Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-24

| investigating it proved TO be pile OF
shoes and hosiery.
| Now, you know had shoes on the
| brain, so did not hesitate to lean down
| and examine these, when, to my JOY, l
| found an identical pair like the one l
| had carried so long. They seemed to
stand out from the rest and have an
| individuality of their own. And the
size was the long searched for three
and hail.
| THAT evening I surprised Helen by
| offering to escort her to the hop winch
| was to be held at one of The hotels
| She introduced me to bevy OF girls,
and the way 1 looked at, their feet was
a caution. But it was ha4Wl to see them
on account of their. l9 inG; evening
| dresses Among this g,irkS iIsmet was
1 the Miss Craig whom Helen had spoken
Of. Never shall forget,e Marie (for
1 she had returned to- the piazza),' now
/ charming you lookea- ffnoY you are
| blushing over there III Yhe dark. You
| had a white gown on and some red
| roses. which the old admirer of yours
| had sent you, and whom someone that
1 evening was kind enough to tell me
| you were engaged TO, and
| .'Now. Jack" broke in his wife, you
| had better leave out such items of no
| Importance and finish your story; for if
| Mr.. Richards wants to get back to
town tonight he will have to leave soon.
Unless she added, 'he can be induced
to spend the night with us, and then
you will have company up in the morn
ing"
Jack joined in the invitation, and as
/ had really nothing to hurry me back
before morning, | accepted. Mrs. Nor
gan left us to give directions to the
maid and Jack continued.
#''Of course. l only saw Marie for a
few minutes that evening to speak to.
and except for admiring her, did not
u dream that l need go no further in my
search.
''At the seashore l am an early riser.
lsSo before most of the people We're
awake l would take long walks. The
morning after the dance l started out
as usual. when / discovered that / was
not the only early riser. for ahead of
me / saw woman walking Trusting
it might be one of my acquaintance
of the previous evening. / quick
ened my gait and was rewarded by
finding Miss Craig. This time she
wore short skirt and looking at her
| feet found she was the owner of the
pair of boots | had examined on the
shore the day before. | congratulated
: her on her early rising and fresh APP
pearance after the festivities of the
evening before, then asked if | might
join her in her stroll. She assented.
Here / found a girl who had the same
love of Nature as myself, and who was
not afraid of long walks and climbs.
THAT was the beginning of our
strols. ! kept prolonging my return
! to the city. to the joy of mother and
| Helen. as well as to their surprise; for
| l had declared | would not spend the
summer there. Now, one day 1 re-
marked to Miss Craig on her sure foot
ing in climbing, for she always de-
clined aid. 'Ah,' she explained, it is
, all because of these fine shoes l have.
i never used to climb at all Well
How did you happen on them?' l
asked
1T was While was visiting in b
; maming the place where ! had spent
my time hunting); but funny thing
| happened. In some way I lost one in
the sleeping-car coming from Chicago,
and in the morning | had to wear my
| slippers until | could purchase another
pair. / gave a start, but said moth
| ing, for l was loathe to part with my
shoe now. Besides, l wanted better ac-
,, quaintance with the owner, and see if
she fulfilled my expectations. And
| then there was always that shadow of
4 a rumored engagement. Once l VEN
tured to ask her if it were true, but
she was a tease and / received no salts
$ faction. Sol enlisted Helen, who had
become devoted 10 her, and she told me
that there had only been prear-
ranged one, but she imagined Miss
Craig objected, so it was in 'statu quo.
"At that time | received q very much
| begrimed card from the porter, with
! Miss Marie Louise Craig engraved on
it. with her address. ! forgot to say
that long ago we had discovered that
she lived only block away from us in
New York, and look where | had
searched,
Il had found what / sought, and one
ldsy,i just before we left, / resolved
Z that. as Fate had led me to her,
] would plead that it had not been in
vain. So. sitting on the rocks. with the
: ocean spread out before us. | told her
the story of my search, and, produce
! ing the talisman shoe. asked IT, like
the Prince in Cinderella l had found
nv Princess to keep.
And she said-well, Dick, that part
belongs to me alone, you know. And,
like the fairy tale, they were married
and lived happily ever afterward at
least so far"
And please God always WILL soft
voice broke in with. as Mrs. Morgan,
who had entered at the last few words,
came in and stood behind her hus-
bands chair. He gently pulled her face
down to his and kissed it. Then
stole softly away and looked at the
stars. wondering if when the little
friend whom | had left in Italy-but
there as l said before. it isn't my
I story: but. hang it, it is too good to be
kept--should become mine, for she
4 promised to. if we would be as happy,
even if we had no lucky shoe.-The
| Ledger Monthly.