The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-03-21

!. !. !. !"
GsS ". Do you ever
meet man whom
~ you know and yet
whose name you
cannot for the life
of you remem.
R ber?r
Hundreds Of
tImeslp cried the girl with the French
eyelet embroidery.
Goodness, yes!" exclaimed the girl
with the Mexican drawnwork.
"Weil. never spent such another
half-hour in my life as did last even.
ing" pursued the girl with the tat
ting. Il was late in getting FROM my
sisters home to my train and would
have been worried only that ] knew
father would meet me in the city. AS
I got my bundles all spread out in
the other half of the seat I looked up
and saw the incest sort Of back and
shoulders Just ahead in the aisle. They
turned around while was looking and
came straight toward me. / recog-
nized the man at the same instant,
picked up the bundles and smiled my
very sweetest-and / knew in that
minute that didn't have any idea who
he was! So smiled harder than ever
and positively gushed-for time.
"At first thought his name would
come to me after little while. So /
kept on talking as If had just been
existing and nothing more until he
should arrive. He played right up to
his part. He had called me Miss
Beach right away. oh, how snVled
him.
"of course the more we talked and
told each other how glad We were to
meet again the harder 1t was for me to
think of confessing that didn't know
his name,
Then began to rack my brains for
a way to make him tell me his own
name without suspecting that was In
terested in learning it.
First, tried leading the talk
around to the different people whom |
knew: very carefully. for you cannot
talk about perfect strangers to man
for very long without its seeming rath-
er odd to him. He didn't appear to
know a soul that did. Then tried
sports and theaters and automobiles
and cities and colleges and climate. ]
led him a merry chase through every
subject could think OF that would
be likely to give me a lead. He talked
cheerfuIly about them all and seemed
to be enjoying himself. but he didn't
make a single admission that
helped me.
by this time was ready to cry.
The ride was half over and could see
father in my minds eye waiting in the
railroad station to meet me- I began
to grow frantic at the thought Of
having to introduce man whose
name had forgotten.
Sometimes little glimmerings of his
name would come to me and would
stop breathing. but they always van
ished just as I almost grasped them.
Finally grew desperate started
In to cross.Question him wildly. In
five minutes there were not many
things about which had not asked
that wretched man except the one
thing wanted to know.
Il could have torn him into little
bits and thrown him out Of the car
window. But just then he drew out a
cigar case and distinctly saw the
word Martin worked in silk on the
side.
That set me to searching madly
arain for a clew. Martin. Martin. Mar.
tIn-who?
THE train stopped. ! suppose he
must have seen the perfect dismay in
my face as made out dear old ia.
Their trudging through the gates to get
me, and so he put two and two to-
gether For he began to smile and ]
began to blush The more be smiled
the redder blushed.
Now, confess. Miss Beach, he
said. that YOU haven't an idea who
am and haven't had from the first.
I've suspected 1t for some time and
now I'm sure. I'll wager five pounds
Of your favorIte kind of chocolate
creams that I'm right
Girls, will you believe me? Just
his saying that made his name come
back to me. could have Rugged
him. But all did was TO look sur
prIsed.
why. how absurd I laughed. i
shall take the creams to punish you,
but OF course It wouldn't be fair to
make a wager because you could not
be q winner at this game, you know
This made him
open his eyes a
bit. Father reached NSR
US at that minute S
and 1 had my tri. A
umph. .H
Father said, fNS
I want you to 1 j, .4IN
know friend ~
who came In with .SSSsaiG3
me from sisters. EgS3ISSsaB
You have heard
me speak OF Mr..