Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-08-01

The Unknown
A Mystery of a
Lock of Hair
; BY ALEXANDER HUTCHINS

S"SsCe<Ss<ss<Ss<Nf
The summer was coming on, and /
iongcd for some place away from the
city where could 40 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 to
yet back To business After consulting
With friends chose Alton, Il SearoaSt
town, where there were a few summer
cottages belonging to city people. some
hotels and boarding houses. engag
ed a room on the top story OF Il hotc
where from my window | could look
out upon the ocean
1t was certainly delicious. having
left the city on 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 | did was to put on my bathing
suit. so down to the water and take Il
plunge.
went to Alton on the LIST OF July
W htli tLiCtt WStt tS" HNlS N|lS NhNAS'
but by the middle OF the month the
place was we'll filled with strangers
among whom young girls and young
men not yet engaged in their life pur
suits predominated. | presume there
were at least tifty maidens of a mar
riugeable age. some OF them comedy,
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 battle with the crowd. These days
were delightful especially as jumped,
as 1t were. from the hot cobblestones
of the city into the cool waves of the
sea.
One evening about the LIST of August.
when the season was well on, reach
ing my hotel after my ride from the
city. the clerk handed me several let
i tiers. 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 In
my bath robe before the window ] took
up my mail One envelope was ad-
dressed to me in feminine hand that
| did not recognize Tearing It open,
uncovered a bit OF cardboard. on
which was pinned lock of hair.
J 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
~ staying In Alton. 1t 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 hair
could easily discover her identity,
Nevertheless there was possibility
of my tracking her by this lock. She
was a blond. but the shade was not
/ uncommon. There might be a dozen
girls at the place whose hair II would
match reasonably we'll
Knowing that | would be observed
by one and possibly a number OF girls,
determined not to betray my inter
est in the matter by a 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.
l have always been one OF those fol.
lows who make acquaintance 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 II ] would not
like to know some of the young ladies'
gladly assented, and the next day
on the beach he introduced me to a
girl who made me feel at home In her
company at once. This to retiring
she could not be the one who had sent
me the lock. for her hair was a beanti
full shade of red
Miss Rebecca Yardley-that was her
name-was an expert swimmer, and
we used to battle together constant
ly. raft was anchored out In deep
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 women
swimmers. but a drawback. Her fig
ure was perfect. and IN this skirtless
costume she was model for a statue,
while In the sunlight her hair took on
a deep shade of gold. My amphibious
! companionship with her rendered my
stay at Alton very different from
what It had been before met her.
noticed that. although the young
man who had introduced me to her
had asked me II would like to know
some of the girls. he did not further
pursue his introductions Whether
this was because he saw that | ap
peared quite content with her &C