River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-09-24
The Trails
That Crossed
BY HOWARD DEvINE
Copyright, 1903, by Daily Story Pub. COP

u II
said the Sunday Editor. Join three or
four of them; brush up against the
game; meet the FLIES 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 TO
print some odd adventures and work up
some interesting character sketches.
Take your time and get page, Illus
trated."
I 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, laconically.
"Clear to the altar Get married. Do At
up right"
Then we both laughed and he con-
tinued:
"Of course you haven't got sou.
Here's an order for SIS. Come in and
show progress and you can have more
If you need it. But mind, no blowing
money. This is not news story. Do
it right, but don't buy any wires"
| took the assignment gratefully and
went out on my quest. / will not weary
you with the details of my experiences
with the cheap, stout women and 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, with
limited income and great prospects, in
searcb of wife with some ready money
that would help me get my start. met
tyr u ld
stenographers and auburn haired spin
gters residing at parental homes. met
stout widows and thin divorces and
signing orphans of uncertain age.
School teachers seemed to predominant.
I made appointments to call, appoint
ments to dine-all sorts of appoint
nents, the expenses of which the Clar-
ion cheerfulIy paid as | related my story
of progress. Really accumulated quite
q decent story, but in the meantime
became most heartily sick of the assign
ment. The women were all so common
place and their conversation SO 1nane
that 1t required something of draft on
my reportorial imagination, based on
the experiences of a half dozen years, to
make anything out of the material.
| was about through and had about
enough material whipped into shape,
and was entirely tired of the game
when | met Elsie Norman, registered at
Baldy's agency as an orphan and an
heiress worth 100000 in her own name,
and looking for a husband through the
agency because of eccentricity.
When / stumbled into the little box
labeled Parlor G / was totally unpre-
pared for the vision which confronted
me- Listen, and / 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-well, you know what it is as
we'll as /; a broad forehead; mis-
chievous blue-gray eyes; dainty hands
and feet; features not regular nor
beautiful, but interesting and attrac-
tive because of the intelligence mani
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 | had yet done.
She smiled reassuringly and apollo
gized for the rug. The conversation
/ do not remember very distinctly, but
before | left a date had been made
for a little supper the next evening
at a coy Italian restaurant in an OBJ
scure street, known only to the elect
The queer thing about it was that |
seemed to remember afterward that
she made the suggestion as to place
Also she told me that had been recon-
mended to her by Badly as the best
thing for her) he had in sight.
AS l went out Badly 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, land beautiful
and clever-beautiful and clever,
say, as well. Go to it."
But there's Won ting" he continued,
looking me in the eye with so piercing
an expression that quailed, old stager
that | was; dis tid-bit is not for a
mere fee. l hat secured it for you.
If you get it, We must hat an under
standing. l must hat von-kewauter of
the fortune. All you needs, man, is
enough to put you up in business. You
are in luck to get such girl anyway.
Promise me a kewauter, and she is
yours"
/ shook him and fed That night I
slept not because of my burning mem
cries of the fair young heiress. 1t
might have been my horrible expert
ences of the past week, but she GER
tainly seemed to me to be the fairest
lady of my dreams-and that is a
whole lot for a calloused reporter to
say.
The following day threatened to be
the longest I had ever spent. Finally.
in despair, l resolved to go to the
Metropolitan agency and see what was
doing" although all interest in my
assignment had lapsed.
MY deah boy, I've just what We
want" exclaimed Hobson, the man
ager. as I entered. 'Parlor B, and get
theah quick. ave been a-holdin' it
for We all the mornin'."
Half pushed. half walking, wholly
disguised, | stumbled in, and there.
right in front of me. fresh, dainty and
aIluring as before, sat Elsie Norman.
What does this mean?" l demand
ed, sternly, ly-melodramatic-
ally. will now admit. You make