Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-10-15


Said to myself: For goodness sake!"
! opened the pocketbook as soon as
[ got to my room, because l wanted
to discover, If possible, to whom it
belonged. Yet at the same time, it
gas 20 truly feminine in its dainti-
ness, and so distinctly suggestive Of
privacy in its tight silver clasp and
Its delicate fragrance of heliotrope,
that had II not been for my habit
lally rosy face, l think should have
blushed with the guilty conscience Of
q Peeping Tom as prepared to pry
into Its guarded contents.
l discovered, first, a small bunch Of
dress-goods samples; and two or
three Of them were really rich and
charming bits Of fabrics. Then |
found a dollar bill and two quarters,
and a hair pin, and a book of post
age stamps. There was no token Of
the owners identity in any Of these
trihes; 80 / went further and fished
out . tally lead pencil, a street car
transfer, a silver gloVe-buttoner, a
latch key, a programme Of a Strauss
concert, and a prescription-to be
taken in half a glass of water before
each meal. After that l discovered a
piece Of poetry. 1t was very neatly
'olded and occupied q pocket by itself.
1t looked as though it had been
clipped from a magazine. II remem.
Der correctly, It was entitled Some
Day" and ran something like this:
] know not when; know not how nor
where;
I know not II the day be far or nigh.
! only know, thro' faith In answered
That some day we shall meet, my Love
aad L
l felt at once that the sentiment of
the clipping reflected the personality
OF the clipper. It told me she was
still young and heart-free; that she
was a. refined. gentle soul, in whom
the romantic was artisticalIy blended
With emotional culture, and that her
disposition was thoughtful and sensi.
tive, If not actually angelic.
For q moment | feared that that
was all was destined to learn about
her, for It seemed to me that | had
by this time exhausted the contents
OF the purse. But this was merely
because Of my ignorance of the anat.
omy OF a feminine pocketbook, as is
shown BY my Unexpectedly fumbling
into another compartment. And here
1t was that came upon the clew for
which was searching. Turning up
the flap that concealed Its resting
place, found a small card on which
was inscribed in particularly graceful
ehtrogrGphy:
Bertha Gilmore,
90 1872 Euclid Place.
=. For some occult reason, that name
Bertha appealed to me. 1t seemed to
associate itself at once In the most
Aatural way with the poetry and the
seductive odor of heliotrore and
'resh leather, and with the ratrician
lyle and good breeding that belongs
% the aristocratic neighborhood of Eu.
cid place.
Tho consciousness that | had found
Bertha Gillmore's pOcketbook exhil
lrated me, / don't pretend to know
Why. but somehow, l had a feeling
that Fate was at work; that | was
drawing close to my affinity. Were
4 TheosophiSt, l should probably have
understood It As 1t was, however,
did not attempt to analyze my emo
tons. / simply became eveloped with
the idea that perhaps it was l for
whom Bertha was waiting; ard that
DeChaps-ah me; perhaps 1t was Der.
. lha for whom, all uncunsciously, mad
been waiting during these lonely years
Of unsatisfed bachelorhood.
So l made up my mind would call
At 1472 Euclid place that very even.
ing and return Bertha GIlmore's pocS.
etbook to her.
Timing my departure so that |
might reach her house about quarter
OF nine, l sailed forth into the win.
ter's night, caparisoned with buff-col.
ored spats and rosebud boutonniere,
and carrying my .silver-handled walk.
ing stick, which, by the way, | found
Of much service in keeping myself up.
right on the icy sidewalks.
AS had anticipated, the house was
q handsome one, set well back from
the street and fronted by a terraced
lawn. A fight of broad stone steps
led up to the doorway.
The bell was an electric one, and
when l withdrew my finger after press.
Ing 1t, 1t continued to ring. The push.
button had evidently stuck; and said
to myself: For goodness sake!"
1t was a very loud bell. | don't
think l had ever before heard quite so
loud a one.
l picked at the button with nv
gloved fingers, but 1t refused to come
out Then jabbed 1t with my cane.
and that seemed to make it worse So
8. pulled my silk bat well over my ears
e-for the wind was blowing a perfect
gale up there-and went at the push.
outton with both hands thought
perhaps might be able to wrench the
q i A.