The Sauk Centre herald., 1911-08-24
Getting
Acquainted


cular hand and plucked by the sleeve
the flrst man that passed him.
Introduce me to the girl over there
talking to Matthew'S he commanded
Don't know her." responded the
other man. He turned and stared at
the girl for moment. "a good deal
Of a peach," he commented, 'but 1
r.ever saw her before. Sorry l can't
pblige you" And he dashed off in
pursuit of his own partner.
The next half hour Henderson
passed looking for some one who
would present him to the girl, but
none OF his acquaintances seemed to
know her Finally, however, he came
upon fllKlns, who was popularity sup
posed to know everybody in the world
Say, Filkins," he said, 'if you don't
know the girl in white who has Just
been dancing with Trenton l want you
to make it your business to get to
know her so that you can introduce
me-"
Henderson eagerly followed in Fill
kins' wake, with his eyes fixed on the
W1lloWy creature who was the object
of his admiration Thus he Just
escaped climbing up Filkins' broad
back when that unreliable person
stopped in front of a pudgy blond
creature and with beaming smile in
troduced Henderson.
That wasn't the girl I wanted to
meet!" he exploded to Filkins few
minutes later Mice enough girl
don't doubt, but not the one. The girl
l want to know is the tall girl who
stepped out on to the veranda Just
as you turned around then. Now. do
you know herr"
Filkins shook his head. mo, l
don't" he admitted. But think she's
Mrs. Peterson's sister and is visiting
her. I'll try to find out for you"
mo, I'll do my own pioneering,
thanks" said Henderson.
Three times during the course of
the evening he discovered men who
knew the young woman in question,
and three times did he and the mutual
acquaintance wander about vainly in
search of her. AS the dancers were
beginning to leave Filkins rushed up
to Henderson.
I've met her and danced with her,
and she is a peach" he announced.
'YCu just wait here half second and
I'll cut her out of the bunch as she
comes down and introduce you"
Once more Henderson waited pa
tiently but vainly. When all the
guests had departed Filkins gave a
sieh of mingled WEAKNESS and disap-
pctptment. Honest, old man." he
said, Il didn't mean to give you the
wrong steer, but she must have gone
cut the other way"
Henderson from that moment set
his teeth and made up his mind that
he would achieve Florence Tracy's ac-
quaintance even thCt.-a the heavens
fell. With this pu. Sc in view he
attended three lawn parties-festivi-
ties which he loatL ed-and a church
bazaar. In vain.
One evening on his way home h.
saw her sitting in the front of the car
with a girl whom he had once known,
but never liked, and had consistently
avoided for years. Wandering past
them with bland slightly embar-
rassed but wholly humble and propiti-
atory smile upon his face, he was met
with such an icy stare from the girl
he had once known that he hastily
bolted into the forward car without at
tempting to renew the acquaintance.
However, several days later, when
he had almost given up hope of ac-
complishing his object, he woke from
q surreptitious nap on the evening
train just as it was pulling into the
station. In spite of the fact that his
vision was somewhat blurred with
sleep he suddenly became aware that
Miss Tracy had just stepped into the
aisle from seat about halfway down
the car.
Trying to look as much as possible
like man who has just been sitting
with his eyes closed to rest them, he
stumbled into the aisle. Then he
glanced back as he did so, actuatt
by the suburbanite's instinct for gat
ering up stray packages. In the rae
just above the seat which Miss Trat
had been occupying his eyes fell upc
a small, dainty parcel. Instantly he
was wide awake.
He dashed back to the seat, secured
the parcel and then dropped off the
platform of the car just as the train
was pulling out of the station. Deter
mined to see the thing through, he
hailed the village taxicab and ordered
the driver to follow the automobile
which was carrying Miss Tracy swift
ly out of sight.
AS Miss Tracy stepped out of the
car in front of her sisters house Hen
derson, hat in one hand and parcel in
the other, stepped out of the taxicab.
Somewhat heated but perfectly game,
he advanced toward her and held out
mis- bedraggled offering
"If l am not mistaken" he said
suavely, you left this in the train"
Miss Tracy looked at him in sur
prise. Then her eyes fell to the par
eel. She half advanced her hand as If
to take it, but withdrew it again
'It was good of you to bring it," she
said hesitatingly, but you are mis-