The Somerset reporter., 1905-06-15


In surnrjse. moment later, when he
had carried them into the patch Of
light from the nearest window, his
hands dropped helplessly
There II was, trim, nattF hat-a wo.
mans hat. or, no. girls hat Even to
his cropping masculine sense there was
something coquettish, playful, alluring,
about il But there 1t WIS, held firmly
as an ensnared fish by the two sharp
hooks, surely the strangest object "A
fisherman ever caught.
"Whernd 1t come from demanded
the boy who had come out to unharness
the horse. Then, suddenly, as If the
joke were Just revealed TO him. he
burst into a loud guffaw, In which the
young man joined In spite Of himself
Later on he worked 1t ont Il must
belong to the slender young girl who
had waited for him to drive past He
remembered distinctly now that she
nad paused there at q certain crossing.
waiting for him to get by, sort of
shadow girl who had seemed a part of
his musings Doubtless She had passed
close behind the buggy and the bobblng
poles with the dangling hooks had par
odied the tragedy of Absalom But
how should he find her aud restore her
lost headgear?
The same problem WIS tormentlng
the brain of the owner Of the bat. and
as result the postmisfreSs received
two notices within the ueNt hour with
the request that she put them up in the
postotliee.
IF the person whose careleSSness"
the word "earelessneSs' was under
scored led to the unlawful acquIsi-
ton of hat last evening will leave
same with the postmlStress the owner
will feel in some measure placated. 3"
read the first one. And the second was
like this. IF the owner Of hat that
mysteriously disappeared on Tuesday
evening will leave her name and adj
dress with the postmiStress it will be
returned Immediately"
Before noon of the following day the
young man, now thoroughly alert and
no longer the dreamy, Needless fellow
of the night before, might have been
seen vending his way along one of the
broad, shaded streets of the village.
gngerly carrying parcel wrapped in
tissue paper His anxious scrutiny of
the houses showed that he sought some
unfamiliar place, but at last, after
final yacillating moment he opened
gate and went in.
In the comfortable. old fashioned par
lor he waited for the owner of the hat;
waited though he did not know that
until later-for the appearance of the
lady of his life. 1t was not that she
was wondrously fair or in any way
distinguished, as the heroincs of the
story books always are He never Just
found out why 1t WAS, but from the mo-
ment that the slender, glrlish figure APP
peared in the doorway and turned quiz
zical eyes upon him his heart beat to a
new, strong theme.
But didn't you hear me call?' she
asked when they had laughed, explain
ed and apologized, he for capturing the
hat and she for the UNDERSIGNED word
in her notice "Didnt you hear me
shout, oh, man, stopY"
He shook his head peniteutly. for
even so soon it seemed Incredible that
with her voice calling he should not
have heard Then the talk turned to
other things. and with glad sort of
shock he discovered that in town they
lived in the same square
And to think thai have never seen
you" he exclaimed with slow wonder,
as if the thing We're scarcely credible
and thereupon the girl laughed. for she
had seen him again and again, always
with Il warm approval Of his swinging
gait and certain mir that said that he
could look out for himself and some
body else beside once, She remembers
ed She had wondered who the some
body would be
"Probably lis because you never fish
ed for me before she ventured mis-
chevously. and thon size caught her lip
between her teeth and wished she
hadn't spoken. for his face became
very earnest. and there was IL conquer
ing ring in his voice as he answered
slowly but deteminedly:
"perhaps so. But from now on | am
going to fish for years If need be-tiSh
until You yield from sheer WEAKNESS
of seeing me sitting motionless on the
bank-until can win you for my
own"
And he kept his word SO well that
now they not only live in the same
square, but In the same house.