Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1903-07-17

WROTE A LETTER low who stuck it
in wants cripple, and that's queer in
itself. Write to him, meet him and get
your yarn. 1t ought to be 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
girl would have shrunk from, but then
it was all in the business, and Norah
had never been the cause of getting
the Blaze into libel suit, and on that
fact she plumed herself.
Norah sat down and wrote letter,
addressing it to Lock Box OF, Hoosier-
vile, Ind. She lied in it, nothing less,
but then that, too, was part of the
business she had learned at the Blaze
Office. She said that she was Grip
pie; that her right arm was paralyZed.
She told the truth, however, about her
appearance, and her age-she was 20
and then asked that the lock box
owner address her at the general de-
livery window Of the postoftice, saying
proper address until she knew positive
ly that her correspondent was a good
man and one who would not trife with
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 she
found that it was written in good
hand and in good English. 1t was
simple and straightforward. The wri-
ter said that he was a widower, "a
years old, with one child; had large
stock and fruit farm, which yielded a
good income, and he was laying up
money. The letter gave no reason
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 charac
teristic of the girl, inclosed her photo
graph. On the third day she had ar
answer, which she showed the city
editor, saying, "I'm in for 1t, Mr.. Ran
kin. His name Is Moore, and hi
reaches the city tonight, and I'm t
meet him at the Consolidated Depo
at o'clock. Some OF the boys will
, have to fix up my arm. Well put {
brace Of some kind on II or otherwis,
I'll forget that it is supposed to b,
,, paralyzed, and I'd be swinging 1
, around and give the whole snap away
What in the world this countrymal
wants cripple for is more than 1 cal
. imagine, but there ought to be crack
ing good story in it."
, Norah Clevenger was at the Consol
idated Depot at 8 o'clock, with he
=, right arm in a surgeons brace. Som
girls would have felt a bit of trepida
tion at the prospect of meeting tn
stranger, but years of rather seam
i work had hardened this woman's ma
Q ture. She waited in the passenger
e room. The train rolled in and in mir
v ute or two there came through tn
o doorway tall, well-built man, wit
@ crisp, curly hair, sun-browned cheek
;. and honest eyes. He was leading III
{ tie girl about 5 years old by the hant
d Norah Clevenger felt that this wa
4 the man she was to meet, though
q moment before she could have swor
that her correspondent was some fot
Of fellow with cast in his eye,
o painful limp and so ugly generally tht
# his very appearance would give al
swer to the question why he had NJ
sought bride in the vicinity Of Hoo
" ierville. The man looked about Ii
station. His eyes fell on Norah, an