Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-02-06
DAILY SHORT STORY
THE UNKNOWN. =


noticed u young lady in la box i'll the
second tier looking at me. When
fixed. my eyes upon herfshe' turned hers
away, ,but when a few'm nutes later
locked sat her again saw that she was
regarding me through aSlorgnette. She
lowered her glass ami turned away
with "a look which ind icated either re-
pulsiOn, disappointing of or pain. II
mighb have been any tof these, but
could mot tell which.
NV curiosity was at fOnce aroused.
did not remember to thave ever seen
the lady before and certainly had no
knowledge, of havingi injured her. Be
fore the chose of the last act l. left the
theater and stood on the Sidewalk
waiting fortber to.come out. tShe did so
in company with an elderlyIgentleman
and lady. AS soonjas they entered their
carriage / went &c ross theStreet where
mine stood ready and entering told
the driver to follow. The party alight-
edlat a house on Madison avenue, the
number of which | noted, then drove
away thinking OF some plan TO solve
the< mystery Before reaching home L
had resolved too write note to the
lady and send it next day. This is
what u wrote:
Mr. Royal Pritchard presents his CON-
plIments to the young lady he saw at the
theater last evening and who gave
evidence that in some way her antago-
nism had been excited against him. AS
ft1l ing
her befone, he begs. an explanation. If he
has been. mistaken in his inference. he
apologizestfor addressing her.
I sent the notetby n messenger who
on returning saidfthat he had been told
if there was anysreply it would be sent
later. l waited three days and was
about DO give uptall hope,of receiving
any word when, II note/ came which
read asi follows:
Since mr.. Pritchard has entirely for
gotten the lady he saw'at the theater. he
need not give himself any concern with
regard tosher.
1t is needless To say that / read these
few words with astonishment. 1t was
plain to me that L had been mistaken
for some one else. However, l did not
care to haveithe error uncorrected and
be some misrepresentation as TO my
identity and begging permission TO call
and clear up the matter To this
received Il reply that the name / had
given in my notes was the same as
that of the person / was supposed TO
be; therefore there could not possibly
be any mistake. Tie lady did not care
to renew the acquaintance of one who
had paid her the highest compliment
man could pay to woman and then for
gotten that he had ever met her.
| began to feel that 1 must have
passed through some illness or met
with some accident that had impaired
my memory. I asked several persons
who had seen me nearly every day for
years if this was the case and got
laughed at for my pains. l confided my
correspondence to my sister, but all
the sympathy L got from her was,
That's just like Il man for all the
world
was about to write one more note |
inquiring for the lady's name, but my |
sister. who knew the tricks and man
ners of the sex, told me the girl was |
teasing me and would give me no salts |
faction; that if l wanted to clear UP |
the matter / had better call and call |
again and again till | had seen and |
talked with my tormentor.
Had the girl been unattractive ! |
might have dropped the matter. On
the contrary. her image that of IL girl
with Il face denOting character as well
as being pretty seemed to grow upon
me- and | was literally being teased
into u condition bordering OH the tender
passion. Summoning all my courage, 1
called upon the girl and sent up my |
card. An answer came that the young
lady was not at home. This might
mean that she was not at home to me
or that she was really out. l called
twice more on her, and each time re-
ceived some message that put me off
without being a positive refusal. Final
y. on my third CALL she came into the
room and stood regarding me with
what she intended to be naughty
stare Nevertheless | fancied / could
see sparkle In her eye.
az beg of you" / said. "ceaSe this
.orInent, which has become unbearable.
If, as You say, / have known and for
gotten YOU it must be through some :
physical defect on my part. for in
health / am sure l could never forget
laving once seen you"
Did you not once live In R.? she .
asked.
Eyes; when a boy
"And go to the high school there%
yes"
"And did you not carry books for
Dolly Farleigh, a little girl eight years :
-our junior?" !
"You don't mean
"And didn't you /
TELL her that when we were grown I
The should be my little wife? Yes, 1 i.
lid, and am ready to keep my word" .
She sank on sofa with a delighted .