The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-27

Great Scott, how I wish I had a namer he sighed, as he turned away.
 But havnt an idea in my noggin as to finding one.
 Miss Ashton had an idea though.
 Are you sure that you still need to be read to?" she asked as she came bustling in the next morning.
 T simply can not do without you" he declared as he helped her to take off her wrap. He often got to touch her hand or her hair in that way.
 Well then, I'll tell you" she resumed.
 If 1t was only your body that was ail- ing. and you went away almost cured, you could come back here for daily treat ment, couldn't you? Very well then" she continued, adjusting her back. hair to keep him from grasping her hand in delight. you can get lodgings near by and make your five hundred dollars last a long time-and you can come here every morn ing to have me read to you for the bene- fit of your mind. In the afternoons you must hunt around and find out what your business used to be. Maybe If you see someone working at it you will know. And We must find your name
 Tt seems hopeless" he replied, ''un- less l get married and take the name of my wife. That Is legal. l have heard.
 He rather liked this plan but Miss Ash ton dashed his hopes. I've thought of that she replied quickly, but you couldn't do 1t. You have to have name of your own to take out a license" There 1t was again.. He could not do anything without name, not even change 1t! But I've got splendid plan," she went on. We must go through the city direc- tory and when we find a name like yours it may bring your own to mind. l have an idea that your name will turn out to be something like Earlynne, don't youg
 He couldn't seem to feel that way about it, but going over that directory was very pleasant work nevertheless. They sat side by side over the big volume and their hair touched together once in a while. He felt. then and there, that nothing like his name would be found short of the Z's. That very day he rented rooms close by and spent his afternoons watching peo- pie work
 Miss Ashton" he confessed, after about a week of this, "I am afraid that whatever my business was l did not like it. Moreover l fear there is no business
 1 would like.'
 ''Nonsensep' she retorted, after a mo- ment of troubled thought. You just keep
 on hunting. You don't look like a lazy persons, at all"
 That morning their shoulders touched as they sat boring over the directory and as Ruth did not seem to notice it, the l Convalescent held very, very still They l only finished one page that day Do you know of any business" he
 asked the next morning, where the sort of skill one uses in~playing croquet would be of any use?"
 "Croquetr' she gasped. "Yes, croquet. You see,' he explained.
 yesterday afternoon I came upon three young ladies playing that game and 1t came to me that I knew all about 1t. They had heard of my case and kindly
 let me play, hoping the associations thus aroused would help me remember things. I proved to be an expert and my part ner was so delighted that she asked me
 to come back If I thought 1t would help
 me find any of my past. How might l
 not have done some work very like | croquet playingT'.
 Miss Ashton ignored this question. Where Is this lawn?' she demanded. | He told her as nearly as he could. That's Colonel Taylors house." she l said with a peculiar snap in her eyes. l 'tOne of the girls was a tall, rather fady | blonde. wasn't she? I thought so. That 1 was Nellie Taylor. And there was prob
 ably another girl with freckles and a snub nose? That was Silvia Reynolds l and the other must have been Maud | Adams-little and quick and laughs
 great deal to show her teeth. I suppose | you are going back?" No" said he thoughtfully, q don't | think I shall.",
 "I should" she urged quickly. "1t may
 do you good. And they are very nice l girls"
 She was very business like the rest of that morning and when their hair or | shoulders touched she knew it instantly
 and ,eged sharply away. When she left she was still very distant, and the next , morning she brought her cousin along. The two quarreled on the way home, though. and the Convalescent was very | glad of it for Miss Ashton came back the next morning more than ever determined 1 to find his name for him. She had l new plan this time. She wrote clever account of his strange case and sent it, with his photograph to the big Sunday | papers. He was feverish, himself, to solve his riddle now.
 ~For, you see,' he complained, 'T am | old enough now to marry, and it is dis tressing to think that If I should find the | right girl 1 would not dare to propose to l her"
 'If you only knew what your business
 was,' she unused in perplexity, '1 am sure some one, in view of your unusual situation would help you to get good l start. Papa is very philanthropic that way, when I make him be. Then you
 could pick out a name that suited you and have it fixed by act of congress. I think Eearlynne quite a pretty name; don't your"
 Do you like that better than your
 own?" he asked eagerly.
 If 1 were to have my name changed
 by act of Congress-I think I should
 choose that name" she admitted dipo- [ matically, though there might be others
 I would come to like as we'll"
 rrt t.t.- 4t.g.
 mark was jolted by an idea that raised
 him bold upright in bed.
 Suppose he was already married!
 It was a terrible thought and he dress
 ed himself at once. It was only 10 o'clock
 and he might yet see Ruth out on the
 porch. If not he could look at the house,
 and that had often done him good when
 he was feeling restless or blue. A small
 party of young people had just left the
 Ashton gate and Ruth stood there awhile,
 looking at the stars. She was not at all
 startled when the Convalescent suddenly
 oomed out of the shadows and spoke to
 her.
 What if I already have wife!" he
 propounded abruptly.
 Do you feel that maybe you have?" she asked quickly.
 By no means" he answered. "but it is new possibility and 1t rather scared
 me-
 We don't think you are married" de- clared Miss Ashton in a tone of convic-
 tion. "The matron has never seen a mar ried mans linen in such splendid repair.
 But you might be engaged. Indeed, that
 Is quite likely.
 | 'Ruth-Miss Ashton" he protested T
 do not think I am engaged but If I am