The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1911-01-25

| But thank you Just the same" She
gave him a friendly little nod and
turned to the steering gear.
There was nothing for 1t but to 60.
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 nne
were going out of his life. II only
there had been some way to prolons
the incident! He knew intuitively
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 a thrill through his heart
He must find her, become her friend.
perhaps But, again he laughed to
himself, What a boOr l ann"
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 ne
could find her. He could not drive
her from his mind.
Meantime he had proceeded slowly
on his way. Suddenly a benevolent
white-bearded man halted him. with
a deprecating gesture. Excuse me,
sir" he began. but your hat
Orme lifted his straw hat from his
head. A glance showed him that 1t
was disfigured by great blotch OF
black grease. He had held his hat In
his hand while talking to the girl,
and it must have touched her car at
a 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 a 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-dollar bill In payment.
he received in change five-dollar bill
and silver dollar. He gave the coin
a second glance. 1t 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 it intently. Written in ink
across the face of it, were the words:
, Remember Person You Pay This To. -
The writing was apparently hur-
r risd 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.
T This is curious" remarked Orme
I" The clerk blinked his watery eyes
and looked at the bill in Orme's hand
I oh, yes, SIR" he explained. Il re
f member that. The gentleman who
Paid it in this morning called our at
:. teE;ion to it."
III he's the man who wrote this. he
probably doesn't know that there's 9
law against defacing money"
But it's perfectly good. isn't IT,
inquired the clerk. If you want an
other instead"
.Oh, no." laughed Orme. Tht
banks would take it,
But, sir" began the clerk.
81 should like to keep it If cam
get rid OF it, I'll bring it back. It's
hoax or an endless chain device o.
something Of the sort. I'd like Il
find cut"
He looked again at the writing
J Puzzles ard problems always inter
ested him, especially If they seemed
to involve some human story.
Very WE'LL" said the clerk, I'll re
member that you have 1t, Mr. -" h
peered at the name he had set dow
MIR. Orme."
Leaving the hatters's. OrEe tuine'
back en- State street, retracing hi
steps It was close to the Dime
hour, and the character of the stree
crowds had changed. The shopper
had disappeared. Suburbanites wer
by this time aboard their trains AM
homeward bound. The street wa
thronged with hurrying clerks an
shop girls, and the cars were jamme
with thousands more, all of ther
thinking. no doubt, Of the same tw
thirgs-something to eat and relaxs
ton.
What a hive it was. this grea
street! And how scant the lives 9
the great majority! Working. eatinl
sleeping. marrying and given in MAJ
| rage, bearing children and dying
was that all? But growing. too" sal
Orme to himself. Growing. too.
Would this be the sum Of his ow
life-that of a worker in the hive
1t came to him with something of a
inner parg that thus far his schem
of things had included little NOR,
\ He wondered why he was now reco,
nizinE tits scantiness, this lack in hi
life.
ua ,,ro o,,. ~ bic rarorio IN ~,