The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-08-19
Seeing y
VeSuViuS.
copyTishted. iS07. BY Mary MoKson.
- y JANIS LENAaa,

| CONSERVATIVE way. He was also q
patron Of the theater, but not Of
actresses. Now and then he made a
bet On a horse race or an election, but
he did not ride to the hounds or par
ticipate In wild revelry. He was a
bachelor Of good character, and why
he did not marry was something no
fellow could find out.
Nothing is a mystery to one who
! knows. Mr. CASTOR knew that he was
simply waiting for the right woman
to come along and arouse the ro-
nance in his nature. That be had
romance he felt quite sure. but that
the right woman would come he had
begun to doubt He had prevented a
girl In financial distress from leaping
into the river, but she was older than
he and did not appeal 10 him. He had
stopped a runaway cab horse and saw
ed the woman inside the vehicle, but
she turned out to be a bachelor girl,
who coldly thanked him and said that
she was about to vault on 10 the
horses back and stop him herself
At a theater panic one night he had
seized pretty girl in his arms and
hustled her out, but she had told him
that she was already engaged and had
offered him a dollar in cash for his
exertions.
Between the ages Of twenty-five and
thirty eight Mr.. CASTOR had had at
least fifteen narrow escapes from call
ing up that slumbering romance that
would lead to admiration and love, and
he had finally come to the conclusion
that 1t would have to be something
out Of the beaten track and might
never happen at all.
How little do we know what q day
may bring forth! On a certain Sun
day Mr.. CASTOR sat in the smoking
room of his club and read the six vol
ume Sunday papers and was satisfied
and content On Monday he decided
to sail for Italy and see the volcano OF
Vesuvius in operation. No one had
ever suspected him Of a,partialtty for
volcanoes. He had not rushed on to
the Johnstown flood or the Galveston
disaster or the Baltimore fire. He had
never been known to attend a prize
fight or pay a visit to the morgue, and
he had once turned pale at sight Of a
bleeding finger on the hand OF a club
waiter, but now he wanted to sail far
away and see volcano belching de-
struction for twenty miles around
Such is man!
Five days from the date of making
bis decision Mr.. CASTOR sailed for
Naples. His steamer was not over
crowded. He would find plenty Of
standing room at the deck rail when
he reached port. This would be one of
the occasions when the front seats
were not reserved for ladies. It was
two days before the old bachelor sud
denly discovered that there was an
extremely! good looking young woman
aboard in, charge Of the captain. His
heart gave one jump, and then he
turned away. He was of to see vol
canoes and not to look after comedy
women. Besides, the captain whis-
pered to Ihim that Miss Dawson did
not care ITO make acUlaintances on the
voyage. By way Of grevenge Mr.. Gas
ton did tnot stare atAber at the table,
as did all the other passengers.
Rour days had passed. and he had
inst Miss Dawson face to face a dozen
times, and neither had seemed to see
the other. Then he passed her vacant
steamer chair and found her purse ~
ing wheret she had carelessly left It.
Finding lady's purse, whether ON
land or sea- calls for immediate action
Mr.. CASTOR was In search Of the cap
tain to hand 1t over, with contents un-
touched, when he met the young lady
face to face and had the hardihood to
address her. She at once responded
smllingly. Yes, It was her purse, and
she was under a thousand obligations,
and so they introduced themselves to
each other and sat down for a chat.
She had told the captain that she
didn't care for tintroductions, but she
was willing to make an exception In
Mr.. Gaston'sl case. Mr.. CASTOR was ON
board for the express purpose OF going
to Naples to see a volcano humping
itself and hadn't expected to speak to
a woman ZEN route, but he was also
willing totmake a solitary exception.
There were many other chats, but
1t was not until the last day out that
Miss Dawson solved a problem that
was puzzlfng the bachelor. She was
going to italy to claim a large estate
left by her grandmother. She had the
papers with her. She was an orphan
and had no lreIative to comel with her,
and her New York lawyer and her
maid hadi accidentally been left behind
when the lsteamer sailed She must 90
to a hoteIl In Naples and wait for them,
though she would be In consultation
with an italian lawyer meanwhile, and
some preliminary steps could be taken.
The romanc0i that had been buried
deep in the heart of the old bachelor
began to thaw- out. II thawed and
dubbed and rose to the surface.
It begot, admiration. Mr.. Castor
wouldn't have made a wager that It
wouldn't lend IN begetting love. The
thing that was needed had come to