Evening journal., 1912-02-23
Anew Fad
By SAMUEL C. TREAT

why. they take map or tne city
and. closing their eyes. jab tiny hole
In it with pin. Then they open their
eyes and note where they have pricked
the paper. Next they 90 TO the spot
and see what happens to them. There's
no end OF things happening to persons
who try It. One man saw q friend run
over and killed. another met a woman
from whom he he'd been divorced years
before. and they made it up and were
remarked. Come let's have try at It
here In New York"
sThank you. / am not feeble minded"
You cant stop a Britisher when he
once gets an idea In his head. no mat
ter how stupid it is. Higgins got out
map OF the city and. closing bis eys.
prlcked It. He made a hole for himself
somewhere on the east side among the
Yiddish people, then made one for me
that fell 10 Central park.
Not long after that / was crossing
Central park. and somehow It occurred
to me that | was In the exact spot
pricked for me on the map by Higgins.
don't know what latent superstition
born in our natures induced me to do
so. but I stopped and looked about me.
refusing to admit to myself that was
ready for something to happen to me.
Suddenly heard a young woman sit
ting on q bench CRY, "Oh, Georgew
And. rising. she ran toward me and
threw her arms around my neck hys-
terically. An elderly woman who had
been sitting beside her sprang after
her. Looking into my face, the latter
seemed for a moment much puzzled.
The likeness is astonishing" she
said.
The young lady. infer, has made
q mistake"
But the young lady clung to me. and
/ saw plainly that her mind was un
balanced. without either the older
woman or myself speaking a word II
was agreed between us that / should
for the present at least humor the
younger ones persistence in consider
ing me to be George. l conversed with
the girl while we walked on together,
carefully avoiding saying anything to
destroy her Illusion She had beau
tiful face with large expressive eyes
/ gathered from what she said that
George" had won her heart, then jilt-
ed her, I wondered how he could have
done the latter, for she seemed to me
very attractive.
When we had reached the women's
home the younger said that she must
20 TO her room for awhile and lie
down to compose herself, since the
meeting hud been too much for her.
She tried to pledge me not to go away,
saying that she would be all right in a
few minutes. partly promised, and
the older woman, after spending .
short time with her. returned to en-
tighten me on the strange happening.
"She IS my daughter" she said
Several years ago she had love af
fair with a man who Is the image Of
you. It ended unhappily-for my
daughter at least-and, with other
physical ailments. produced a mental
state that has lasted ever since. though
her physicians consider It temporary
and hope that in time she will recover
am extremely obliged to you for lend
ing yourself as you have to permitting
her to be deceived. I only fear the
consequences when she flnds that she
has second time lost her lover"
''That is not necessary" I replied
eat least not at present. can come tS
see her occasionally"
'You don't know how relieved / an
by your promise. I wish you woulS
come tomorrow After that may de
termine what is best to be done in thl
premises"
When I called the next day the moth
er told me that her daughter had slep
continuously from the time left tn
house tn late in the day and awak
ened in what II was hoped would tur
out changed mental condition. Sh
had not mentioned the meeting wit
me nor had she asked for me- He
mother did not know whether she n
mcmhered It or not. did not Sc
B che. the daughter, but asked be
M er 10 notify me when II would
hest for me TO call and be introduce
% her.
Three weeks passed without m
hearing anything, so I resolved
make inquiries. I called one evenir
and asked for the mother She 4
formed me that her daughter had e
tirely recovered. Blanche came In SOC
after and could not repress a start
seeing me on account Of my likeness
her lost lover was introduced to hI
as an acquaintance Of her mother
and the episode that had brought I
together was not mentioned. Indee
never knew what was In her min
about 1t TIL more than a year lats
when ] married her.
! did not see Higgins from the tim
he pricked the map till one day Will
/ was walking on the Strand. in LOT
don. when suddenly exclaimed:
There comes that blooming IDIOT
Higginsr'
THE one you have told me about
asked my wife.
"Yes; he's the biggest fool Hello
Higgins! How are you? Permit m
10 introduce you TO my wife"
"Ah. yes. heard about that-PaI
ker told me You met your fate in Ger
tral park at the spot l pin pricked o
= map Of New York. l told you ther
was a lot In H."
Pats. II wss only coincidence"
TO YACCINATE MILITIA.