The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-11-15
The kIIaAl M
Romance in a Lady's Shopping
Gag.
=. BRYANT Z. c. HooERs.

rousi IN. "a IL wire AdMiring
court. lin ard marriage seem prosy
events 10 him. There will have to be
adyenrur" with his falling In love-"
Royal Reyfc.d only son OF the
widow had reach the age OF twenty.
four without ever having fallen In
love. II couldn't even be said that he
had fiirted lie could waltz and play
bridge and render Himself agreeable
at afternoons ard week-ends. but 1t
stopped there He didn't favor wo-
man suffrage, and he didn't say word
against ii II was .ust that he was
not interested beyon mild and par.
donable curiosity. His intimates Of.
ten wondered what would arouse his
emotions. but they had waited In vain
On a certain afternoon Mr.. RexfOrd
left New York for Hartford. lie was
neither elated nor cast down. lie
didn't care whether he went or stayed.
He didn't care whether he went be.
youu Toi NaSCt VI 6ot Ou SACsS'
Every chair In the car was taken. but
he didn't care to size up his fellow.
passengers In an Indifferent sort
Of way he acquired the knowledge that
there were three or four young ladies
among the Travellers but what OF II!
There were also ladies' and fat men
and lean men.
Mr. Rexford passed most OF the time
In reading When he reached
journeys end he was In no rush to
leave the car u thereby happened
that he was the last one out, and as
he passed down the aisle he saw
shop )ing bag reposing in one of the
chairs They have been left behind
hundreds CT times by hundreds of wO-
men. According to rule and law and
several other things, Mr.. Rexford
should have passed on and left the
porter to find the lag and turn It in
to the lost property Office. II not that.
then he should have turned It In him.
self
But Mr.. Rexford didn't do any such
thing. The sight of that bag with its
silver IN" on the side aroused faint
interest In his breast 1t seemed to
say to him: Please take care of me-"
and he walked out OF the depot with
the bag cuddled up under his arm He
expected to meet the loser any minute,
but he did not retLrn The treasure
went with the fin Ter to a hotel for the
night. and reached New York with
him the next day
Most persons would have opened
that bag within an hour. but Mr.. Rex
ford didn't. lie waited until his re-
turn. and then he only took a peek
Just enough to discover a roll of false
hair and a powderpuR. There were
other things further down. but he kept
hands on
Mr. Rexford had not intended to
appropriate anything. What he meant
to d. was to find the owner, but in
his own way. That way was by ad-
vertisement In the papers and when it
came out II read:
Found. on the Hartford train, on
the 10Th. a ladies' shopping bag bear.
ing the initial NJ Address BOX a."
The brief advertisement was placed
In four papers, aud the loser would be
almost certain to see it. She did see
1t She lived Just outside of Hartford.
and would be greatly obliged. and so
forth
Mr. Rcxford didn't follow the usual
mode IF prCccdur in such cases He
was not bit curious, but with that
bag nicely wrapped up In scented pa
per he made his way back to Hartford
aud to the surburb where was .ocated
the home OF the loser II was so kind
OF him, said the spinstpr Of forty and
/ II VAS 50 careless ol her. Her name
was Morgan. and that accounted for
the initial, Excuse her for a mament
| please. Mass Mt~ran left the room
To inspect the bag and when she re.
turned She fairly threw it at Mr. Roy.
, iord's head along with the excla,na.
ton.
Sir, YOU are 70 gentleman"
What what is ito"
l repeat II. sir. md II my brother
were here You would have to pay 70,
this insult"
He IS here, sister," replied deem
voice from the front hall, and IN
walked man ;oking for trouble
Really dor understand" said
Mr. Rexford
Then take time out on the corro.
to think 1t over answered the broth.
er. and he threw the caller out doors
and the bag after him.
There was mistake somewho.,
and Mr.. Rexford begar to feel tho
emotion Of curiosity. There was no
mistake about his having landed in ,
/. heap at the foot of the steps, but WHY
should Miss Morgans bag have fo,
lowed him. lie had come all the u.v
from New York TO restore it. and pou
she would not have it. 1t was no no.
to ring TIE bell and ask for explana
tons The broth-r fingered in ,bs
hall ard had his coat OF Mr.. Rexsord
did the right thing by returning r.
New York and discovering anotbo,
letter in answer to his ad. This an
swer was from a Miss Merritt. and 10,