Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-11-07
A MYSTERY AND
IT'S SOLUTION
Story of a Strange Wooing
and Happy Ending.

era. ii was her sweet lace that at
tractcd him, Il race that bespoke some
great sorrow. She kept her eyes turn.
ed upon the stage, but he noticed that
ii was where there was acting rather
than music. All those in the box with
her were chatting during the opera,
while she, resting her cheek on her
hand and her arm on the rail, her fig.
ure partly covered by Il curtain, SEEM
ed to he absorbed by her own dreams
The opera was Faust" During the
scene where Mephistopheles and the
nurse are walking in the garden and
Faust and Marguerite are singing their
love she turned her eyes away, and
they fell on Whttemore in the parquet,
his head turned toward her, his eyes
fixed intensely on hers. She blushed
slightly and looked again at the stage.
When the opera was ended and all
rose to go Whittemore was watching
her box. An elderly man put wrap
around her shoulders, and the others
of the party were also getting ready to
leave. Whittemore watched to see some
of them speak to her; but, though they
were ClldllIIS WllH cHCn OtueF, no one
said word to her.
Winter passed into summer, and
Whittemore went to the seashore. The
morning after his arrival at bathing
time he strolled down to the beach.
There, sitting under sun umbrella,
was the girl he had seen at the opera.
She was peering far out where the wal
/ o,NI
there Il CLINT of sunshine on the hori
zon bespoke sail She was alone.
Whittemore would have given worlds
for some one to take him to her and in
troduce him, but he knew no one there.
He had come to be alone and for rest
He waited, expecting that some of her
friends would join her. but they did
not. and after the bathing she arose
and went away. AS she passed him she
started. Evidently she remembered
him.
The next morning he was at the
beach early, watching for her. When
she came it was with party of girls
and an elderly man, all in bathing suits.
All the party save her were talking and
laughing. She alone was quiet. Surely
she must have some sorrow.
The beach was shelving, and few
dared venture beyond the breakers.
The man of the party took the fair one
by the hand and led her beyond their
depth. Suddenly Whittemore saw him
struggling in the water. The fair one
had gone under. With all his clothes
on Whittemore plunged in and brought
| her out.
They stood on the beach. Whittemore
presenting II poor appearance in his
dripping clothes. The fair one looked
at him with an expression so distressed
that he thought she regretted that he
had saved her Then without word
of thanks she turned and ran away to
the bathing house. The man who had
taken her beyond her depth had been
dragged out of the water, and White
more saw him coming toward him.
Whittemore, indignant. turned his
back upon him and walked away. The
next evening he saw the fair one be
ing driven toward the railroad station.
| As she passed him she regarded him
with the same pained glance
| Winter came again, and Whittemore,
who had dctested society for its hol-
| lownesS, plunged into the gay world
! hoping that he might meet the girl who
had absorbed his whole being. He APP
peared ut teas, receptions balls, He
went to the opera, to concerts, every
where where music was to be heard
! At last. at musical entertainment at
the home Of one Of his most intimate
friends. he saw her. but where? Sit
ting alone in Il recess, so immersed be-
hind curtains as almost to be indistin
guishable, Although he was looking
for her. when he found her he was
taken completely aback. He stood still
and tremhled
pardon me-" he said 81 am per
mitted to speak to you here under our
mutual friends roof, hut | will not
avail myself of the privilege. Remain
here for n few minutes, and | will
bring him to introduce me-"
Without waiting for her consent he
hurried away found the host and
brought him to the recess,
1t was empty.
In vain he dragged the man through
the rooms looking for her, She was
not In any Of the rooms below. They
waited in the hall and presently she
came down followed by her maid,
"Ahw said the host. Now | under
stand. That is Clara Van Cleve. an or
phan She is deaf mute"
Whittemore went home In great dis
tress. He was desperately in love hut
he was a practical man and considered
what II would he to be tied To one upon
whom there was such blight, For Il
week he suffered torture. then made
up his mind that to 90 on through life
suffering without her would he worse
than Suttoriu- with he" Then he spent
.l,-;, a 81