The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-23
NEVER FOUND BHRBRRA HOLLIS
MdtrmOndIIU Inclined Mdid0nS Form Syndicate and Fool
New Orleans Cotton Broker

ct see by the papers," remarked a
New Orleans cotton broker the other
evening to a Time S-Domocrat reporter,
that dozens of sentimental notes
have been found in the supplies sent to
the army in the Philippines. They come
from romantic factory girls, and aye
baitod hooks, blind cast in the sea of
chance. l hope some may land good
fish. But what l set out to say" en-
tinued the broker was that the Para
Srapa recalled enc of the most curious
and whimsi, al adventures l ever had IN
my life. II! give you the facts as briefly
as possible.
IN the winter of 1923 I spent several
months on ranch near San Diego, Cal.
There was a crossroads store a few miles
away, where we used to get our sup
plies, and one day I dropped in and
bought EOX Of ligat cotton socks. In
looking over my purchase when I
reached home 1 felt something in the t G
of one Of the socks, and mucn to my sur
Prise pulled out a letter written in a
girls hand. 1t said in substance that
the writer was employed in the New
Hampshire factory where the hosiery
was made, and knew that the special
consignment was going to California,
which had always been the land of her
dreams She drew a graphic picture of
the deadly dullness of life in a small
factory town, ana admitted with hat
humorous frankness that she had sent
the message in the vague hope that
something might happen to relieve it's
grinding monctony
Altogether it was an amazingly cley-
er letter-br!ght breezy. and at the same
time deeply pathetic-and, considering
the way it turned up, it naturally made
profound impression on my mind. It
thinking 1t over a few days with in
creasing interest and curiosity l sat
down and wrote q reply, which I mailed
IN care of the general delivery, as no
specific address had been given The
prospect of a witty semi-sentirental
correspondence was very alluring lust
then, for the ranch itself was not in
overlively place and I was thoroughly
disappointed a couple of weeks later TO
get back my letter, stamped 'Urieiiv-
cred My next move was to write to
the postmaster asking whether he could
supply me with the address of The lady
named, and he replied on an official
blank, giving me to understand that post
masters are not required TO do anything
except to draw their pay. Then [ tric.3
the owners of the factory. and thew re-
turned my letter with NO such person
now employed here penciled on the bot
tom. With that I gave UP in Despair.
Barbara Hollis haunted me for a lon,
time the broker went on, but she fin
ally faded out of my mind and tho :Sht
no more of her until she was recalled
by mere chance fully year ate ward
! was North at the time, and lad been
summoned by business to Manchester, ".
H., where, in looking over a tire table
one morning, I happened to notice that
the town in which the hosiery factory
was located was only a snort distance
away and connected by trolley. 1t seems
rather foolish thing for a man Of my
age to admit. but Immediately became
excited and could hardly wait to secure
directions as to the route. I soon got
n car and in less than an hour ! was
on the ground without anything 1ninit1
in my mind except n fixed determination
TO find and meet the mysterious Barbara
if ! had to turn the whole place inside
out to do 1t.
81 concluded to first go to the factory
ard make some guarded inquiries. on the
preteXt that I had a message TO deliver
from a friend. It was an immense, ire
mendously big concern, but they received
me very couTteously In the office, and one
Of the boOkkeepers went carefully over
the payrolls for several years back in 4
vain effort to find the name At last
~ DtlShlSHcu UP. l ten you WEat TO DO
he said. Go upstairs and see our Mr.
Ferguson. He's been superintendent OF
the knitting rooms ever since we started
and can give you a line on any girl that
ever worked here rushed upstairs and
found Ferguson az a red top desk. Ht
was big and genial, but when 1 stated tn,
object Of my visit a strange. startled
look flashed across his face. Barbara
Hollis he repeated in 81: awed tone. :
hay emit heard that name in ten years
Us she dead, thenY 7 asked, shocked
We'll yes-er--that is to say, she ISM
exactly alive, he replied Not exact,
alive! I exclaimed in amazement. No,
said he, but why do you ask? What d.
You want to know about her?' I thought
1t best to be frank, and made a clear
breast Of it, but before I got through
Ferguson was writing in spasms Of ell
ophantine Ilirth 'Ial ha! ha.' he roared
If that don't beat allH Then he cauc,,
his breath and explained.
barbara Hollis isn't girl he said
and never was. She was syndicate.
There was nine in it at the start. That
WAS away back in IS or 'SG. and they
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