The champion. (Arcadia, Fla.) 1895-1911, 1906-01-25
Chasing a
Dat
coplrigLl. Ilgl, bg IonoI s1Iaga0
BY c. 3. Ltwto


was bored. lie was bored because the
wnrm weather had come and he must
20 away to some resort because he had
to buy new straw hat; because be had
tried tho roof gardens and they had Of
fered nothing new; because he had In
dolently tried 70 nlrt with a good look
ing girl that day on the street and she
had exhibited her contempt; because OF
dozen other reasons belonging TO
bachelorhood
When Arnold Thompson bought hat
Il was an event lie argued that the
fate Of a nation depended on the ap-
pearance Of that hat when placed on
his head, and he was therefore a full
hour In making his selection, II was
an hour OF anxiety to him and an hour
Of misery 10 the salesman who waited
on him. On this day, hOweyer-On this
day when he stroled into his hatter's
and made his wants known something
out Of the ordinary was to happen. The
bachelor had tried on only nineteen DIFF
ferent hats and had posed before the
glass only nineteen different times,
when he made n discovery under the
sweatband OF the nineteenth hat II
was slip Of paper, and on It was
written In a feminine hand:
II tho buyer Of this hat Is a single man
and a gentleman. he may write to Gene
We've Burton.
No address was added, and as the
bachelor held the slip In his hand a
thrill OF romance began to creep into
his soul. That's what he he'd been
yearnng Tor for years--rOmance. He
had had It from twenty to thirty, but
lost II from thirty to forty and came
10 the conclusion that his heart never
could be stirred again
III the buyer Of this hat IS a single
man
Well, he was single. He was not on
ly single, but called rather good look
ing, and he had fairly good income
land a gentleman
Well, he was gentleman, and no
one could be found to dispute the fact.
What should follow1 He would write
to Geneyieve Burton. The name pleas
ed-A@lV as he stood there with the
w hat in one hand and |
''"- he called up a
faea a''d e-.sssttuasl
-.---- -csIo,,y form. He hau no
business to SAX Genevleve good look
ing, curly aided or wlllowy, but he
assume ~ responsibility and said to
the 81 oman, much to the latter's sur.
priso 81
'9fll take this hat"
"But Is II good ftT
II said 1 would take this hat. Send |
II home"
As a matter Of fact, the hat was not |
a good 1T, and the bachelor had meant
TO paw over at least nineteen others,
but It struck him that he must have
the hat as well as the slip Of paper
found beneath its swaziland. The two
naturally went together.
AS soon as he reached his club he sat
down to write to Genevleve. He found
1t a hard task She was a bralder OF
strew hats she lived far away; she
was innocent hearted; she couldn't be
Invited to take ride In his auto or to
accompany him TO the theater and din
ner; she was a coy, shy country blue
bird and must not be startled. The
bachelor started three different letters
and abandoned them and then sudden.
ly discovered that he had no address
to write to. But why write at all?
Why not chase that hat down until the
fair bralder was discovered7
A decision was reached In an In
stant and half an hour later the man
was back at the hat store asking where
the hat was made He was referred to
q wholesale dealer. The dealer said
That the hat was part Of small stock
bought at auction and referred him TO
IN auctioneer, The auctlonoer looked
ais books over and took his time about
{ and then "reckoned" II was Smith
rat
The investigation thus far had con
'umed ten days, but Arnold Thompson
lad rather enjoyed them. The detec. /
i've instinct is more or less strong In 1
he character Of every man, aud when I
'omance Is mingled with II II becomes
wen more fascinating.
The bachelor lattered himself that he
vas a student Of human nature and
hat he could get an insight into per.
'on's character through his chirogra.
Thy. He sized Genevieve up as warm
iearted, trusting, hopeful and high /.
minded. She probably had been born
nd reared In afiuence, but owing to
er fathers too extensive speculations
the Texas oil fields, where there was
Q oil, she bad been obliged to turn TO T.,
trAw hats 70 make living. II was a =,