Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-01-31
THE MAN With
THE SCARF PIN
By CLIFTON FAME

beach of Lake Geneva during the sec
ond week of his vacation. He stuck
| it in the left lapel of his coat, think
! ing to leave it at the desk of the
hotel, where the owner might inquire
i for it.
He wandered along the lakeside un
| til he came to the twin birches, where
he paused and began to dream of the
| girl with the violet eyes.
Then he saw her coming down the
path, and waited, hardly daring to
hope that she would lift those lovely
eyes toward him.
At the birches she paused, glanced
at MIN shyly, looked at the ground
| aud then looked at Raymond again
and smiled just the faintest, sweet
est, shyest smile in the world.
"G-good morning" stammered Ray
| mond, lifting his hat.
She did not speak, but she fingered
| and once again she smiled.
81 have so wanted to speak to you,
began Raymond, desperately, but
] did not dare, and there was no one
could find to introduce me. You
| seemed almost as lonely here as my
self"
See here" broke in a harsh voice
What are you doing with my scarf
pin? I've been looking for it every
| where
Raymond turned with a start and
saw a tall, sporty-looking man he
| had seen at the hotel the day be
fore.
81 found your scarf pin near the
boa.house," said Raymond quietly 81
just stuck it in my coat, meaning to
leave it at the hotel"
CO.." exclaimed the girl.
The sporty-looking man snatched
the scarf pin almost rudely from Ray.
mond's outstretched hand. Then he
turned to the girl
you see it is my scarf PIN" he
smiled. 81 lost it somehow, and l
waited to look for it, or l would have
been here sooner"
20, l beg pardon" said Raymond,
turning toward the girl, Il did not
know the gentleman was a friend of
yours
He is not" she said firmly.
But you came here to meet me-
the sporty-looking man insisted. you
know, l am the man with the scarf
pin"
The girl with violet eyes looked
puzzled for moment and then she
comprehended the truth She blushed
with embarrassment and then paled
with anger
But the stranger who had claimed
the scarf pin did not seem to realize
that her anger was directed at him.
He smiled at her in a way that he
evidently thought was winning.
Co." said the girl Il see. 1t was
plot, was it?-a mean, low plot with
gypsy fortune teller to trick me into
an acquaintance with you"
Would you mind moving on?''
asked the sporty-looking man of Ray
mond. Il have date with this young
woman"
Raymond looked at the girl ques-
tioningly. She moved a step nearer
to him and laid her hand on his arm,
as if asking him for protection.
"The gentleman is mistaken" she
said, icily. ''He has no date with
me. l have no desire to make his &C
quaintance. He annoys me-"
Clear out of this!" said Raymond.
Clear out, now" He doubled his
Asts and advanced toward the sporty
looking stranger The latter did not
wait for the attack With a short,
nervous laugh he struck off up the
beach.
Shall I go, too?" asked Raymond,
appealingly.
"N-not unless you want to-" she an
swered, after a little hesitation. II
thank you for Kidding me of that
man"
Let us take turn on the beach"
said Raymond. Il am in the dark
about the scarf pin. Won't you please
explain things to me?"
81 nearly made fool of myself
confessed the girl with the violet
eyes. Il met a gypsy fortune teller
on the hotel veranda last night, and
she told me, so solemnly, that would
meet my fate to-day. She said she
could see him standing between the
twin birch trees by the lake, and that
I would know him because he was
tall and dark"
81 am tall and dark" interrupted
Raymond.
And he would be wearing a horse
shoe scarf pin in the left lapel of his
coat"
81 was wearing it." said Raymond.
And you know" she confessed,
that while I didn't just believe her,
I didn't think of it being a trick, and
SO l came here to-day at the hour
set-wondering if 1 would meet any
one"
"Ard you found me here, wearing
the scarf pin," exclaimed Raymond,
joyously. I'll never believe it was
an accident that I found it. Blessed
be that gypsy. / am praying that she
she is a teller of true fortunes. 1
knew you were my fate long before
you came here this morning-long be-
fore l dared to speak to you. 1 be-
lieve fate has destined us for each
other"
He gazed at her ardently.
ut is too early to speak Of that,
isn't it?" she said shyly.
But Raymond continued to speak
Of it, and she did not forbid him.
They became good friends during the
week that followed, and now that they
are both back in Chicago it really
looks as if the gypsy's prophecy may