The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1908-07-31
PEACH.
tOriginal.l

one evening In autumn, the nf0t
cold weather of the season having
set In, got out my winter overcoat
Thrusting my hand into the pockets,
l struck a small bundle. am par
hcular about my clothes, always put
ting them away carefully when the
season changes and taking everything
out Of the pockets. WAS therefore
surprised at finding anything and,
drawing forth the bundle, quickly and
curiously unwrapped II. found q
package of letters. On the top was q
photograph of a girl with the lowell
est face and the sweetest smile ever
beheld. took her right into my
heart.
Pretty enough to kiss" I remarked
to myself, and kissed the card.
Looking at the tailor's name sewn
on to the inside Of the collar of the
overcoat, 1t was unfamiliar to me.
Then l examined the coat critically. l
had never owned II. must have
changed coats at the end Of the previ-
GUS spring with some man in some
public place. I slipped a couple Of
elastic bands OF the letters, hoping to
find clew to the owner of the coat.
The envelopes were not there. Each
letter, written in woman's hand. be-
gan Dear Ralph" and was signed
Peach" They were usually dated
merely with the day they were writ
ten, viz-'Tuesday evening"" "Wednes-
day afternoon" Some gave the
month. day and year. but none the city
from which they were written, though
a few, evidently written while the
writer was visiting. mentioned differ
ent places in the text. In hunting for
a clew I unwittingly got interested in
them. I couldn't help It.. 1t was evi-
IDENTIFY case Of lonely woman writ
Ing to lover who did not understand
or appreciate her.
Since the exchange had been made
some eight months before there was
no great hope Of finding the owner.
wrote the tailor who had made the
coat asking II any word had been left
with him about It and received a re-
ply that there had not.
This was all could do in the mat
ter, for could not remember 50 far
back any place where ! might prob
ably have taken the coat In exchange.
All that winter used to read the let
tiers and look at the photograph till /
came to fancy that was the lover to
whom they had been written.
But no man can be satisfied with en-
dearments that are passed. Besides.
was constantly. remembering that the
man who was manifeetly united to
possess such noble girl had finally
become aware of his unworthiness and
her superiority and had made a sun
GENTLY respectable fellow Of himself
to warrant a union between them. /
became DESTROYS Of finding out what
had been the result, but there was not
the slightest means of doing 80. new
er went anywhere without hoping that
I would see the face of the photograph
which always carried In my pocket
book.
One afternoon, while was looking
over the pictures In a public gallery,
In passing from one room to another
I came face to face with one I was
sure was the original of the photo
graph. My heart stood still. 1t was
fortunate that she did not look at me,
for she would surely have been EN-
barrassed at seeing a strange man
stare at her. She passed on, and l
turned and followed her.
Later she was standing before pic
ture, with her eyes fixed on 1t intently.
There was no one else In the room.
Standing in the next room where /
could get out Of the range Of her view
before she could turn, I said aloud:
"Peachv'
She started and turned, but not In
time to see me. A moment later she
entered the room where l was, to find
me studying a statue. l turned and
gave her view Of my face. This EVIL
IDENTITY satisfied her that I could not
have been the person who had called.
But l did not propose that she should
get away from mo. Never did detec.
tive do better job of shadowing than
l and from a greater distance. I saw
her at last 60 into dwelling house,
and while waiting for her to come out
| saw her. Invested Of hat and coat,
at an upper window. Then I knew l
had tracked her to her home.
was not long in discovering her
name. with other information, includ-
Ing the fact that she was unmarried.
Then used to watch for her to 20
out, with a view to discovering IL she
would ufun, hln On ouv oun tu~-
spent long while at this with no re-
suit, but one day met her on the
street with lady whom I counted one
OF my best friends. Quick as a fash
l invented an excuse to stop and ad-
dress my friend and secured a casual
Introduction. l walked with them
several blocks, when left them, feel
Int 4