The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1908-09-30


the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany, on Broadway, for the purpose
of sending a dispatch to my friend,
George Meyers, the artist, who inn
plored of me to join him instanter
at West Point, where he had pitched
his tent for the purpose of doing a
picture or two of the scenes enacted
in that romantic locality during
glorious War of Independence.
am n lawyer, and in '76 was n
srising junior" | had been tagging
cruelty, sparing myself no amount of
labor, and when on that July day my
longed-for vacation was at hand,
felt like schoolboy about to get
away for the real genuine holidays.
AS l approached the grating and
awaited by turn to pop in the mes
sage, / became interested in a young
lady, richly but plainly attired, whose
svelte figure was simply perfection,
and whose golden hair was wound
round the back of her graceful head
in massive and luxurious pleats. OF
course any man of certain age obeys
the impulse which bids him gaze on
a fair face or a faultless form-it is
but natures tribute to the beautiful
and in mere obedience to this mys-
terious law, strained eagerly for
ward to obtain glimpse of her fea-
lures, but without success.
when will this message be for
Oh In In nl
musical tone.
The clerk muttered something that
/ could not hear.
"Oh, l hope it will so at once.
How much am | to pay?"
The phlegmatic employe proceeded
to count the words, and announced
that the message would cost two
dollars.
The young lady put her hand in her
pocket, started, colored violently, be-
came deadly pale and palpitated:
Il have left my purse at home,
what am | to do?"
The clerk bit his pencil and said
nothing.
81 live out of town and the mes
sage would be too late," and in her
perplexity she turned and faced me.
She was perfectly charming. Lus-
trous violet-blue eyes, and long,
sweeping lashes-eyes sad yet joyous,
bright, tender. A delicatsly formed
nose, slightly retrousse, which i'm
parted a piquancy to the face such as
one only sees in Greuze's portraits.
Her golden hair came low upon her
forehead, and she wore hat sur
mounted by o rich dark-blue feather
that almost swung across her shoul-
ders.
My voice was scarcely audible as ]
said:
Il beg your pardon. I inadvertent-
ly heard your conversation with the
clerk. Will you permit me to relieve
you from any embarrassment by al
lowing me to pay for the dispatch?"
She started as l spoke, and, be-
slowing upon me a naughty glance
that almost amounted to defiance, ex-
claimed:
I'VE are strangers, sir, and I can
not accept your offer, however cour-
teously meant" and she turned from
me.
/ felt nettled and strangely irri-
tated. A keen sense of injury smote
me. / resolved to act. Plunging my
hand into my pocket, l seized upon
two silver dollars, and, finging them
to the clerk, grufiy cried, Send that
lady's message" and, striding from
the building, sprang into a passing
stage.
What fool!" I muttered, as we
rumbled along. what a blooming
idiot to indulge in two dollars worth
of chivalry!" And then her defiant
loveliness came back to me, and l felt
elated, triumphant.
She might be Lady Clara We're de
We're for aught l knew to the con-
trary; but be she gentle or simple, she
owed me two mighty dollars.
George Meyers met me at the dock
at West Point.
"You never behald such a charming
ranch as have dropped on!" he ex-
claimed, as we strolled up the hill.
Its all honeysuckle and sunshine,
birds whistling, and a rustic porch
over every window, and summer
house instead of stoop, and land
scape in every corner, and such food
ah!" And he ioyously kissed the tips
of his fingers as he waved them in th
direction of our temporary home
stead.
Our ranch was all that George
had painted 1t, commanding a view
OF the lordly Hudson, with its glori-
GUS and varied scenery. AS we sat on
the stoop lazily smoking our cigars,
related my adventure with the Fair
One With the Golden Locks"
"Why, used to think you a hard
headed, shrewd, solid business man,
laughed George, but now / shall
never see a two-dallar bill that l will
not think of my friend Tom Kendrick
loaflng around telegraph Offices for
the purpose of paying for the dis
patches of damsels who have forgot
ten their DflrSos