The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1908-09-09
The Fortune Hunters.
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Raymond Eiggs, rich bachelor, dnd.
Ing the weather oppressive in the city.
concluded to run down to the seashore.
BE found there bevy Of girls, the
most Of whom, having worn themselves
out during the gay social season La
town, were endeavoring to put the
roses back into their cheeks under the
influence OF ocean breezes. Neverthe-
less there was not one Of them bat
could spare the time to secure IAN es.
adjustment
Raymond Riggs was 8 key to the
wealth he possessed. All girl had to
do to unlock the door to it was TO snare
him. He had fought off regiment Of
them during the previous season and
had hoped for a rest at the seashore.
He was doomed to disappointment.
They attacked him by platoons and
companies. To get rid Of them he
went off one day several miles up the
beach and sat down on the sand. The
waves rolled lazily in, broke on bar
and slid up on the sand with an effer
vescing sound. The sky was blue and
eloudless. The ships out at sea sailed
on as silently as If they were painted
instead OF real 1t was all very restfua
and in marked contrast with being
hunted down by a dock of--women, he
should have said. but he preferred the
word harpies.
A glass bottle was thrown up by the
waves, rolled about on the sand and
carried out. When it came up again
Raymond noticed that it was corked.
He seized it. took out the cork ana
with the blade OF his knife manages
10 extricate through the narrow neck
card. On it was written In pale ink.
"Aline Eliot The address was given
at town a hundred miles down the
coast, then followed, "Dear finder,
am lonely" .....
"For heavens sake" exclaimed Ray
mond, "are all the women in the world
hunting lovers? escape from a flock
Of them back on the shore only to be
met by an advance from the ocean"
But as he gazed at this singular con.
trivance for mating, as he regarded Il.
1T seemed far different to him from
the advances he had received from the
fortune hunters. He fancied the
writer to be some innocent girl wha
eraved only to obey the instincts
mother nature had planted in her pura
bosom. Perhaps she had sat alone by
the ocean as he was sitting. yielding
TO a natural inclination to mate.
and had sent out her message with
blind confidence that II would fam
into the hands Of the man who was
destined to be all in all to her. Was
this the explanation, or was she, too,
hunting for a fortune? He would open
a correspondence with her. In this
way he could find out what he wished
TO know.
He inclosed the card with his OWE
name and address and the words. II.
too. am lonely" In a few days he re.
eeiyed letter. There was nothing in
1t about love or marriage, 1t was an
unsophisticated epistle from young
girl about nothing. Raymond read be-
tween the lines. perhaps you are ha
for whom | intended my message
But it did not say. You may be some
rascal who will take a mean advan'
tage Of what l have done" What re-
freshing innocence! Fancy one of thu
fortune hunters reposing such conf.
dence in the average man. Raymond
was an imaginative fellow and would
sit long on the dunes or on the beacG
mentally contemplating this innocence
If he could see her likeness he could
judge of her motive with more GER
tailty
He thought he would send a picture
of some man about his own age ant
ask hers in return. but the girl guile
lessness had affected him. and he shra nj
from such deception. Then. confident
that he could not be mistaken. he in
closed his photograph. As soon as ht
had done 50 the thought occurred t.
him that he was a fool The danger
of society fortune hunter was moth
ing beside one he had never seen pos
sessing letters from him and his photo
graph.
However. in exchange came like
ness 1t was the likeness Of one ;
painter would seize upon as mode
for Madonna. There was Innocence
personitied. A pair of soft eyes LOOKED
out from an oval face The lips wer
sensitive. and Raymond consideret
them especially kissable, He though
Of the faces of the fortune hunters
restored to their natural appearance
by cosmetics. There was none o
them who would not consider hersel
fagrantly immodest to thus advertis
for husband. Yet here was tn
Madonna-liRe face looking at him wit
modesty that none Of these eoul
have assumed.
One day Raymond was missed at tn
seashore, There was futter anon
the fortune hunters. for. though non
Of them Ind secured q foothold. ever,
one hoped for herself. not for the ott
srs. Had he returned to the city? NJ