The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1906-04-20
Purely
Persona al
By ETHEL FRAY.
BY ETHEL FRAY
Copyright, 1906, by Homer Sprague


chatted with him until he was almost
at his destination, and his eye fell idly
upon the column
..Will the gentleman who saved the
life Of a young woman at Central
square yesterday afternoon please
send his address to Ora teful, box 512 2"
He closed his eyes and with mental
vision he could see it all again-the
automobile, the trolley car which pre-.
vented escape and. above ALL the
piquant little face lying limp against
his shoulder. For a moment he was
tempted to answer the advertisement
Twice during the day he penned a
note to "Grateful,' but each time he
tore it up in disgust. 1t seemed a
pretty poor trick to be sending his ad-
dress that he might be thanked He
would like to look into those blue eyes
again When they We're not dilated with
terror. but he must wait for some other
opportunity.
The next morning the advertisement
was repeated. He knew. because he
turned to the column the first thing
He smiled grimly as he thought OF the
temptation of the day before. They
could advertise until doomsday. but
they would get no answer from him.
1t was almost with apprehension that
he looked the third day. but his mild
curiosity was changed to Indignation
This time the personal read:
"Will the gentleman who saved the
life of a young woman at Central
square Monday afternoon kindly re-
turn her watch. and no questions will
be asked? Grateful, box 512.''
This, then, was why she had adver-
tised for his address. She believed
that during the excitement he had rob-
bed her of her watch And all-the
dreams he had dreamed in the past
two days Of those blue eyes trimming
with gratitude looking into his We're
but idle visions! He was sorry lie had
seen the advertisement. He probably
never would see the girl, but it had
been pleasant to believe that he had
saved her.
He hoped now that he would never
~ her again. Several times in the
course Of the past year he had Ell,
countered her upon the street. and
from the very first he had been inter-
ested. He was not exactly in love, he
told himself, but very near it. Now
he would have to dodge if he saw her;
he would have to slip into some store
Or across the street. 1t would be in
tolerable. He cut out the advertise
ment and placed it in his pocketbook
AS soon as the morning mail was
disposed of he drew toward him let
ter head and wrote rapidly. Several
sheets were destroyed before he finally
decided that the letter would do, and
before he slipped it into the envelope
he regarded it for a third time.
"Mr. Robert Hardy Stetson,'' it ran,
"begs to assure Grateful that she is
in error concerning the disappearance
of her watch. Mr.. Stetson would sug-
gest that Grateful make application
to the police. He is ready to give
them ample proof as to his honesty
and standing"
The tiny business card in the corner
would give the address, and he tiatter-
ed himself that the note would serve
Its purpose. It was given a boy to take
to the newspaper office, and the rest Of
the day Stetson divided his time
mourning his dead romance and won
dering what the girl would say when
she read the letter. He fiattered him
self that it was dignified and eminent
~ calculated to remind her Of her
transgression. s-
Possibly could be have seen the re-
cipient when she glanced over the
formal lines he would have been sur
prised, for, with her face wreathed in
smiles, she nodded at the clerk
"You needn't put it in again." she
said. "Thank you, very much"
Stetson scowled at the pale tinted
note Cyl his desk the following morn
Ing. The girl could have no justifica-
ton for her suspicious, certainly none
that he would accept. 1t was imperti-
nent of her to make answer to him.
For ten minutes he turned it over and
over before he slit the cover and drew
forth the incloSure He stared for /,
moment dumfounded ut the opening
lines, which ran:
Miss Alice Everton Woodrow begs
to thank Robert Hardy Stetson for
his somewhat tardy answer to her adj
vertisement. She begs to assure Mr..
Stetson that she does not believe him to
be a thief. His unwillingness to an
sWer the earlier advertisement led to
the suggestion on the part of the clerk
in the advertisement office that the
amended form of personal would be
more likely to bring forth an answer
If Mr.. Stetson will be good enough to
call at 635 Auburn avenue he will not
only receive the grateful thanks of
Miss Woodrow, but Of her father, who
would be glad to meet the son of his
old schOolmate.
Stetson looked a t his watca. lie could
not in decency call much before 4.
It was only 10 now. There would
be no use i'll trying to work when every
StteF was Dul Il picture Cl Il par OF
blue eyes Set in a piquant face and
framed i'll golden hair
He had been trapped, but he was
glad Of it. He was especially glad to
know that she was willing to take
such pains to find him. 1t showed that
she really did care and justified his
earlier opinion of her.
He wished that he could announce a
general half holiday in the office, but
since this was not possible without ex-