Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-02-03
A OtUentY-four
Hour Romance.

| that she had romance in her soul, but
It would be ungallant to add that she
| was in the matrimonial market and
| had been ever since she arrived at the
age Of twenty. She had simply wait
ed. She could afford to wait and per-
sisted in giving her age as twenty-five
right along and making herself be-
lieve that time was standing still on
her account.
Miss Sarah was feeling In this Sc
rene and optimistic mood when she
was invited by friends to be their
guest at summer hotel on the banks
| Of lake. They didn't consult her ro-
! nance as much as their own interest
They had two children and dog. and
they figured on making the old maid
work for her board and lodgings. She
fell 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 as 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
job, 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 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; If she didn't, then alas! 1t
has been stated that Miss Sarah did
have romance and dotted on it, but the
| next thing was to prove it 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
would be missed. searched for, found
and be talked of as romantic.
Miss Sarah was missed. The idea
was that she had been drowned More
than half 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 WON
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 a 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 a
mint julep with two straws in it, and
why worry?
Miss Sarah had entered the wood
with her heart aflame with romance
She hustled her way along for half o
mile and then halted for the actor to
arrive at the head of q rescuing party
He didn't arrive. She waited for an
hour and then started to walk back.
Her feelings were hurt. and she lost
fha pafptc of tho compacc op1 hacop,o
lost for good. When she discovered
this fact she called and screamed, but
only the chipmunks and the woodpeck-
ers answered. She ran this way and
stumbled over roots. She ran that way
and went splashing into creek.
There was romance I'm the greenwood.
but 1t was farther on. All that long.
long day Miss Sarah was lost in the
depths
1t was almost shutdown when her good
genius finally guided her to a clear
ing with a 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 1t. When
he had been told he declared that 1t
was the romanticist thing he had ever
heard of. In her wanderings she had
walked seven miles. She had escaped
bears and 'Injuns" and wildcats, and If
she wasn't what they called Il heroine
then he didn't know turnip from q
"tater bug"
Miss Sarah was tired, and she rested.
She was hungry, and he fed her on
pudding and milk. She wanted to get
back to the hotel and enjoy her tri-
umph. and he yoked up his oxen to
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 Inundated and
embarrassed maiden looked at the
actor In an appealing way he turned
his head aside and made 1t very plain
that she would never prance around
behind the footlights with his comfy
ance. The farmer had waited for the
heroics. and he saw that there were
tA To hnr