Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1909-06-30


friendship. Signed Rosina Hitch
and don't know and never knew any
Rosina Hitch! I never even heard of
human being named Rosina!"
"And l believe him." corroborated
Mrs. Tessdale, trifie defiantly, catch
ing Gollnick's eye. Gollnick fastened
to resolve his face into a picture of
trust and faith. Certainly" he said.
"How extraordinary"
He fingered thoughtfully the note
which Tessdale had passed over. Then
the idea struck him.
"Of course" he said to Tessdale, ut
wouldn't be proper for you, married
man, to pay any attention to this note.
You couldn't do it, you know. Could
he, Mrs. Tessdale? Your role is to
treat it with a cold reserve if not
suspicious contempt. But it would be
entirely correct for me to answer it,
Tessdale? Now, wouldn't it?"
"Pd kind of like to get to the bottom
of the mystery" confessed Tessdale.
I'D like to know who Rosina really
is"
go on and answer it," urged Mrs.
Tessdale, who was cheerfully without
gcruples when Tessdale was not con-
cerned.
Thereupon Gollnick answered the
note on Mrs. Tessdale's best station
cry. His was a beautiful note, con-.
sidered from all points. 1t was the
acme of polite interest, of courteous
pleasure in the fact that Chicago was
from now on to be blessed with the
presence of Rosina Hitch, of deity
vague references to the mysterious
past days when they had known each
other, of intimations that the writer
would be charmed to pick up again the
thread of their acquaintance. And
Gollnick signed 1t with Tessdale's
name.
81 have to-" he insisted. 'She wrote
to you, didn't she? She doesn't know
me, does she?"
She's welcome to know you," said
Tessdale, "for all of me. All right, let
her go!"
So Golln1ck mailed the letter on his
way home that night. Three days
later Mrs. Tessdale telephoned him
that there was an answer, and Coll
nick fastened to his friends house.
He was beginning to feel an eager in
terest in Rosina Hitch. Gollnick al
ways said that a person could be
Judged by the way he or she wrote
letter, and Rosina's letter had been
very nice The second one was even
more so. She said she'd be glad to see
Tessdale the next evening.
"I'm going!" Gollnick announced.
But you don't look like mel" OBJ
jected Tessdale.
What difference does that maker"
demanded GQllnick, with malicious
cleverness. "You say Rosina never
set eyes on you!"
Sometimes, much as he liked Coll
nick, Tessdale was greatly irritated by
him, and this was one of the times.
Don't you get me into any mix-up!"
he growled. Not that he wanted to
call on Rosina himself, but somehow
he felt that Gollnick was too super
abundantly Joyful in his freedom to do
SO.
'T'm going!" Gollnick repeated
He really dressed very carefully for
that call 1t was an adventure and he
was excited. Not since his college
days had he been so excited. He did
not go so far as to say that Rosina was
tall, with waves of dark hair and large
eyes, but he felt assured she was
charming. She must be, from those
notes.
The address Rosina had given was
on very good avenue, and it was a
modestly impressive house. AS Coll
nick waited in the inviting reception
room his satisfaction grew. He knew
at once that Rosina's family was the
right sort. He rose to his feet as he
heard her coming.
With the Colosseum doing a zigzag
waltz before his startled eyes, Coll
nick found himself holding the hand
of a plump, motherly woman Of so,
with her hair parted and smoothed
down. It surely was q basque she had
on-nothing more modern!
"Why, where's Tommy Tessdale?"
the nice old woman asked at once. II
haven't forgotten what he looked like,
though I haven't seen him since he
was a boy, when visited his mother.
went through the seminary with his
dear mother, and she was my best
! friend! Has anything happened?"
AS has been said, Gollnick is very
clever man. He looked straight into
the kindly eyes of Rosina Hitch, the
old-fashioned woman with a fad for
| new-fashioned stationery.
at came in Tessdale's place." he
said. 'He-he was detained by bust
ness. He will be very glad to see you
| Mrs. Hitch. He and his WIFE"
Fancy Tommy Tessdale married.
beamed Rosina Hitch, sitting down
"Tell me all about him."