Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-02-28
A CASE OF
TRESPASS
By EDWIN L. DANFoRD

Copyright by American Press ~Asso-
citation, 1911.

uOOIS iyiuS OptA anu GfCIyImh6
higgledy piggledy, | noticed among
family whose rooms lay in the same
aisle as mine girl about twenty, pref
ty as peach and demure as Quaker
ess. | kept going out Of and into my
room for the express purpose of passing
her. and every time did so hoped she
would at least glance at me. but she
didn't. The family had two rooms,
both outside. One of them was occu-
pied by boy OF sixteen and another
| of twelve.
The next morning met the young
lady on deck and racked my brains
for some method of scraping an ac-
quaintance with her. but couldn't think
| of any way in the world to do it. There
were plenty of chances, but she block
! ed every one of them. | didn't know a
soul on the ship to introduce me. and
| it looked as If we should cross the
ocean together without my speaking
q word to her.
| One day when / met her / fancied
/ could see the faintest suspicion of
smile on her face indicating that she
! knew well enough that | was trying to
make her acquaintance and she was
giving me all the trouble she could in
| doing so. That made me mad.
| One night was lying in my berth
sound asleep when | was awakened by
a soft hand clasping mine. -
"Feel any better. Bunny?" asked
sweet voice.
l gave grunt as much as to say
mo"
Want anything"
| / gave another negative grunt, but
! didn't withdraw my hand. Another
hand was laid on my forehead. a de-
liciously soft hand.
you haven't any fever"
| supposed should say something,
| but uttered never a word. | knew
/ perfectly well what had happened.
but | didn't care to interrupt the pro-
| ceedings. The girl. whose acquaint-
ance had been trying to form and
who had headed me off, was forming
mine with vengeance. | had heard
| her mother in the next stateroom min
istering to the eldest of her two boys,
who seemed to be ill. and it was plain
/ that the daughter, intending to go into
see him, had got in my room instead.
"Well," she said finally, Il don't
see that l can do anything for you,
so I'll leave you. Good night"
She bent down and kissed me, then
went out.
| If was mean enough to let her do
| all this | wasn't the man to let her
| know Of her mistake-at least in any
but a delicate way. l dreamed Of
on waking saw on the floor dainty
handkerchief evidently a woman's.
| Then l knew l had the game in my
| own hands.
! But waited. If she didn't mention
the visit to her brother she supposed
she had made him she would never
know she had called on me instead.
| When she met me again she showed
not the slightest consciousness OF her
visit. Later, while she was sitting In
a steamer chair, stepped up to her,
raised my hat deferentially and, hold
ing out the dainty bit of linen, said:
pardon me, but think this is your
handkerchief"
The look of surprise on her face
was a sight to behold. She evidently
expected me to tell her where found
| it, but / bowed second time lower
| than the first and walked on with
my nose in the air.
The tables were turned. Knowing
| of my advantage, though, l afterward
often passed the young lady deferen-
TALLY.
l never noticed her. One day while
! sitting on deck she came up and took
| seat not very far from me. | felt
! that this was the first step in resolve
! to crafty her curiosity. Indeed, sus-
pected from her manner that she had
/ fancied something was wrong and may
have interviewed her brother. She sat
near me for long while. l was read
ing and did not move. Presently she
| arose and. coming to where was,
I stood before me- l pretended to be so
| absorbed in my book that did not see
| her. She spoke, and stood up at once
and uncovered.
"Will you kindly tell me where you
found my handkerchief" she said. red
| as rose.
"To avoid wounding your sense of
delicacy / should have to lie to you;
therefore l beg of you to excuse me-"
That only made her more determined
to know. and after some persuasion
said:
1.-THE other night you got into the
wrong room"
She was not only now red as rose.
| but red as jack rose. knew the next
/ thing she would ask was, why didn't
you stop meg so to forestall her
went on:
II will excuse the trespass If you
will do me the honor to dispense with
an introduction and permit me to con-
slider myself an acquaintance"
Che caapnad RI faIya fha trasp9 mart