The Delta independent., 1910-08-05

you've violated the tramc regular
tions, and made all this trouble, that's
what you've done"
I'm on a very important errand."
she began, and"
Il can't help that, miss. you ought
to have had some one with you that
knew the rules
Her eyes were perplexed. and she
looked about her as If for help. For
a moment her gaze fell on Orme. who
was close to the policeman's elbow.
Now. Orme had winning and dis
arming smile. Without hesitation. he
touched the policeman on the shoul-
der. beamed pleasantly. and said
Pardon me, officer. but this car was
forced over by that dray."
She was on the wrong side" re-
turned the policeman. after glance
which modified his first intention to
take offence. She had no business
over here
1T was either that or collision.
Ny wheel was scraped, as 1t was"
She. too. was smiling now.
The policeman pondered. He liked
to be called officer" he liked to be
smiled upon: and the girl. to judge
from her manner and appearance.
might wei be the daughter Of a man
OF position Well" he said after
moment, be more careful another
time" He turned and went back to
his work among the other vehicles.
covering the weakness of his sur
render by a fresh display of angry au-
thority.
The girl gave little sigh of relief
end looked at Orme. Thank you"
she said.
Then he remembered that he did
not know this girl. Can be of
further service?" he asked.
NO" she answered. Il think not
But thank you Just the same" She
gave him a friendly little nod and
turned to the steering gear.
There was nothing for II but to go,
and Orme returned to the curb. A
moment later he saw the black car
move slowly away. and he felt as
though something sweet and fine
were going out OF his life. II only
there had been some way to prolong
the incident, He knew intuitiveiy
that this girl belonged to his own
class Any insignificant acquaintance
might introduce them to each other.
And yet convention now thrust them
apart.
Sometime he might meet her. In
deed. he determined to find out who
she was and make that sometime a
certainty. He would prolong his stay
in Chicago and search society until
he found her. No one had ever before
sent such thrill through his heart
He must find her. become her friend.
perhaps But, again he laughed to
himself. What a boor l ami
After all she was but passing
stranger. and the pleasant reverie into
which his glimpse of her had led him
was only a reverie. The memory of
her beauty and elusive charm would
disappear: his vivid impression OF her
would be effaced But even while he
thought this he found himself again
wondering who she was and how he
could find her. He could not drive
her from his mind.
Meantime he had proceeded slowly
on his way. Suddenly benevolent,
white-bearded man halted him. with
deprecating gesture. Excuse me.
SIR" he began. but your hat"
Orme lifted his straw hat from his
head. A glance showed him that II
was disfigured by = great blotch Of
black grease. He had held his hat In
his hand while talking to the girl.
and II must have touched her car at
n point where the axle of the dray
had rubbed So this was his one me-
mento of the incident.
He thanked the stranger, and walked
to nearby hatter's, where a ready
clerk set before him hats of all styles.
He selected one quickly and left his
soiled hat to be cleaned and sent
home later.
Offering a ten-lollar bill in payment,
ne received in change five-dollar bill
and a silver dollar. He gave the coin
a second glance. II was the first sill
yer dollar that he had handled for
some time. for he seldom visited the
west.
There's no charge for the clean
Ing" said the clerk. noting down
Orme's name and address. and hand
ing the soiled hat to the cash boy.
Orme, meantime. was on the point
Of folding the five-dollar bill to put 1t
into his pocket book. Suddenly he
looked at II intently. Written in ink
across the face of II, were the words:
Remember Person You Pay This To-"
The writing was apparently a hur.'
ried scrawl. but the letters were large
and quite legible. They appeared to
have been written on an uneven sur
face. for there were several joys and
breaks In the writing. as II the pen
had slipped.
"This ia curious" remarked Orme.
The clerk hlinked his watery eyes