Catoctin clarion., 1909-08-12
A LOCK OF HAIR.
BY KINGSLEY WEIGH.
Copyright. 1909 by American Press Asso-
citation

cldtlOn.
"You are acting like n ninny. sir. /
am very much disappointed In you"
The words were spoken by old Mar
shall Humphrey to his son Joe. who
had reached the age of twenty-five.
which his father considered ample to
show that he was exactly what that
father wished him to he. And what
his father wished him to be was this:
First he should be devoted to business
and prrdispoSrd to carry ON the con-
cern his father had built up: second.
through whom all this growth OF
wealth connl IH transmitted. 70 the
old mans cha grin. the boy would have
nothing to do with the business and
showed every symptom of becoming a
confirmed bachelor. Since he was an
only child he was old Mr.. Humphreys
sole hope.
Joe Humphrey. matrimOnially con-
siderpd. wns like wild animal that
needs to he caught and trained. after
which II loves Its master drvotedIy.
I.eaN ing his father to nurse his dis
appointment, he went to his M'athousp.
intending to have pull IN his single
scull boat on the river. Just as he was
abou. to embark he saw something red
dancing on the wavplrts among some
rushes near by. Getting into the boat.
he gave couple Of strokes. seized the
red thing and drew out n bottle OF
pickles. az he supposed. the red thing
being sealing wax covering the cork.
1t was Il pickle bottle. but no pickle
Breaking the seal. he shook out Il card.
aged eighteen years. six months and
twenty days" Tackled to the card with
a bit OF thread was Il lock of auburn
hair In circular form. Below this was
the address
There was nothing to explain why
the articles had been placed In the
bottle. II there had been there would
be no story. Nature has laid num-
Der Of traps to insure the propag CATION
Of the humnn species. but the one she
keeps for a starter In difficult cases is
curiosity. Ry this she rxciteS atten-
tiOn, which IL held and enlarged by ro-
nance. In this case the starter was
Miss Writings card floating In n bot
tie without a reason given. The in
terest II excited was enhanced by the
little circlet OF hair.
Joe Humphrey pulled to the shade Of
some trees overhanging the river bank
and, with the card In his hand. gave
himself up to wonder. What did th"
girl want anyway? What was she
like? He had had girls in dozens
thrown at him by designing mothers
without feeling anything but repug-
nance. There was neither curiosity
nor romance. and above all was want
Ing the excitement OF the chase. II
this girl was angling for lover 1t WAS
not him especially. She might Spurn
him on sight Was she pretty or
homely. bright or dull modest or bold?
And all the while he was coming over
these queries there lay the little circlet
Of hair. He touched it with his finger.
He pulled back to the boathouse
climbed to furnished upper room,
where he kept writing materials. and
inclOSed the card with his own. on
which he wrote: "Picked up this -
the waters and 1t shall he returned
to your an hundredfold.'
In due time he received duplicate
card with he inscription. Better one
gold dollar than hundred copper pen
Mes"
His reply: mo puny gold dollar rep
resents the writer. He may rather be
likened to big silver coin. Your
circlet Of golden hair may have sug-
gested your simile."
Her reply: Its all the gold have"
His reply: Il have only a heart Of
oak"
That was the beginning Of the end.
The correspondence went on. Miss
Whiting finally explaining that she
was poor girl with stepmother and
card adrift hoping that 1t might change
her life and make 1t happier. Supple.
mentary to this Humphrey Informed
her that he was poet whose verses
were too far above the market to be
acceptable 70 publishers, but he thought
that together they might he happy l"
each others love In cottage and
asked permission to call. 1t was graz
ed. aud he met the girl In a small
house on country road. She was
dressed In calico, and he wore Il wool
en- shirt under threadbare suit.
There was cOurtship.
One day Miss Whiting told him that
she had been playing part. She did
not live In the house where she re-
ceived him. She was rich and had
been bounded by fortune hunters. She
wished to be loved for herself only.
Then Humphrey admitted that he
too. had been playing Il game. He was
not a pauper. but heir to big bust
ness and a fortune.
One day Joe Humphrey informed his
father that he wished to take hold Of
the business and learn 1t with view
to running it. The old man was de-
lighted and the young man took hold
with a zeal that was surprising. One
day the father asked the son why he
had so suddenly changed his mind.
"Il tell you. father" said Joe. "l've
got girl who says she won't marry
man who has no object In life.
Since she won't have loafer must
bestir myself"
This announcement doubled the IA
theirs pleasure. In due time Joe mar
lied the lady who had sent out her
card bearing fictitious name for
husband. and few years later the old
ha lalaSipaSs. Tn