The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1904-07-14
TIE
Unknoevn
Man By
Troy
Copyright, 1901, by UEgon
K. NJ. Whitehead
Copyright, 1901, BY
K. NJ. Whitehead

Stanley wondered how it had hap
pened, who she was and all about 1t.
The letter had dropped out Of the IL
brary book that he had hastily selected
on his way home. The sheets Of paper
were unfolded, and the letter CON-
menced in a way that made him think
he had as much right to read it as any
one else 1t was love letter; undoubt-
edly the whole heart of the woman
was In it, but it commenced Dear I'm
known Man." Before he read it he
thought some silly schoolgirl had put
it in the book with the intention Of
getting up Irritation, but he realized
that it was letter q schoolgirl. could
not have written.
This woman was tired and disap-
pointed. She had evidently expected
more than she had found and through
some whim had written all her disap-
pointment and heartache to the only
person that could fully understand it
her ideal man.
There was longing for an under
standing and for q sympathy that the
known men had never been able to sat
isfy. Stanley could imagine that she
had relieved q spell Of dependency by
putting her thoughts on paper on the
same principle that he talked to his
dog or smoked an extra cigar. The
thing he could not understand was that
woman capable Of such depths of in
tellect and feeling should have had so
silly an impulse and put the letter in
library book.
There was no name or adlress-at
least she expected no reply.
He got up from his easy chair and
walked to the window A cold. driz-
zling sleet beat against the pane. and
the electric lights from the street turn
ed the night into CHASTITY gray.
His dog had followed him and stood
with his fore paws on the window
ledge.
A sudden, furious blast striking the
pane made the dog rub his head against
his master and whine his desire for
companionship and affection.
Are you lonely. too, old fellow7 Two
old bachelors like us. living In fiat,
ought not to expect to be gay. You
ought to be glad that you are not out in
the storm, you ungrateful wretch" He
stroked the dogs head and thought OF
the loneliness expressed in the letter
he had just read.
"By Jove, she knows the real article
1t must be the lonely in crowd feel.
Ing. She seemed to be society won.
an-the monogram on her paper didn't
indicate poor girl working for her liv
Ing"
He went back to his chair before tho
fire and wondered IL it would be pos
sible for him to locate her. He fancied
he would like to meet her and study
the woman, aided by his knowledge OF
her inner thoughts as expressed in the
erratic letter.
Suddenly he threw away his cigar
with an expression of satisfaction
Sherlock Holmes might have solved Il
in less time, but he couldn't have
thought of an easier method of finding
her."
The next morning at the library thu
woman in charge gave Stanley the at
tention that his looks always won from
women.
''The book was last returned by JoaI
Ransdell, 2OO8 Massachusetts avenue
1 am sure it will be very kind Of 70,
to return anything that you found IL
1t. Very few people would troubi'
themselves to that extent"
Stanley kept the letter. in his pocket
and IL his acquaintances could hav'
compared notes during the next few
days they would have thought that b
was suffering from a mania that tool
the form Of an acute desire to learn i
his auditor knew a certain Miss Joal
Ransdelf.
He himself had only been in the cit;
a few months after an absence of sew
eral years. He thought she must be I
newcomer, and the address given car
ried out his idea that she was no
among the working class.
It was a week before he met mu
tual acquaintance. Then Jim Dent re
peated his question: Know Miss Rams
dell? Certainly do. She takes Dime
with US tonight. Do you want to come
old man?"
When Stanley was getting into hi
evening clothes, he carried on hi
usual conversation with the dog: dor
old chappie, I'm going to see her t.
night We are going to solve a prot
lem. Be good, old fellow, and don
get lonely, and I'll tell you about he
when l get home"
He brought rug from the bedroor
and put 1t in front of the CRATE. Th
dog looked on knowingly and then la
down on it to take the ham bone tha
his master always left as specia
treat when he went out to dinner. Th
pretty waitress in the cafe had
habit Of coaxing the elevator boy
give the nice bones to the nice dog tha
belonged to the nice man on the fourt
floor.
Don beat the floor with his tail !
satisfied approval while Stanley 2.