The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-07-29

He found there bevy OF girls, tho
most of whom. having worn themselves
out during the gay social season In
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 but
could spare the time to secure IAN es-
tablishment."
Raymond Riggs was a key TO the
wealth he possessed. All girl had to
do TO unlock the door to 1t was to snare
him. He had fought Off n regiment of
them during the previous season and
had hoped for rest Mt the seashore.
He was doomed to disappointment.
! They attacked him by platoons and
companies. TO get rid of them lie
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 Oh the sand with an eifer-
vescng sound. The sky was blue and
cloudess. The ships ont at sea sailed
on as silently as II they were painted
instead of real. 1t was all very restful
4
hunted down by flock ofwomen. he
should have said, but lie preferred the
word harpies.
A glass bottle was thrown up by the
waves, rolled about on the sand and
carried out. When II came up again
Raymond noticed that 1t was corked.
He seized 1t. took out the cork and
with the blade of his knife managed
10 extricate through the narrow neck
card. on 1t was written in pale ink.
"Aline Eliot" The address was given
at town u 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 flock
OF them back on the shore only to be
met by an advance from the ocean"
But as he gazed ut this singular con-
trlvance for mating. as he regarded It,
1t seemed far different to hun from
the advances he had received from the
| fortune hunters. He fancled 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 he was sitting. yielding
I TO a natural inclination TO mate
and had sent out her message with
/ blind confidence that II would fall
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 fortune? He would open
a correspondence with her. In this
way he could find out what lie wished
| 10 know.
He inclosed the card with his own
name and address and the words. II,
too. am lonely" In few days he re-
celved Il letter. There was nothing in
It about love or marriage 1t was an
unsophlsticated epistle from young
girl about nothing. lr."t.lu: r":,A he
tween the lines, Perhaps you are lie
| for whom l intended my message"
But 1t did not say. You may be some
rascal who will take mean advan-
| tage of what have done" What re-
freshng innocence! Fancy one OF the
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 beach
mentally contemplating this innocence.
| III he could see her likeness lie could
judge of her motive with more GER
| talnty.
He thought he would send picture
Of some man about his own age and
ask hers In return, but the girls guile
essness had affected him. and he shranS
| from such deception. Then, confident
that he could not be mistaken. he in
closed his photograph. AS soon as he
had done so the thought occurred 10
him that he was n fool. The danger
of society fortune hunter was moth
Ing beside one he had never seen pos
sesslng letters from him and his photo
graph.
| However, In exchange came like
ness. 1t was the likeness of one
painter would seize upon as a model
for a Madonna. There was innocence
, personined. A pair of soft eyes looked
out from an oval face The lips were
sensitive, and Raymond considered
! AHtHi NoBNAiuiis iAt thObbHh
Of the faces of the fortune hunters.
restored to their natural appearance
by cosmetics. There was none of
them who would not consider herself
nngrantly immodest TO thus advertise
for husband. Yet here was the
Madonna-like face looking at him with
n modesty that none of these could
have assumed.
| One day Raymond was missed Mt the
seashore. There was flutter among
the fortune hunters, for. though none
OF them had secured n foothold. every
one hoped for herself, not for the 9th
ers Had he returned to the city? No.
Inquiries elected the fact Chat his bag
gage, like our flag. was "stil there"
SO they waited and watched and
hoped. But Raymond did not return
In time be directed that his baggage