Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1912-01-20
An Exchange
WHAT Came of a Mans Unwft.
tingIy ApprOprlatIng
AnOther's Goat
By WALTER 8. STURGIS

I never put on winter overcoat un-
III the days begin to lengthen and the
cold begins to strengthen. One morn
ting about the LIST OF January, when
the Thermometer had dropped to zero.
took out my heaviest outdoor gar
ment and took it to the window to see
II the moths had been using 1t. 1t did
mot look familiar to me. 1 get all my
cl0thee at Darby's, SO I looked at once
at the tailor's mark under the collar
and saw the name of London maker.
was astonished. The coat was not
mine and never had been mine. The
most natural and probable explanation
was thing the last time had worn a
heavy coat the season before I had
gone into restaurant or hotel and
hung it up. On going out had taken
another mans coat, leaving him mine
ThrustiIAg my hand into the pocket,
/ took out an unsealed envelope with
q photographers printed name and ad-
dress ON it. Within was the likeness
Of a girl, about which was folded a bit
OF paper on which was written:
Ny Dear-I send the picture Some say
&C II very good OF me-; others don't like it
I'm curious to hear what you have TO say
about 1t. Your loving MOLLY.
Monday evening.
There was no address on the envel-
0pe, and ! inferred that either 1t had
not been sent through the mail or, II 1t
had, 1t had been inclosed in another
envelope. The only clew had to the
owner was the name OF tailor In Lon
don. being in America and there not
being much likelihood that the maker
could tell for whom the coat had been
built, did not think It worth while to
try to recover my property or return
what had taken.
When I first looked at Molly's pho
t0graph was not especially attracted
by it. But am free to confess that
the faces which have most impressed
me have at first made little or no inn
preston on me. Possibly in this case
was later Influenced by something
noticed written ON the back of the pho
tograph In pencil and which escaped
my observation when first discovered
It. The words were, "a peachl"
However. had changed from in
difference to interest in the face photo
graphed before seeing this encomium,
which inferred had been written by
the recipient. It was rather a con-
Rfmation Of my later impression than
q creator Of It. Being bachelor and
fnncy free, together with a bit of ro-
nance in my nature, confess 1 was
Tho 1AnHnlf
It 10 question with me IL both men
and women. unmarried, are not,
though unconsciously, always In their
hearts expecting the appearance of
nfe companion. &4
At any rate, put Molly's photograph
on my dresser and became very fond
of her. It grew upon me that she
was one to trust-one who, in case OF
need, would step to the front, tower
OF strength. One evening when came
to my room Molly had disappeared
from my dresser. was surprised at
the disappointment suffered at not
seeing her moved the dresser to
zee II the photograph had not fallen
and found it ON the floor. The Incl
DENT, though trifiing, suggested to me
that IL the photograph had become SO
necessary to my comfort, what would
the original be.
One evening went to function--a,
bridge party, IL remember correctly
and ON leaving stood waiting. in the
man, hat In hand and ovefcoat on,
Tor my sister, who was putting on her
wraps above. On changing the direc-
sion OF my eyes whom should they hit
npon but Molly. She was standing In
d doorway looking at me curiously,
hut tho moment fixed my gaze upon
aher she turned away and passed out
o& sight.
j did not leave the house till I had
learned her address.
why had she looked at me. whom
she had doubtless not seen before,
with more than the interest she would
take In a stranger7 was puzzled for
q reason. / was interested in mental
believing that there is some
thing in II, and wondered if the inter
est that had developed In me for her
could have communicated itself to her
through some mental process not yet
laid bare TO us. -
had no trouble in making Molly's
acquaintance ana lost no time In doing
90. MY sister Ruth managed 1t for
me, frst laying plan for her own
acquaintance with Molly. then con-
srfving a meeting between Molly and
myself. Molly said she would be pleas
Cd 10 meet Ruth's brother and would
IKE to have her own brother meet
Ruth. OF course I cautioned Ruth to
shy nothing about the photograph
which she had seen often on my dress
er. proposed TO announce my &C
Quirement OF IL IN my own good time.
There was no reason for me to sup
pose when was presented to Molly
that she had any knowledge OF me
whatever except having seen me for a
In the hall after the bridge
party. Indeed, she gave no evidence
Of remembering having seen me then.
was certainly much more pleased
with her than with her photograph
and struck with the advantage or dis
living person has over his
Or her likeness. Character may be
stamped ON photographed face, but