Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-05-12
The Unknown
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fixed my eyes upon her she turned hers
away but when a few minutes later ]
looked at her again 1 saw that she was
regarding me through a lorgnette She
lowered her glass and turned away
with a look which indicated either re
pulsion, disappointment or pain. 1t
might have been any of these, but l
could not tell which.
Ny curiosity was at once aroused.
did not remember to have ever seen
the lady before and certainly had no
knowledge of having injured her. Be
fore the close Of the last act l left the
theater and stood on the sidewalk
waiting for her to come out. She did so
in company with an elderly gentleman
and lady. AS soon as they entered their
carriage l went across the street where
mine stood ready and entering told
the driver to follow. The party alight-
ed at a house on Madison avenue, the
number of which | noted, then drove
away thinking of some plan to solve
the mystery. Before reaching home
had resolved to write a note to the
lady and send it next day. This is
what l wrote:
Mr. Royal Pritchard presents his com
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
he does not remember ever having seen
her before, he begs an explanation. If he
has been mistaken in his inference, he
apologies for addressing her.
1 sent the note by a messenger who
on returning said that he had been told
If there was any reply it would be sent
later I waited three days and was
about to give up all hope of receiving
any word when a note came which
read as follows:
Since Mr. Pritchard has entirely for
gotten the lady he saw at the theater, he
need not give himself any concern with
regard to her.
It is needless to say that read these
few words with establishment. 1t was
plain to me that 1 had been mistaken
for some one else. However, did not
care to have the error uncorrected and
wrote again, stating that there must
be some misrepresentation as to my
identity and begging permission to call
and clear up the matter. To this l
received a reply that the name l had
given in my notes was the same as
that of the person l was supposed to
be; therefore there could not possibly
be any mistake. The lady Gid 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 l must have
passed through some illness or met
with some accident that had impaired
my memory. l 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 a man for all the
world"
l 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 l had better call and call
again and again till l had seen and
talked with my tormentor.
Had the girl been unattractive l
might have dropped the matter. On
the contrary, her image-that of girl
with a face denoting character as we'll
as being pretty-seemed to grow upon
me, and / was literally being leased
into condition bordering on the tender
passion. SummOning all my courage,
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
ly, on my third call, she came into the
room and stood regarding me with
what she intended to be a naughty
stare. Nevertheless 1 fancied I could
see a sparkle in her eye.
OCS VI JOuy Sd1uy CCdS0 ILLS
torment, which has become unbearabIe.
If, as you say, have known and for
gotten you it must be through some
physical defect on my part, for in
health l am sure l could never forget
having once seen you''
did you not once live in r. p she
asked.
Yes; when boy"
And go to the high school there?'
Yes"
and did you not carry books for
Dolly Farleigh, little girl eight years
your junior?''
you don't mean
"And didn't YOU
Tell her that when we were grown
she should be my little wife? Yes,
did, and am ready to keep my word"
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