The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-27
PERPLEXING LOVE CASE
 OF MAN WITHOUT A NAME
BY GEORGE RANDOLPH CHESTER.

 you liked. To be hit in the back of the neck by a footpad and robbed of all his papers was bad enough in all conscience, even If he did have five hundred dollars in gold in a belt around his waist when they took him to the hospital. But to be robbed of his identity was adding in- suit to injury. Here, for instance, was Miss Ashton, the president of the Young Ladies Society for the Entertainment of the Convalescent, firmly declining to al low him to call at her home. And all be- cause he couldn't lay his tongue to a name.
 No, 1t is impossible!' she declared. T have made it a strict rule never to re- gard socially any acquaintance that may be formed here in the hospital. Of course under ordinary circumstances you could now board with some nice people and save this dreadful expense. After awhile someone would introduce you and I could invite you to call. But you see the dif- hculty. As you have no name you could not be introduced to me, nor could afterwards introduce you to any one else. It would be so awkward!'
 The young man rocked impatiently.
 T never appreciated before he grum- bled, "the handness of mere name. Why it's an absurd position to be inl Here am 1, sound in mind and body, cooped up in this place simply because l can't remember my own past, nor tell my own name. Of course l might assume one, but | shouldn't feel comfortable with it and even you would not care to call me by It."
 Indeed nor' she emphatically agreed. T couldn't think of having a friend whom knew to be going about under an alias" At4
 You are quite right" he admitted de- jectedly. We do not know anything about me, and l may not have been fit for even the tasteless ashes of Platonic friendship.
 Do you spend so much time with all your patients?" he asked with tactless idiocy.
 put on her hat.
 Nc" she answered icily. Yours seem ed to be an instance of unusual needs but, after more than month of patient effort on my part, your memory does not show any signs of coming back and fear I shall have to give up the case. ;" Miss Ashton" he protested earnestly, there is no. telling what might happen If I should be left alone, tormented by
  Why, might even have stolen the money that was found on me!'
 "Oh mol" she cried quickly. You never could have done thatl 1 don't believe you ever did mean thing in your life!"
 She was so much in earnest about It, and her big eyes flashed so reassuringly upon him as she left the room, that he almost forgave her tall cousin, this time, for calling to take her. home He hated that cousin Besides he was only distant cousin-and he called her Ruth! And he had a nasty habit of always turning up, ever since Miss Ashton had taken his case"
 The first day the Convalescent had been turned over to her for mental diversion she found him in the motherly matron S cozy little private parlor, where he had been made free because he had such gen tie manners, and curly hair that one long to rumple. On that day Miss Ash ton read him thirty pages of Ben Hur.,' After that she decreased the number of pages at each sitting until. at least, she opened the book each morning to the one hundred and forty-third page-and began to talk.
 She did him world of good On her seventh visit she told him confdentially of her intention never to marry. but to spend her life in the Entertainment of the Convalescent, snd went home early, SC ne Knew better than 10 ever Idll III love with her. The matron afterwards gave him a photograph of Miss Ashton, taken as Saint Cecilia, and it was lot of com pany for him when her cousin had taken her away.
 He felt that he must say something about that tall cousin and on her next visit he did so. He told her that the sight of this cousin made him nervous and that it was bad for his mind. After a five-minutes silence. in which she opened her mouth three times to speak. Miss Ashton read him twenty-four pages of Ben Hur" and went home. But after that the cousin gradually ceased to call for her. He never did like that cousin. Right after she had gone home on the day of his protest he hunted up the matron.
 q understand he observed, that Miss Ashton Is not only the President, but was the founder of the Young Ladies' Society for the Entertainment of the Conyales- cent How does it come that I never see any of the other young ladies?"
 They are all married" she replied.
 "Oh! Toto convalescents? he ventured "Why. of course To fine, young con vaescents." The matron smiled so ir- resstably that he could not help smiling with her.
 Miss Ashton declares she Will never marry" he went on. "She intends to de- k vote her life to this work"
 That's what they all said she re-