Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1912-12-07

N advance. he might express the bag
to-and so forth.
Many men would have done so and
said the matter could go hang but
Mr. Rexford didn't. A faint sniff of
romance was in the air He was
aware Of emotions to which he had
heretofore been total stranger. Back
he went to Hartford. 1t was eight
o'clock in the evening when he gazed
into Miss Merritt's eyes and wondered
whether she was lifty-five or sixty
Shippers and 80 glads So sorry he
had gone to all the trouble he had.
She was sure that he WAS one man out
OF thousand. She mad read of such
gallant actions in books, but never ex-
pected to meet the hero of them. She
had hesitated to write nim, not know
ing but he might be a confidence man.
or want a missive from her to levy
blackmail. She now sew that she had
wronged him and must beg his par
don million times over. Once she
had written letter to a man about
investing In silver mine stock, and
In her ignorance of the wiles Of the
world she had poured out her heart
80 effusively that 1t had cost her $500
to get her letter back 1t was because
Of this sad experience that she had
written SO formally to Mr.. Rexford.
Now that they, had met and he had
seen her and she had seen him, she
was sure he would forgive.
Yes, Mr.. .Rexford would forgive. He
would even praise her maidenly dis
erection, but was that her shopping
bag? Shopping bags with the initial
IN" on them were so numerous that
a mistake was easily made.
Oh, there was not a dCMbt in the
world about ownership. That bag had
called up too many sad thoughts for
her to be mistaken in 1t. 1t had been
gift from dear friend--a very dear
friend. Indeed, she was not ashamed
to admit that she and that very dear
friend had been betrothed only the
week before he had been run down
by an auto Yes, she had loved and
lost, but.
will you please make sure of the
bag, Miss Merritt"
She opened 1t and plunged in her
hand and thin stood up and shouted:
You bold. bad mani"
What is it?"
"Here-take it-go! | was right in
thinking you a scoundrel of the black.
est dye. oh, II were only mani"
When Mr.. Rexford got back to New
York he had the bag with him, and
he found third letter awaiting him
The bag, so the writer said, was care
lessly left behind when she left the
train at Hartford, and she would be
only too happy to pay any costs and
get her property back
Mr.. Rexford started on his third
journey. He was sure of the curiosity
and romance now. He found Miss
Merriweather at home He found her
petite and amiable. Almost her first
greeting was laugh as she said:
THE whole family will feel re-
lieved now"
Sure it's yours?"
"Of course. Here's some false
hair for sister-a bottle Of hair-dye
for mother-a pipe and tobacco for
father-a jimping-jack for bub. and"
MY card tells you that am Mr..
Royal Rexford. of New York"
yes"
And I want TOTO
you want to see father"
"Na-er-nor. That Is not Just now
but sdon!"
Miss Merriweather puzzled a mo-
ment and then the bushes came She
didn't exactly know what she was
blushing for, but she keeps 1t up as
often as Mr. Rexford lands in Hart
ford. and that is once a week. And
his mother has had to explain to sew.
eral friends:
"Oh, yes, there can be romance in
lady's shopping bag as we'll as in
| saving a maid from drowning"
| Copyright 1912. by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate)