bostonians. like me. She IL
not indifferent; writes to me regularly.
Accepts the trifes I send her. And
seems to think there may be somebody
worth having up here in the North,
even If she is Southern girl.
well, Ned, deserve her. I can
make woman happy. though l am
afraid that should never have fallen
SO desperately in love with her II she
had been poor.
"Good-by. Glad you are coming East
soon. l inclose the picture Of my beau
tiful heiress. Send it back to me. /
want you to see how she looks. Yours,
CHARLEY"
"Now, isn't that provoking?" said I.
II read the letter, took out the photo,
laid back my head and fell asleep. Now.
when l wake up, find it gone"
THAT Is really too bad," said the
young lady. II can see how badly it
places you. What will your friend
what was his name-Charley, say?"
Guess he won't worry himself to
DEATH" laughed 1, easily; "he can ask
the young lady for another. Lucky dog,
always was"
almost too lucky" murmured the
young lady sweetly; lone would hard
ly expect so much"
"Well, Charley deserves It; he de-
serves all he will get"
"Yes, all he will get" said the young
lady; "he seems so frank and-all-that
sort Of thing"
After this the conversation branched
out on general topics, and before long
the young lady began to gather up her
bag. Il get off at Brookline."
"Allow me-"
And with all grace assisted her off
the train, sorry to lose 80 interesting a
companion.
A few days later received this letter
from Charley:
Dear Ned: The heiress is stone cold
ON me. l went to call on her the first
night Of her arrival north. and found
her pleasant, but that was all. l could