The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-07-19
The Unknown,
A Mystery Of a
Lock of Hair
By ALEXANDER HUTCHINS

longed for some place away from the
city where , could go after business
hours to pass the night and return IN
the morning On Saturdays we closed
at noon. which gave me forty-five hours
or therea bout before / would have tc
with friends | chose Alton, a seacoasI
town, where there were few summer
cottages belonging to city people. some
hotels and boarding houses. j engag
ed a room on the top story Of hote
where from my window / could look
out upon the ocean.
II was certainly delicious. having
left the city on a hot afternoon. TO ell
ter my room. see far and near the
great stretch Of undulating water and
smell the odor of the sea. The first
thing I did was TO put on my bathing
suit. 90 down to the water and take n
plunge.
| went to Alton on the lst OF July
when there were few persons there
but by the middle OF the month the
place was well filed with strangers
among whom young girls and young
men not yet engaged In their life pur
suits predominated. ! presume there
were at least fifty maidens of mar
riageable age, some Of them comely,
some intellectual and some both come
ly and intellectual. The bathing hour
followed the tide, and some days ! got
away from the city sufficiently early
to bathe with the crowd. These days
were delightful. especially as jumped
as IL were, from the hot cobblestones
of the city into the cool waves Of the
sea.
One evening about the 1st OF August,
when the season was we'll on, reach
ing my hotel after my ride from the
city, the clerk handed me several let.
ters, which took up to my room with
out inspecting, for | was In hurry for
my bath. On my return from the
beach while smoking cigarette ip
my bath robe before the window took
up my mail. One envelope was adj
dressed to me in a feminine hand that
| did not recognize Tearing II open,
| uncovered bit of cardboard, on
which was pinned a lock Of hair
1t required some time for me to get
at the probable bottom OF this missive,
but at last fathomed Ii In this wise.
Some girl had seen me and, having
been attracted by my appearance. had
discovered my name and my hotel and
had sent me this lock of her hair. Just
what her object was could also only
: be guessed Possibly she didn't know
herself
fancied the girl was most like
Iy staying in Alton. It was proba
BILE that | had no acquaintance with
her. Ii | had her act would show a
lack of maidenly modesty, for by plac
ing the lock sent me beside her hail
l could easily discover her identity
Nevertheless there was a possibility
of my tracking her by this lock. She
was a blond. but the shade was not
uncommon. There might be dozen
girls at the place whose hair Ii would
match reasonably well
Knowing that | would be observed
l determined not to betray my inter
est in the matter by critical eXamina
ton Of the hair of different young la.
dies. SO when | appeared with the
throng on the beach or In the water
or on the board walk, though | kept
my eyes open. ! did not let 1t appear
that | was looking for the lady who
had sent me the lock.
have always been one Of those fel.
lows who make acquaintances slowly
and have never relished pushing my
self forward One day one of the
young men staying at my hotel ap
preached me, opened conversation and
In due time asked me If would not
like to know some of the young ladies
gladly assented. and the next day
on the beach he introduced me 10 y
girl who made me feel at home in hcl
company at once This to a retiring
man is great deal .. regretted thar
she could not be the one who bad sent
me the lock. for her hair was "A beauti
ful shade of red
Miss Rebecca Yardley that was ne
nan e-was an expert swimmer. anC
we used to bathe together constant
ly. A raft was anchored out In deer
water, to which we would go for div
ing purposes. Often she would dis
card the skirt, which have always
considered not only useless to womer
swimmers. but a draw back Her ig
ure was perfect, and I'm this skirtles:
costume she was n model for statue
while In the sunlight her hair took OF
a deep shade OF gold. My amphibiou'
companlonshlp with her rendered m,
stay at Alton very different from
what II had been before met her.
noticed that, although the younl
man who had introduced me TO he
had asked me II J would like TO know
some of the girls. he did not furthe
pursue his introductions. Whethe
this was because he saw that ] ap