The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1903-07-03
WROTE A LETTER.

WROTE A LETTER. low who stuck II
in wants a cripple, and that's queer ir
itself. Write to him, meet him and get
your yarn. 1t ought to be a good
one"
Norah Clevenger had been writing
spicy stories for the Daily Blaze some
years. She knew how to make her
pen scorch the paper, and that's what
the Blaze liked. She was calloused
and she took assignments that many a
girl would have shrunk from, but then
1t was all in the business, and Moran
had never been the cause of getting
the Blaze into libel suit, and on that
fact she plumed herself.
Norah sat down and wrote a lettNr,
addressing it to Lock Box OF, Hoosi6r
vile, Ind. She lied in it, nothing less,
but tnen that, too, was a part of the
business she had learned at the Bla ze
office. She said that she was a crsp-
pie; that her right arm was paralyzOd.
She told the truth, however about her
appearance, and her age-she was 80
and then asked that the lock BOX
owner address her at the general he
livery window of the postofiice, saying
that she did not wish to give her
proper address until she knew positi Fe-
ly that her correspondent was good
man and one who would not trihe W it'll
a woman. She signed the letter Mary
Anderson.
Norah Clevenger waited three days
before an answer came to her com
munication. When one did come yhe
found that it was written in a god
hand and in good English. 1t was
simple and straightforward. The Uri-
ter said that he was a widower, "a
years old, with one child; had a ls rye
stock and fruit farm, which yielded a
good income, and he was laying up
money. The letter gave no res son
why the writer wished to marry a
cripple.
Norah Clevenger wrote again. She
led the writer on a little in the next
letter, and with an audacity chSrac-
teristic of the girl, inclosed her photo
graph. On the third day she had an
answer, which she showed the city
editor, saying, I'm in for it, Mr.. Ran
kin. His name is Moore, and he
reaches the city tonight, and I'm to
meet him at the Consolidated Depot
at s o'clock. Some of the boys will
have to fix up my arm. Well put d
brace of some kind on 1t or otherwise
I'll forget that it is supposed ~ be
paralyzed, and I'd be swinging il
around and give the whole snap way
What in the world this countrHmau
wants a cripple for is more than cas-
imagine, but there ought to be a each
ing good story in it."
Norah Clevenger was at the Ccnsoi
idated Depot at o'clock, with her
right arm in a surgeons brace. Some
girls would have felt bit of treoida
ton at the prospect Of meeting the
stranger, but years of rather seamy
work had hardened this woman's ma
ture. She waited in the passenger
room. The train rolled in and in min
ute or two there came through the
doorway a tall, well-built man, with
crisp, curly hair, sun-browned cheeks
and honest eyes. He was leading q lit
tie girl about 8 years old by the hand
Norah Clevenger felt that this was
the man she was to meet, though @
moment before she could have sworI
that her correspondent was some foo
of a fellow with a cast in his eye, q
painful limp and so ugly generally thai
his very appearance would give an
swer to the question why he had no
sought bride in the vicinity of Hoos
ierville. The man looked about the
station. His eyes fell on Norah, anC