The Press., 1912-12-11
An ElOpennent . .ss:s-, 5.s it Didn't Come Of as ~ Expected E- .Ea.'. e. - '~:i ". O.
By F. A. MTG HEEL


 tn some affairs connected with my es tate when at the door 1 met tele graph messenger. He handed me the envelope and the book for signature at the same time. and | signed the one before looking at the other. The boy 'larted away. and, tearing open the envelope. read the telegram.
 need you very much. Do come to me.
 r. - .'.yy - GWEN.
 Not knowing any one by that name I began to do what should huve done in the first place-investigate. The ad- dress was "A. -J. Courtney" My name IS Alonzo Jackson Courtney. So far all right. live at 107 Renwick street. and that was the address on the .en- velope. though there was DO street or number written on the. message. The place from which 1t had been sent was Tipperton.- a. city about an hours ride from the one in which lived:
 My first impulse was to send the message to the telegraph office with the information that the operator had made mistake in sending it. to me. Then fell to wondering who was Gwen and why she needed some other fellow with. my name. Singular that the initials should be exactly the same in both: Was 1t, after all, mistake? thought hard for a few minutes. then remembered girl by the name of Gwen l had met at a summer resort and with whom had had a mild f1irta- tiOn. .4
 I've a good mind to follow the thing np," said to myself. and l did.
 took the, first train for Hyperion. where. at the office from which the message had been sent, l learned the address of the sender Going to the house. very respectable residence on good street. and. being admitted. I sent up my. card. telling. the maid to take It to Miss Gwendolin. Word came back that Miss Darlington. was not able to see me at present. but hoped l would call again. The. maid. however. handed me sealed envelope containing an admission. ticket to the opera. and on a bit of paper was writ ten: -..t. .,.~,s
 Box G. This evening. Don't fail
 This was trifle more than l had bargained for. 1 was quite up to fac ing young lady in her own house and asking her why she had summon ed me. but to accept ticket to the opera under false pretenses was quite another matter However. 1 was in for fl. and to repay the. obligation dropped in at florists and sent Miss Darlington a box of flowers. This re j lieved my conscience. Then l returned home and during the afternoon put on evening dress. dined early and went back to Hyperion. arriving at the opera house before the curtain rose.
 took seat in the parquet where l could look up at box 6 and waited. During the overture young lady. at tended only by a maid. entered the box and. throwing of her wraps. took a seat where she was partly concealed by a. curtain l saw her long enough to assure me that I had never seen her before. .-... -......--..,. .-- s
 l tried hard during the first act to screw up, my courage to visit her in her box bat failed. However. when the curtain fell for the. first time 1 gathered sufficient nerve to face her would offer the best excuse l could for my action. giving her to under stand that I:aad simply called on her. to notify her that her telegram had reached the wrong person. | knocked at the box door and heard a musical voice bid me enter. The lady kept her seat as | did so. drawing the curtain a little farther forward. "
 "Mr Courtney, presume p she said.
 You could have knocked me down with a feather certainly had not counted on her not knowing the man to whom she had sent the telegramer [ had got ready with my excuses, hut they were not available. Instead of putting the lady right at once stood stock still. not knowing what to say So when she presumed that l was Mr Courtney bowed an assent. and. not caring to have an audience witness what might occur. took a vacant chair behind the same curtain that screened Miss Darlington Before could gather my wits to speak she plunged into the subject that was on her mind
 Maud has told me all" she said "and has asked me to help her. say ing she had notified you that she hhd placed the management of the whole affair Tn my hands. l therefore tple graphed you that I needed tn confer with you or words to that effect 1 preferred not to do so at the house. fearing some one would overhear or suspect and your and Maud's happi- ness might be wrecked" a.. ''E .-'..
 Pardon me- $"'s '%
 "l beg of you to let me, Ro on The plan l propose is rather complicated. and shall have to submit it to you in detail that yOu may understand 1t: that there may be no link in the t'frain left out when 1t is put fin opera ton ''
 Do permit me to say something to you OF shall he. placed in the dishon- orable position Of listening to secrets that have no right to hear" '
 What in the world do yon mean?" "A mistake has been made Ire ceIved your telegram. but was not sfire it was or was not for me- The only course that seemed to he open to me was to answer your summons in. per. son and'- '.'7 .''''<. !,
 Aren't you Arthur Courtney?'' '-'''
 .No: am Alonzo Courtney: hut if can be of any assistance to an elope ment"-
 My goodness grarfOuS!
 She pulled herself together and seem. ed to be thinking Presently she said: "I wish you were not entirely un- known to me and the parties con
 eff am tP help you it may he better that l should he unknown to the oth- CTS" J. rst
 That's q good idea Our trouble will \ be that any one of our friends acting I in. nfr,d.s snA