Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-10-18
TRAGEDY OF A WIND
BY GEORGE !. PALMER.

uS lOquGy sitting W
staring intently across the CROWDED
waiting room. Look at that man
the one just getting into the elevator!
It's too late. He's gone"
She sank back into her seat. II
he hadn't got away SO quickly shouio
have rushed up to him and asked hlm
to please pull my hair" she remarked
pensively.
Her companion looked exasperated.
Helen, you do say the most Tidicu'
lous things! Will you kindly tell me
why you should want to rush up 10
any man and ask him to pull your
hair?"
The girl in the toque giggled.
"Why, yes, was just going to tell
you," she replied.
"You know two years ago last sum-
mer, after I had typhoid and had TO
have my hair cut off, / went up to a
farm in Wisconsin to stay month. ="
II know you stayed only a week.
That's part Of my story. One day
when l had been up there nearly a
week ! started out for q long walk IN
the woods, in the course Of my wan
behring's came to lovely little lake
with the most beautiful pond lilies
floating on It. There was canoe
drawn up on the beach at one end
and a little boat house among the
trees"
"When does the man come in?"
GAIL in good time, my dear. I'm
leading up to him. I looked all
around for somebody the canoe might
belong to, and then I decided to bor-
row 1t for q few minutes and paddle
over and get some lilies, trusting to
luck that the owner would be Kind
enough to stay away until got back"
Mice, high principled thing TO do"
II padded over to the lilies and
was having O beautiful time gathering
great bunch of them, when discov-
cred that the paddle was floating
around in the water just out of reach.
I leaned over as far as 1 dared, and
was clawing for it, when l heard a
shout from the shore. A man was
gesticulating and gyrating on the
beach. Hey, look out!' he yelled.
Wait till l row out and get it,
"He dashed into the boat house and
brought out a rowboat. He rowed
over and pushed the paddle within
my reach, and padded back with
him in my wake, feeling the way I
used to when I tried to play hooky
and got caught"
"And what has all this got to do
with hair pulling?" asked the other
young woman restlessly.
ooh, I'm coming to that. After he
had helped me out of his canoe and
dragged the lilies out, we looked at
each other and laughed. He had the
most delightful laugh and dark blue
eyes and broad shoulders. And then
he wanted to know If he couldn't
carry the lilies home for me, and the
first thing I knew we were wandering
along through the woods and having
a beautiful time"
"You didn't think of asking his
name or where he came from before
you went strolling through the coun
| try with him, I supposed" suggested
the girl who was doing the listening.
"Well, everything went along de-
lightfully," proceeded the girl with
the toque, until just as we reached
the farm house where I was staying.
Then a nasty little gust Of wind came
up-there hadn't been breath OF
air stirring all day-and blew my hat
off. And, my dear, it took my Wig
with It! You know had to wear one
because I didn't have any hair, and
there I stood looking like a SHARED
sheep"
"He certainly must have known
| how it was"
81 don't know what he knew Or
| what he thought for the minute he
brought my hat back l flow into the
| house and the next day l skipped the
country and came back home. I was
afraid I would see him again. Now
you know why I want to have him
| pull my hair.
ooh, Margaret, here he comes back
again, right toward-look, the tall one
with the gray overcoat!"
"That man! Why, that's Sidney
Hollister I've known him for ages
Before the girl in the toque could
stop her the other young woman had
intercepted the young man and he
was standing smiling down at him.
Sidney, this is Helen Benedict, and
she wants you to pull her hair
please" gurgled Margaret
"Puli her hair" the youth began
amazedly, then light dawned in bis
eyes as he held out his hand eagerly
"Is 1t really you? Well, ! think you
ought to have your hair pulled fol
the way you treated me that day, anc
then skipped the country afterWart
without leaving a trace. tried tc
bride the people at the farm mousse
He broke of and then began again
Il won't pull 1t here in public, but Il
you'll let Margaret bring me up tt
see YOU some day I'll be glad to give