The Western news., 1904-06-29
TIE
Unkno~n
Man BY
Troy
Copyright. 1904, by Allison
K. NJ Whitehead

oAHlS DOOh lAit lC Ailu IitSlllS SelcClSu
on his way home. The sheets of paper
were unfolded, and the letter com
mcnced in IL way that made him think
he had as much right to read it as any
one else. 1t was Il love letter; undoubt-
edly the whole heart Of the woman
was in it, but it commenced Dear In
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 Il letter Il schoolgirl could
not have written.
This woman was tired and disap-
pointeu She had evidently expected
some whim had written all her disap-
pointment and heartache to the only
person that could fully understand it
her ideal man.
There was a longing for an under
standing and for sympathy that the
known men had never been able to sat
isfy. Stanley could imagine that she
had relieved n spell Of dependency by
putting her thoughts OH paper on the
same principle that he talked to his
dog or smoked an extra cigar The
thing he could not understand was that
Il woman capable of such depths of in
tellect and feeling should have had so
silly an impulse and put the letter in
Il library book
There was no name or address-at
least she expected no reply.
He got up from his easy chair and
walked to the window. A cold, lriz-
ZlinS sleet beat against the pane, and
the electric lights from the street turn
ed the night into a ghastly gray.
His dos had followed him and stood
with his fore paws on the window
ledge.
\ sudden, furious blast striking the
pane made the dog rub his head against
his master and whine his desire for
and affection.
Are you lonely. too, old fellow? Two
old bachelors like us, living in fiat,
ought not to expect to be gay. You
ought to he 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 .Iove. she knows the real article.
1t must be the lonely in Il crowd feel
ing. She seemed to be society wom-
an-the monogram on her paper didn't
indicate poor girl working for her liv-
ing"
He went back to his chair before the
fire and wondered II it would be pos
sible for him to locate her. He fancied
he would ike to meet her and study
the woman. aided by his knowledge of
her inner thoughts as expressed in the
letter
Suddenly he threw away his cigar
with an expression of satisfaction.
Sherlock Holmes might have solved it
in less time, but he couldn't have
thought Of an easier method of finding
her."
The next morning at the library the
in charge gave Stanley the at.
tention that his looks always won from
women.
"The book was last returned by Joan
Ransdell. zoos Massachusetts avenue.
l am sure it will be very kind of you
to return anything that you found IN
1t. Very few people would trouble
themselves to that extent"
Stanley kept the letter in his pocket.
and II his acquaintances could have
compared notes during the next few
days they would have thought that he
was suffering from Il mania that took
the form OF an acute desire to learn IL
his auditor knew Il certain Miss Joan
Ransdell.
He himself had only been in the city
a few months after an absence of sew
eral years. He thought she must be a
newcomer, and the address given car
ried out his idea that she was not
among the working class.
1t was Il week before he met Il mu.
tual acquaintance. Then Jim Dent re-
peated his question: "Know Miss Rams
dell? Certainly do. She takes dinner
with us tonight. DO you want to come.
old man?'
When Stanley was getting into his
evening clothes, he carried on his
usual conversation With the dog: Don,
old chappie, I'm going to see her to-
night. We are going to solve prob
lem. BE good. old fellow, and don't
get lonely, and I'll tell you about her
when l get home"
lie brought rug from the bedroom
and put it in front of the crate. The
dog looked on knowingly and then lay
down on 1t to take the ham bone that
his master always left as a special
treat when he went out to dinner The
pretty waitress in the cafe had
habit of coaXing the elevator boy to
give the nice bones to the nice dog that
belonged to the nice man on the fourth
tiOor.
Don beat the floor with his tail in
approval while Stanley put
on his overcoat, patted him on the
head and went out.
When he came in that night the dog
heard his step and met him at the
door.
He put on his dressing gown and