The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1903-10-02
The Trails
That Crossed
By HOWARD DEvINE
downright. 1903. by Daily Story Pub. Coz

"COOUT and see if there isn't story
tI in these matrimonial agencies,
said the Sunday Editor. Join three or
four of them; brush up against the
game; meet the fillies they have in stock
get some good experiences. Never
mind the fake part of it. don't care
to expose the frauds so much as 10
print some odd adventures and WORK up
some interesting character sketcnes'
Take your time and get a page, Illus
trated''
was dead broke and unattached and
the idea pleased me.
How far shall go in my explora-
tions?" | asked, rolling cigarette.
THE limit" he replied, laconicaliy'
"Clear to the altar. Get married. DO IL
up right
Then we both laughed and he con-
tinued:
"Of course you haven't got sou.
Here's an order for $15. Come In anu
show progress and you can nave more
il you need it. But mind, no plo"lns
money. This is not a news story. bo
it right. but don't buy any wires.
went out on my quest. l will not weary
you with the details Of my experiences
with the cheap, stout women ana CHEAP
thin men who preside over the matrl-
monial agencies, and the still cheaper
females who are listed at these places.
| posed as Hiram Adams, architect, WIN
a limited income and great prospects, III
search of a wife with some ready money
that would help me get my start. met
attenuated school teachers, freckled
stenographers and auburn haired spin
sters residing at parental homes. met
stout widows and thin divorces ana
signing orphans of uncertain age.
| was about through and had about
enough materia. whipped into shape
and was entirely tired of the game
when | met Elsie Norman, registered at
Baldy's agency as an orphan ana an
heiress worth 500, 900 in her own name
and looking for husband through the
agency because of eccentricity.
When I stumbled into the little box
labeled Parlor G / was totally unpre-
pared for the vision which confronted
me. Listen, and l will try to de-
scribe it:
A petite little person, with a wealth
of light hair. not golden nor brown, nor
yet tow color, but of that peculiar
shade-weil, you know what it is as
well as /; a broad forehead; mis-
chievous blue-gray eyes; dainty hands
and feet; features not regular nor
beautiful, but interesting and attrac-
@Io ;~+a
tested She was gowned simply, but
with exquisite taste, and in that pc
culiar surroundings and in the light
of my recent experiences, the effect
was paralyZing.
confess that l stumbled over the
frayed rug and comported myself al
together more in keeping with my as
sumed character than l had yet done
She smiled reassuringly and apollo.
gized for the rug. The conversation
| do not remember very distinctly, but
before I left a date had been made
for a little supper the next evening
at a coZy Italian restaurant in an OBJ
scure street, known only to the elect
The queer thing about it was that
seemed to remember afterward thai
she made the suggestion as to place
Also she told me that had been recon-
mended to her by Baldy as the best
thing (for herr he had in sight.
AS | went cut Baldy called me aside
and confided to me that this girl surely
was the real thing for me.
"She's rich, rich" he said, pounding
his old walnut desk, "and beautiful
and clever-beautiful and clever,
say, as WELL Go to l."
But there's Won ting" he continued
looking me in the eye with so piercine
an expression that quailed, old stagel
that l was; "d.s tid-bit is not for {
mere fee haf secured it for you
If you get it, We must haf an under
standing. | must haf von-kewauter O
the fortune All you needs, man, i!
enough to put you up in business. Yo,
are in luck to get such girl anyway
Promise me a kewauter, and she i.
yours"
shook him and fed. That night
elept net, because of my burning mem
ories of the fair young heiress.
might have been my horrible expert
ences of the past week, but she Ger
tainly seemed to me to be the faires
lady of my dreams-and that is /;
whole fot for calloused reporter to say
The following day threatened to b.
the longest had ever spent. Finally