The defender., 1900-01-27
is provokingT-


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
whirling train, to think a moment.
held in my hand a photograph. 1t was
in a 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 l 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 1, "and, 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
falling asleep in railroad train, l am
afraid it will never be gratified unless
] am fortunate enough to see the orig
tginal 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, I said: TT is too
utterly provokingw Here 1 hesttated.
"Tell me about IT =" said she
We'll" said :, "as you probably live
IN the East, and as 1 live In the fal
West, and as there is no probability OF
our ever seeing the people or even OF
knowing, as far as you are concerned
who they are, will tell you about 1t.
think can do so without impropriety,"
laughed 1, specially as 1t is 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 1, ''by read.
Ing you letter"
Taking from my pocket a letter in
mans writing, l read aloud this para,
graph:
"She is a beauty, Ned, and no mis-.
take. am wild for you to come East
and meet her. She Is a 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
face and for her good qualities. But
truth to tell, am loving her just little
also for her money. Think of it! A
cool million, all in her own name! Came
into it last January She is very gen
erously fnclined. Talks a great dea
about charity and all that. But 1 think
her charitable impulses could be
curbed. At least, L shall try it.
my chances are excellent Her folks,
Strictest Of Bostonians, like me. She Is
not Indifferent; writes to me regularly.
Accepts the tribes l 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, l deserve her. 1 can
make a woman happy, though 1 am
afraid that l should never have fallen
50 desperately in love with her If she
had been poor.
"Good-by. Glad you are coming East
soon. inclose the picture of my beau.
tiful heireSs. Send 1t back to me.
want you to see how she looks. Yours.
CHARLEY"
Now, isn't that provoking" said I.
Il read the letter. took out the photo,
laid back my head and fell asleep. Now,
when ] wake up, find 1t gone"
THAT is really too bad" said the
young lady. II can see how badly IL
places you. What win your friend
what was his name-Charley, sayr
"Guess he won't worry himself ID
DEATH" laughed 1, easily; "he can ask
the young lady for another. Lucky dog,
Charley always was"
almost too lucky" murmured the
young lady sweetly; "one would hard.
ly expect so much"
We'll, Charley deserves it; he de.
serves all he will get"
"Yes, all he will get" said the young
sort Of thing"
After this the converse ton branched
out on general topics, and before long
the young lady began to gather up hel
travelling bag. II set off at Brookline."
ALLOW me-"
And with all grace assisted her of
the train, sorry to lose so interesting
travelling companion.
A few days later received this letter
from Charley:
Dear Ned: The heiress is stone cold
on me. / went to call on her the first
night of her arrival north, and found
her pleasant, but that was all. l could
not get into conversation with her, fol
she kept putting me off and engaged il
a running fire Of words with some stu.
pid young cousins of hers. 1 could moi
get minute with her alone Come
Ned, you are a Beau Brummel and un.
derstand girls. What is the matter with
her? What have l done? Send me
back her photograph. find am really
In love with her Yours,