St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-08-12
The Fortune Hunters.


He found there a bevy OF girls, the
most Of whom. having worn themselves
out during the gay social season in
town. we're endeavoring to put the
roses back into their cheeks under the
influence Of ocean breeZes. Nevertne-
less there was not one Of them but
could spare the tine to secure IAN es-
adjustment
Raymond Riggs was key 10 the
wealth he possessed All a girl had to
do to unlock the door TO t was to snare
him. He had fought Off q regiment OF
them during the previous season and
had hoped for rest at the seashore.
He was doomed TO disappointment.
They attacked him by platoons and
companies To get rid Of them be
went off one day several miles up the
beach and sat down on the sand. The
waves rolled lazily 10, broke on d bar
ana slid up on the sand with an effer-
vescing sound The sky was blue ana
cl0udiess. The ships out at sea sailed
on as silently rs if they We're painted
instead of real 1t was all very restful
and in marked contrast with being
hunted down by a flock of-women. ne
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 and
with the blade OF his knife managed
10 extricate through the narrow neck a
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 dnder.
am lonely"
For heavens sake" exclaimed Ray
mond. are all the women in the world
hunting overs? escape from dock
of them back on the shore only 70 be
met by an advance from the ocean"
But as be gaZed ar this singular con-
trivance for mating. as he regarded It
II seemed far different to him from
the advances he had received from the
fortune hunters. He fanC.ed the
writer 10 be some innocent girl who
craved only to obey the Instincts
mother nature had planted in her pure
bosom. Perhaps she had sat alone by
the ocean as be was sitting. FIELDING
TO a natural inclination to mate,
and had sent out her message with
blind confidence that It would fan
into the hands Of the man who was
destined TO be all in all 10 her Was
this the explanation. or was she. too.
hunting for fortune; He would open
q correspondence with her In this
way he could ind out what be wished
70 know
He tnclosed the card with his own
name and address and the words. IL
TOO am lonely" In a few days he re-
ceived a letter There was nothing in
it about love or marriage 1t was an
unsophisticated episrie from q young
giri about nothing. Raymond read be-
tween the lines. Perhaps you are he
for whom / Intended my message"
But II did not say. You may be some
rascal who will take a mean advan-
tage Of what ( have done What re-
freshing inuocencet Fancy one Of the
fortune hunters reposing such conf
dence n the average man. Raymond
was an imaginative fellow and would
sit long on the dunes OF on the beach
mentally contemplating this innocence.
If he could see her likeness he could
Judge Of her motive with more GER
t8iuty.
de thought be would send a picture
OF some man about his own age and
ask hers in return. but the girls guile
Iessness had affected him. and he shrank
from such deception. Then, confident
that be could not be mistaken. he in
closed his photograph rs soon as he
had done so the thought occurred TO
him that be was a fool The danger
Of a 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 a like
ness. tt was the likeness Of one
painter would seize upon as model
for a Madonna. There was innocence
personihed- A pair OF soft eyes looked
out from an oval face The lips were
sensitive. and Raymond considered
them especially kissable. He Thought
Of the faces OF the fortune hunters.
restored 10 their natural appearance
by cosmetics. There was none Of
them who would not consider herself
aagrantIy tmmodest to thus advertise
for husband. Yet here was the
Madonna-llke face looking at him with
a modesrv that none Of these could
have assumed.
One day Raymond was missed at the
seashore. There was a dutter among
the fortune hunters. for, though none
Of them had secured a foothold. every
one hoped for herself. not for the 9TH
ers. Had he returned to the city2 No
Inquiries ELECTED the fact that bis bag
gage ike our flag. was "still there.
So they waited and watched ana
hoped But Raymond did nor return
In time he directed thar his baggage
be sent TO the city and neither the
waves nor the gulls nor the ships nor
The fortune hunters saw him more-at
lpaSr nor th1t summer