The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-02-24
Continued.O

(Continued.)
 'fBut still = ----~- you all, gen tlemcn,'' said I, that 1 have not yet heard this Iady's name and am only guessing. of course, that 1t is Miss Meriwether, whom you are taking out 10 Laramie.''
 "Why, of course,'' said Belknap, and 'Of course" echoed everybody else "Yes,'' said she, "I'm going on out to join my father on the front. This is my second time across, though. Is it your first. MT. CowlesT
 My first, and 1 am very lucky. You know also am going out to meet your father, Miss Meriwether.'
 How sIngularr' She put down her tin cup of coffee on the blanket
 My father was an associate of Colo neI Meriwether in some business mat ters back in Virginia'-
 "Oh, l know-it's about the coal lands that are going to make us all rich some day. Yes, I know about that, though 1 think your father rarely came over into Albemarle."
 Under the circumstances I did not care to iutrude my personal matters. 90 did not mention the cause or ex- plain the nature of my mission in the west 'I suppose that you rarely came into our county either, but went down the Shenandoah when you journeyed to Washington" I said simply, "I have never met Colonel Meriwether."
 As we rose from the ground at the conclusion of our meal the girl drop ped one of her gloves. I hastened to pick it up, walking with her a few paces afterward.
 "The next time we are shipwrecked together" said I. 'T shall leave you on the boat. You do not know your friendsP'
 'Why do you say that?'
 "And yet l knew you at once. I saw the ring on your hand and recognized it. It is the same I saw in the fire light on the river bank the night we left the Belle.''
 How brilliant of youI At least you can remember a ring"
 "I remember seeing the veil you wear once before-at a certain little meeting between MT. Orme and my self"
 You seem to have been a haber- dasher in your time, MT. Cowles! Your memory of a lady's wearing ap- parel is very exact. I should feel very much f1attered.'' None the less l saw the dimple come in her cheek
 She was pulling on her glove as she spoke. I saw embroidered on the gauntlet the figure of a red heart
 My memory is still more exact in the matter of apparel" said I. Miss Meriwether, is this your emblem in- deed-this red heart? It seems to me I have also seen it somewhere before"
 ''When Columbus found America" she answered, fit is said that the saw ages looked up and remarked to him, tAh, we see we are discoveredr"
 ''Yes,'' said I; you are fully discov- ered-each of you, all of you, all three or four of you-Miss Ellen Meri- wether''
 But you did not knowsit until now until this very moment, You did not know me, could not remember me, not even when the masks were off. An, it was good as a Playr'
 T have done nothing else but re- member you"
 How much I should value your ac- uuaintance, Mir. CowIes of VfrginiaI How rare an opportunity you have giv en me of seeing on the inside of a mans heartr' She spoke half bitterly, and I saw that in one way or other El;~ meant revenge.
 .'I do not understand you" rejoined.
 ''No; suppose you men are all alike that any one of you would do the same. It is only the last girl, the near est girl, that is remembered. Is it not soT'
 Ut Is not so." I answered.
 "How long will you remember me this time-me or my clothes. Mir. Cowles-until you meet another?'
 "All my life" I said, ''and until meet you again in some other infinite variety Each last time that see you makes me forget all the others, but pever once have I forgotten you.''
 "In my experience" commented the girl. "aIl men talk very much aIike.'
 'Yes, told you at the masked ballI' said I, ''that some time l would see you, masks of. Was 1t not true? I did not at first know you when you broke up my match with Orme. but I swore that some time would know you. And when I saw you that night on the river it seemed to me certain ly must have met you before, have known you always, and now
 '-SMfy experience with men," went on this sage young person, Heads me to believe that they are the stupidest of all created creatures. There was nev- CT once, there is never once. when a girl does not notice a man who is well, who is taking notice.''
 ''Very well, then,'' I broke out. "I admit it. I did take notice of four different girls, one after the other, but