The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-12-04
A OsOenfy-four
Hour Romance.

WIS W lHt MT hh0
bnd been ever since she arrived at the
sge Of twenty She had simply wait
I'd. She could afford to wait and per-
sisted In giving her age as twenty-five
tight along and making herself be-
Iieve that time was standing still on
her account.
Miss Sarah was feeling In this Sc
tene and optimistic mood when she
was invited by friends to he their
guest at a summer hotel on the banks
of a lake. They didn't consult her ro-
nance as much as tbeir own interest
They had two children ADD dog. and
they figured on making the old maid
work for her board and lodgings. She
Tell into the trap. but not to her detri-
ment. One OF the male guests of the
hotel, who might not have noticed her
In any other walk, saw her ais nurse
and dog guardian and made advances.
This guest was darkly supposed to be
an actor-an actor who played great
parts and made a great success OF his
lob, but who was there incog and
wished to remain so. The other guests
were respecting this wish. but follow
Ing him about with bated breath.
Actors sometimes get queer notions
into their heads, and Mr. Melnotte got
one into his. 1t was that Miss Sarah
would make the greatest Juliet he
ever saw on the stage. She had the
form, the voice the eyes, the nose.
the chin and the toes All that was
lacking were cash and n manager and
the removal of just one tiny doubt-a
doubt no larger than the head of
brass pin. Did she have the neces-
sary romance? If she did then all
was well; II she didn't. then nldsl 1t
has been s. tied that Miss Sarah did
have romance and dotted on Il, but the
next thing vas TO prove II TO the actor.
she took two days to cogitate and then
went ahead. The hotel was surround
ed by woods on three sides One
morning Miss Sarah left the whimper-
Ing dog and the bowling children be-
hind and started for the green wood
and was soon lost to sight She
wonld be missed. searched for, found
and be talked of MS romantic.
Miss Sarah was missed. The idea
was that she had been drowned. More
than bnlf the guests turned out to drag
the bottom OF the lake. The actor was
not one of them. Coincident with the
alarm he had been told by fat wom-
an that Miss Sarah hadn't dollar to
her name.
One woman asserted her belief that
the missing female had eloped with
tin peddler that had been seen driving
past the hotel at an early morning
hour. and in her excitement another
woman said that any young lady that
would leave dog and two children to
weep and wall by themselves should be
severely dealt with on her return. dead
or alive. These opinions were express
ed to the actor for the purpose OF
drawing him out, but he refused to be
drawn. He had just sat down to
mint julep with two straws IN IT, ana
why worry?
Miss Sarah had entered the wood
with her heart ahame with romance
She hustled her way along for half q
mile and then halted for the actor to
arrive at the head of rescung party
He didn't arrive. She waited for an
hour and then started to walk back
Her feelings were hurt. and she lost
the points of the compass and became
lost for good. When she discovered
this fact she called and screamed. b1t
only the chipmunks and the woodpeck-
ers answered. She ran this way and
stumbled over roots. She ran that way
and went splashing into n creek.
There was romance in the greenwood.
but it was farther on. All that long.
long day Miss Sarah was lost in the
depths.
ltwas almost sundown when her good
genius finally guided her to clear
ing with log cabin in the midst OF IT,
Seated at the door of the cabin was
a middle aged man In homespun He
rose up and addressed her as ''marm"
and wanted to know all about IT, When
he had been told he declared that II
was the romanticist thing he had ever
heard Of In her wanderings she had
walked seven miles. She had escaped
bears and "lnjuns" and wildcats, and II
she wasn't what they called heroine
then he didn't know a turnip from o
''tater bug"
Miss Sarah was tired, and she rested
She was hungry. aud he fed her on
pudding and milk. She wanted to get
back TO the hotel and enjoy her IT,
umph. and he yolSed up his oxen 10
the lumber wagon and drove her there
through the moonlight The guests
saw her coming and got ready to re
ceive her There was icy frigidity
There was a general attitude Of doubt
and suspicion. There were sneers AT
romance When the humlllated and
embarrassed maiden looked at the
actor IN an appealing way be turned
his head aside aud mnde It very pain
that she would never prance around
behind the footllghts with his conniv
ance The farmer had waited for tlis
heroics. and he saw that there were
none coming to her. He saw her
crushed instead. and he stepped for
ward and touched her on the arm and
said:
esayogal. they don't pear to appre.